Author: Inna Pepelanova
People in Plovdiv are lucky to be living in the oldest city in Europe with a history spanning thousands of years. Whoever has walked past here has left some treasure for the next generations. One of the many reasons why our city has always survived is our culture.
It is no coincidence that in 2019 Plovdiv was European Capital of Culture. And throughout the year there were plenty of cultural events. Opera is one of the people’s favorites, and it is famous for being very innovative, but also very serious about traditions.
Attempts to stage the first opera here began in 1911. It took a lot of effort over the years to reach success on March 20, 1953, when the State Opera Plovdiv was established.
State Opera Plovdiv has a rich history, we could write a lot about it, but let’s take a look at it today. Some say the opera is like a beautiful young lady who does not go unnoticed. She is modern but also sticks to the classics. She has a style of her own, but she also follows global trends. She likes new things but also keeps traditions. One tradition has become the jewel in her crown, namely the open-air operas. In 1987, Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida was performed for the first time at the Amphitheater. Since then, every year in the heat of the summer season, Plovdiv is looking forward to the festival. It has changed many names through the years – Festival of the Amphitheater, Verdi Festival, Festival of Opera, Operetta and Ballet etc. In 2014 the iconic festival was rebranded Opera Open. Every year the Amphitheater and other openair venues in the city stage a large-scale lineup of premieres, co-productions and multi-genre projects. They have an active international partnership and bring together world-famous foreign and Bulgarian artists.
I said we are lucky, didn’t I? We can go and see the opera stars of our time perform and we don’t even need a plane ticket. No need to travel thousands of miles, all it takes is to walk up to the Amphitheatre on a hot summer’s eve. Of course, we welcome a lot of visitors to the city who are happy to pay a special visit so that they can enjoy their favorite opera or artist.
This year the State Opera Plovdiv surprised us with yet another renewed tradition that is concerts on the Bunardzik Hill. The festival opened with a grand performance of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. Next are several classics premiers like The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, Tosca by Giacomo Puccini and Don Juan by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. If we choose the must-see operas of this festival, then put these on your list.
The Open Opera Festival didn’t get its name by chance, as it offers a wide variety of genres. All tastes are taken into account – those who love ballet, musicals, piano concerts, tango and even poetry.
Each year at the end of the hot summer, the Plovdiv State Operaannounces its new creative season and the upcoming premieres.
There are so many reasons why you should see a concert but it is best if you find your own.
You can see the extensive lineup of the Festival at https://operaplovdiv.bg/ .