The musicians and dancers from the town of Kotel came away as award winners at the prestigious Altın Karagöz Folk Competition in Bursa, Turkey. This latest success for the music and dance ensemble comes as acknowledgement of the high standard of the first, in Bulgaria and in the Balkans, school for folklore - Philip Koutev, located in Kotel.

Generations of talented musicians, singers, dancers have graduated the National School of Folk Arts in its 50-year long history. Today many of them are renowned conductors, music arrangers, singers, instrumentalists, dancers, choreographers, lecturers in Bulgaria and around the world. The school provides specialized education, but also organizes a great many concerts in the country and abroad with the idea of popularizing a high artistic standard of traditional Bulgarian music and dance.

Individual soloists and the school’s ensembles have taken part and won prestigious awards and prizes at numerous national and international competitions and festivals. The National School of Folk Arts Philip Koutev has itself organized national competitions for some years – the Golden Staff and Rainbow of Songs - for children and teenagers from across the country, whose talents are evaluated by a highly competent jury.

Bulgarian dance was introduced at the school in Kotel in 1998. Around 20 days ago it won first prize at the competition in Bursa.

Here is more from Mrs. Yanka Docheva – artistic manager of the National School of Folk Arts Philip Koutev:

“I have had the honour of presenting groups from our school at international competitions and festivals since 2003. Our efforts, together with headmistress Maria Gradeshlieva have been a success. Ensembles from 23 countries from all over the world took part in the 32^nd edition of the Altın Karagöz Folk Competition. The programme presented by the students from the Philip Koutev school was prepared by choreographers and choreography teachers Miroslav Tipovski and Konstantin Konstantinov. It dazzled the audience with its dynamic gradation, its impact, revealing the magic, beauty and vivacity of Bulgarian folk music and dance. Our children – musicians and dancers – were brilliant, as acknowledged by all participants, most of whom professional musicians with much experience and achievements of their own. So it was no surprise they won first prize.

The participants in this year’s competition included ensembles from Georgia, North Ossetia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan… The performers of Caucasian dance were incredible. The groups from Brazil, Macedonia, Indonesia were also marvelous, but the first prize went to the students from our school. The jury included representatives of South Korea, Turkey, Portugal, Poland etc. Unlike many competitions in the world, where you can take part if you pay, the Altın Karagöz competition does not work like that. The financial cost to the groups is covered by the host country. That is why selection of the participants is so rigorous. So, even if a group is approved just for the first stage of the competition, that in itself is acknowledgement of a high artistic standard.”

English version: Milena Daynova