"This is a festival of premieres, fresh ideas and of breaking the traditional boundaries", thus Iva Chavdarova, artistic director of March Music Days defines the main lines in the program of the forthcoming 55th edition. Traditionally, the forum is held in the second half of March featuring elitist ensembles, orchestras and soloists from around the world.

"It is only natural that the March Music Days, one of the oldest and most renowned festivals in Bulgaria, offers its fans more than 35 performances of elite orchestras and ensembles”, says Iva Chavdarova. “The stylistic frames are from Baroque to contemporary music and jazz. The opening is on 13 March when we will celebrate another 55th anniversary – that of the National School of Arts named after Prof. Vesselin Stoyanov in the town. On the stage we will see alumni of the school - conductor Emil Tabakov, violinist Svetlin Russev, and everyone from the Festival Orchestra set up especially for the occasion. On March 16 is the premiere of the orchestra Kremerata Baltica with French jazz violinist Didier Lockwood. Piazzolla's classic tangos will be blended with the improvisations of the famous musician. I can confidently say that all the names in the program will add their unique touch to this festive edition.” 

Expected this year are the Moscow Soloists, the Romanian National Symphony Orchestra with soloist Simona Mangova, Matthias Goerne, the Symphony Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio, Evgeni Bozhanov ... With a special project within the forum on March 24 we will hear one of the greatest Baroque music artists of our time - Jordi Savall. The master of the old viola da gamba will be in the elite company of Pierre Hantaï - harpsichord and Xavier Diaz-Latorre - theorbo (an instrument of the lute family) and guitar.

"The biggest challenges this year are the two premieres of the Rousse Opera Theater”, continues Ms. Chavdarova. “Just 50 years ago the opera Katerina Izmailova was presented there, and even its author Dmitri Shostakovich attended. This is its first and only production to date. An excellent crew headed by Vera Nemirova (a well-known opera director) offers us their insight into the work. The second premiere is of "The Bewitched" - a madrigal comedy, as defined by its author Bozhidar Spassov. This is a unique synthetic spectacle. The conductor is Dragomir Iossifov, directors - Tatyana Sokolova and Simeon Simeonov. Together with the America for Bulgaria Foundation we created a project intended for children and young audiences. This is a pilot edition of a series of six concerts and performances made with modern interactive means. The closing of the festival is on March 29 with a concert of the Rousse Philharmonic conducted by Nayden Todorov and soloist Mila Georgieva."

English Rossitsa Petcova

The audio file contains performances of the following works:

-  Waltz from Four Pieces for Violin and Piano by Pancho Vladigerov performed by Svetlin Russev and Elena Rozanova

-  Dance of the Girls with Lilies from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev performed by Kremerata Baltica

-  Piano Concerto №3 by Beethoven (fragment) performed by Evgeni Bozhanov, the Rousse Philharmonic, conductor Georgi Dimitrov