Sibila Lilova

The Archeological Museum in Varna was once again the venue of the Varna Summer International Jazz Festival, founded in 1992 at the initiative of saxophonist Anatoly Vapirov. Every year the guests of the lovely Black Sea city enjoy the art of internationally acclaimed musicians. The festival’s 23rd edition opened on 31 July and was on until 3 August. Anatoly Vapirov brings more on the event:

“Thanks to America for Bulgaria Foundation, we have extended the festival from three to four days. Musicians from fourteen countries will guest-perform in Varna. What is new this time is that we have musicians from Japan, Serbia and Slovenia for the first time ever. By tradition we opened the festival with Bulgarian music, as saxophonist Dimitar Liolev presented his latest album Rodopology dedicated to his favorite Bulgarian folklore region, the Rhodope Mountains. After him we listened to Kochetov Quintet from Serbia.”

Varna Summer International Jazz Festival continued with a concert of Bulgarian pianist Plamen Karadonev and his wife, singer Elena Koleva. The two have been living and working in Boston, USA. After them came the appearance of Polish trumpeter Tomasz Kudyk with his New Bone Quintet.

The music event went on, August 2, with guitarist Miroslav Ivanov who presented the album Directions, and Italian pianist Federika Colangelo who closed the night with an international jazz band with musicians from Japan, the Netherlands. Slovenia, Italy and Bulgaria involved in the project Acquaphonica.

On the festival’s closing night the courtyard of the Archaeological Museum welcomed musicians from Ukraine. After that Anatoly Vapirov closed the festival with his No/Net project in which he has teamed up with Stoyan Yankulov (Stundji), percussions, Hristo Yotsov, percussions, Antony Donchev, piano, Yildiz Ibrahimova, vocals and instrumentalists from Russia, Lithuania and Germany.

English Daniela Konstantinova