October 1st – International Music Day was celebrated for the first time back in 1974. It was established by a decision of the International Music Council of UNESCO in France. It is celebrated in more than 120 countries worldwide, including Bulgaria. One of the most interesting programs dedicated to this day is the concert within the program of the "Young Virtuosos” International Competition. The event is dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the competition and to the International Music Day. We learned more about the program from Milka Miteva – longtime piano teacher, founder and artistic director of Young Virtuosos:

“This year's competition is for composers and it is also dedicated to the 120th anniversary of Pancho Vladigerov's birth. Within the framework of the Young Virtuosos we traditionally organize concerts for Gran Prix winners over the years, as well as for members of the international jury. At the concert on October 1, we will present the award-winning work from the previous composition competition, which was named after Marin Goleminov – another great Bulgarian composer whose 110th birthday was celebrated last year. The work is called ‘Perpericonia’ and its author is Desislava Georgieva. It will be performed by the Arte Quartet with the special participation of Gergana Ivanova – flute. In the same program, to our great joy and pride, we will hear Emanuil Ivanov, winner of the Young Virtuosos Grand Prix in 2016. Less than a month ago, he received the first prize from the extremely prestigious Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy. The second part of the program will feature members of the international jury - pianist Giuliano Medzocante from Italy and cellist Romain Garioud from France. They will be performing works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn. The venue of the concert is emblematic for all musicians – this is the hall on Oborishte Street No 5 in Sofia, where the National Music School "Lyubomir Pipkov" used to be located in the past. The hall has been renovated and the beautiful ceiling and chandelier have been restored. There is also a new grand piano of exceptional high quality. I would definitely like to thank the Sofia Municipality, which always includes the competition in its Cultural Calendar, as well as the Ministry of Culture. These institutions provide great support to significant events and performances of young musicians.”

Let's add that the fifteenth edition of Young Virtuosos, dedicated to Pancho Vladigerov, focuses on the creation of piano and chamber works. The international jury will meet in December when we would learn who the winners are.

English: Alexander Markov