The International Competition Young Virtuosos 2018 was unveiled on April 15 with a concert of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nayden Todorov. Sofia Mehonoshina is the soloist of the programme. The young clarinetist has just turned fourteen. However, she has already won a series of awards at international music competitions in Russia, Austria, Italy and Spain. In 2017 Sofia received the special award of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra – to play with that orchestra at this year’s opening concert.

The International Competition Young Virtuosos for young musicians and composers was established in 2004 on occasion of the 100^th anniversary since the foundation of the National School of Music Lyubomir Pipkov. Since 2013 it has been part of the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth – EMCY. Musicians from Austria, Italy, Russia, the USA, Japan, South Korea, Bulgaria and other countries are taking part at this year’s edition of the competition. They will compete in two categories – chamber music and composition. The competition for ensemble music will be held atCity Mark Art Center. It starts on April 16 and the grand awards ceremony and the laureates’ gala will be held on April 22. Young instrumentalists whoare expected to shape the future of world music gather again in Sofia. “The competition will be serious. All children are true virtuosos and we believe that the best ones will receive awards”, the founder and artistic director of the forum Milka Miteva told Radio Bulgaria. Acclaimed musicians were invited to become members of the jury. The chamber formations will be assessed byProf. Dora Schwarzberg (Austria), Prof. Leonid Kerbel (Belgium/ Ukraine), Professor Dimo Dimov (Bulgaria), Prof. Romain Garioud (France) and Prof. Giuliano Mazzoccante (Italy).

The names of the Jury members of the International Composers Competition will be announced in October when the competition for young composers will be held. Some of the categories bear the names of celebrated Bulgarian musicians and music pedagogues – Professor Lyuba Encheva (piano), Professor Sava Dimitrov (clarinet), Professor Kiril-Karel Stari (waldhorn), Professor Dobri Paliev (percussions) and Professor Georgi Badev (violin). In 2018 the International Composers Competition will be named after the renowned Bulgarian composer Academician Marin Goleminov.

TheInternational Competition Young Virtuosos is organized in partnership with the National School of Music Lyubomir Pipkov and is part of the cultural events’ calendar of the Sofia Municipality in 2018. The prize fund is EUR 11,125 and is provided by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture. Three awards are presented in each age category. A series of special awards will be also presented at the competition.

All fans of classical music can attend the competition days, the Laureates Gala and the Grand Awards Ceremony free of charge.

English version:Kostadin Atanasov