Opera singers Geo Chobanov and Mila Ionkova will perform on the Canadian ‎stage

published on 4/6/23 10:05 AM

Geo Chobanov and Mila Ionkova

Photo: Private archive

On May 11, the day on which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church pays homage ‎to Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Aurenda Heritage Foundation is ‎organizing in Toronto, Canada, a concert with the participation of one of ‎the best contemporary Bulgarian basses Geo Chobanov and the talented ‎mezzo-soprano Mila Ionkova. ‎

The event entitled "The Magic of Bulgarian Voices" will feature arias and ‎duets by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Gounod, Bizet and Pancho ‎Vladigerov, as well as Neapolitan canzonettas, Russian romances and ‎Bulgarian songs.‎

‎"We chose the title "The Magic of Bulgarian Voices" for the simple reason that ‎Bulgaria is home to incredible talents”, says Emiliana Blagoeva, director of the ‎organizing foundation. “These talents have existed since the time of Ancient ‎Thrace. We know that Orpheus was a Thracian, ‎i.e. according to many ‎sources, he was born on the territory of modern Bulgaria. This singing talent is ‎also traced further - in the unique intonations and rhythms of Bulgarian ‎folklore. In the 20th century, the procession of Bulgarian opera talents took ‎place on world stages and it was called the Bulgarian opera miracle”.‎

Emiliana Blagoeva, director of the Aurenda Heritage Foundation

The concert which will be held at the City Playhouse Theatre aims to bring together ‎Bulgarians living in Canada, as well as a Canadian audience, representatives of ‎the local Jewish, Russian-speaking and Italian communities. ‎

‎"There are opera singers who give us the chills when they sing. There are ‎others who, no matter how technical, sing to express their ego. Such music ‎cannot take us to the higher spiritual levels. This is exactly why the goal of our ‎foundation is to give the opportunity for the performance of these true musical ‎talents, whose singing can change us for the better," explains Emiliana ‎Blagoeva, who is a yoga teacher.‎

Basso Geo Chobanov is a graduate of the Pancho Vladigerov National ‎Academy of Music in Sofia. He is currently a soloist at the Varna Opera ‎House, and has also been a soloist at the Sofia and Ruse Operas Houses, he ‎has a number of appearances on European stages. He participated in ‎productions such as The Barber of Seville, Don Juan, Attila, Don Carlos and ‎others. In 2022, when she returned to Bulgaria for the summer vacation, ‎Emiliana Blagoeva came across a production of Verdi's Nabucco at the ‎Summer Theatре of Varna. Due to a change in the line-up, Geo Chobanov ‎appeared on the stage in the role of Zakaria. ‎

‎"When he started to sing, as a person practicing yoga and feeling the subtle ‎energies, I was struck by his incredible voice and the incredible change of ‎setting, the very vibrations. I got chills," Emiliana shares, talking to Radio ‎Bulgaria’s Miglena Ivanova. ‎

Then, by the artist's name, she remembers that when she was a teenager, in the ‎summer of 1992, he attended her meditation classes in Varna, and decided to ‎contact him. Later, Geo Chobanov shared that it was during that summer that ‎he made the decision to dedicate himself to opera singing. When the two met, ‎the idea of a concert for the Bulgarian audience in Canada was born.

About the other participant - Mila Ionkova, Emiliana ‎Blagoeva says:‎

‎"Mila Ionkova is an outstanding musician, teacher, conductor. She specialized ‎in opera singing. She has been living in Toronto for over 20 years and is ‎actively involved in local productions. She started her musical career in ‎Bulgaria. She graduated from the Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School ‎and the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts "Prof. Asen Diamandiev" in ‎Plovdiv. She has played professionally in several symphony orchestras in ‎Europe as principal oboist. In Toronto, in addition to her artistic performances, ‎she teaches piano and singing to children".

The Bulgarian community in Canada is already looking forward to the concert ‎‎"The Magic of Bulgarian Voices" with the participation of Geo Chobanov and ‎Mila Ionkova. There is even already a proposal for a second concert in ‎Calgary in the Canadian province of Alberta.‎

Photos: Private archive, BNR archive

Translated and published by Rositsa Petkova

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