Famous Israeli violinist, conductor and pedagogue Shlomo Mintz is in Bulgaria again. His concert tonight opens the European Music Festival. Founded 15 years ago, the festival takes place simultaneously in Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv. At the opening event Shlomo Mintz will be both soloist and conductor of the Orchestra of Classic FM Radio.

Young Martin Zayranov (violin) is playing tonight as well.

More details from Milka Miteva, Principal of Lubomir Pipkov National School of Music, artistic director of the international competition for young talents.

„It is great that this year we will give the start of Young Virtuosos with this special concert. We joined forces with Vasil Dimtirov and Daniela Handzhieva from the music company Cantus Firmus, organizer of the European Music Festival. Thanks to this we will have the chance to listen to 17-year-old Martin Zayranov in the same program with world-acclaimed Shlomo Mintz. Winner in the competition Young Virtuosos in 2015, Martin is holder of the special prize of Cantus Firmus - to appear as soloist of the orchestra of Classic FM Radio. We are grateful that the Ministry of Culture has provided financial support. We are also grateful to America for Bulgaria Foundation - its team has confidence in our efforts to promote young musicians.”

This year, Young Virtuosos will be held for violin and classical guitar. It will continue until April 3, when the gala of winners is due. Ms. Milka Miteva continues:

„The international competition is not only prestigious; it is a get-together of established artists and educators with future generations who will write the music history in the future. A few young virtuosos have won awards in the competition to later launch international careers. In the jury (like every year) we have invited reputable musicians - Prof. Milena Mollova, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron from Poland (she was recently member of the Chopin jury), Prof. Arie Vardi from Israel (organizer of a major competition in his country) and Ilya Ovchinnikov from Russia. We should in no way Miss Pavlina Dokovska, who has been a most outstanding representative of Bulgaria in the US culture for years. Young classical guitarists will be evaluated by famous specialists. The representative of Switzerland is a Bulgarian, Georgi Vasilev, and his colleagues on the jury include musicians from Germany, Montenegro, Greece and Bulgaria. As a pedagogue I can see the great role of teachers in the growth of young musicians. By tradition we organize master classes and some of the jury members will hold classes. Currently, classes are underway in violin and cello. A whole band of percussionists has arrived from France - „Paris Percussion”. Impressed by our percussion school they are working on Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose for various percussions.”

The competition Young Virtuosos is held in four age groups and there are money prizes plus special awards.

English: Daniela Konstantinova

The audio contains the following pieces:

· Partita No. 3 by Johan Sebastian Bach performed by Shlomo Mintz

· Carmen Fantasy by Pablo Sarasate performed by Martin Zayranov

· Navarra by Pablo Sarasate, performed by brothers Alexander and Martin Zayranov (violin) with Camerata Orphica Orchestra from New Bulgarian University.