This year, apart from celebrating its 70th anniversary the school also marks 40 years of ballet grades and 20 years since it was given the name of great Bulgarian conductor Dobrin Petkov. More about these anniversaries in an interview with the school's Principal Nelly Popova-Koeva:

"We celebrated our School Day at the beginning of February in the presence of our patron Dobrin Pektov's daughter and son. We organized a quiz in two rounds focused on the life of the maestro. Under the regulations students had to answer twelve questions. We had special guests too, who shared with us their memories of the great Dobrin Petkov - Prof. Nedyalcho Todorov and harpist Zdravka Koleva, and other of the schools' alumni."

At the end of 2014, the active creative work of Dobrin Petkov NSMDA was properly acknowledged. The talent of seventh graders Ivan Marinov and Sydney Mikova was appreciated in the United States:

"After winning the American Protégé International Concerto Competition two of our pupils had the chance to give a concert at Carnegie Hall”, Nelly Popova-Koeva goes on to say. The competition is based in New York and takes place online. Applicants send recordings with orchestra. Both awarded pupils are pianists and their teacher is Svetlana Koeva who in 2014 was given the prestigious Crystal Lyre Award by the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers.”

A major program of events devised by the Creative Council of the Dobrin Petkov School is underway throughout 2015. One of the highlights is the International Chamber Music Competition in October. It has been initiated by world-acclaimed violinist Elmira Darvarova, School Principal Nelly Koeva-Popova and the MusicArtissimo Foundation for Culture and Art. Last year it attracted 66 entrants from 11 countries. In the first days of May the school is going to host another contest - Golden Key - for pianists and violinists. There is more to come though:

„In 1995 a competition named after Dobrin Petkov was launched,” the principal tells us. “We started with only a violin category. Since 2013 it has expanded and now includes all orchestral instruments.The 2015 edition features the flute, the clarinet, the French horn, trombone and tuba,and will be on in November. For the competition's jury we invite leading instrumentalists and pedagogues, most of them the school's alumni. I am proud to confirm participation in two international forums - Balabanov's House Music Days and the 51st edition of the International Chamber Music Festival, both in Plovdiv. The anniversary gala concert of the school is scheduled for 25 September. We plan to bring together different generations: alumni, teachers - current and former. Before the concert, we will go out for a street procession in Plovdiv to reach the Boris Christoff Center of Culture where the gala itself will be held.”

English Daniela Konstantinova

Audio file contains the following pieces:

1. Arabesque No. 1 by Claude Debussy in the rendition of Zdravka Koleva(harp)

2. In the Style of Albeniz by Rodion Shchedrin performed by Micho Dimitrov (violin)

3. The Soldier's March from The Soldier's Tale by Igor Stravinsky performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Dobrin Petkov National School of Music and Dance Art (NSMDA)