The first concert part of the program of the Balabanov’s House Music Days International Festival will take place on September 16 in Plovdiv.

Art director of the festival, Mila Pavlova, says the festival is very significant:

“It features some of the most celebrated string performers at La Scala, led by renowned Italian concertmaster Francesco de Angelis, who is a virtuoso musician and was chosen for first violinist personally by Maestro Riccardo Muti. Known as a chamber musician, soloist, and pedagogue, he will hold a master class here. Bulgarian Evgenia Staneva is part of the composition of the Paganini String Quartet. ‘Cabaret Concert’ in the Balabanov House will take place on the next day. We are very happy to present this unusual project. The space in the Balabanov's House will be shaped by movie director Mariana Kancheva and the wonderful singers of Bella Voce. I would like to point out a great event - the concert dedicated to 110 years of the birth of great Bulgarian composer Marin Goleminov on September 28^th, which is the day of his birth. We are going to present a wide range of his work. Participants arethe Goleminov String Quartet, the Pilekadone Quintet, soprano Evgenia Ralcheva, soloist of the Plovdiv Opera, pianist Maria-Desislava Stoycheva, Academic Folk Choir of the Plovdiv Academy of Music and Dance Arts with conductor Prof. Buradzhiev.”

The concert in memory of Academician Marin Goleminov will take place in the Small Basilica in the city.

“No less important is the Melodie Concert on September 22, when mezzo-soprano Vera Nikolova and pianist Margarita Ilieva will present a program dedicated to French songs from the end of XIX and early XIX century, ”Mila Pavlova says. “On September 23, the beloved ‘Bistrishki Babi’ will have a concert at the Roman stadium, and on October 9th we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Prof. Angel Stankov, a prominent violinist, longtime concertmaster of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor and chamber musician. On October 10th, we expect a Swiss quartet composed of instrumentalists playing in one of the most famous Swiss orchestras – The Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. A very important event is also the concert of world-famous pianist Plamena Mangova. She has participated in Plovdiv as a soloist of the Plovdiv Philharmonic and as a soloist part of a chamber ensemble, but for the first time now she would hold a recital. And another famous name - violinist Mila Georgieva who is the concertmaster of the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra will be a soloist of the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. Lia Petrova, also a violinist with a world career, will be a guest to the festival for the first time, together with two prominent French musicians.”

Let's recall that Mila Pavlova is a flute player with a remarkable career as a solo and chamber musician.

“Back in 2008, we held a mini-concert as a present to someone close to me," she says. “It was at that moment when I established my relationship with the Balabanov's House. After the initial impulse to do something there, there was a lot of work and dedication that followed. And being a professional musician is extremely helpful in making the program.”

The first edition was in the autumn of 2010. Since then the festival has been held twice a year –in spring and autumn, the best seasons for visiting Plovdiv, according to Mila. In the framework of the forum there are also master classes planned - "Musicartissimo", led this year by Francesco de Angelis, Vector quartet and Prof. Borislava Taneva (piano).

English: Alexander Markov