Between rehearsals for his first concert in Sofia on February 14, world-famous tenor Placido Domingo met with the Bulgarian media. The great artist was in the company of other participants in the program – guest conductor Jordi Bernacer and soprano Micaela Oeste. The US soprano Angel Blue, who is also among the soloists, arrived later. Both singers are among the discoveries of “Operalia” - a prestigious competition for young talents founded by the maestro.

“At the concert we will all celebrate love together”, Placido Domingo said at the press conference. “We will perform opera arias, but we have also prepared excerpts from operettas, musicals... I am happy to have the opportunity to sing with the Sofia Philharmonic. I am in Bulgaria for the first time, but over the years I've worked twice with the orchestra of the Sofia Opera House. I have sung with your great names in opera – Raina Kabaivanska, Ghena Dimitrova, Anna Tomova-Sintow, Nikolai Ghiaurov. I want to return here and sing as an artist in a production of the Sofia Opera”.

Placido Domingo told journalists about the deep emotions that had captured his heart during the filming of “Tosca” with Kabaivanska. The movie was filmed in authentic locations - where the action takes place according to the libretto.

The great singer mentioned the 100^th anniversary of Bulgarian basso Boris Christoff for whom he feels deep respect. There is a long list of Bulgarian artists with whom he has had creative contacts - Sonia Ioncheva, Krasimira Stoyanova, Alexandrina Pendachanska, Orlin Anastasov and others.

Elena Dragostinova, director of the Boris Christoff Music Center is Sofia, invited the great tenor to visit the museum house and Yavor Dimitrov, director of the Sofia Philharmonic, awarded him with the honorary sign of the orchestra.

English version: Rossitsa Petcova