On 1 November, National Enlighteners’ Day, our colleague Albena Bezovska was awarded the prestigious Crystal Lyre. The award is bestowed by the Union of Musicians and Dancers in Bulgaria in 15 different categories, among them for conductor, chamber musician, chamber orchestra, soloists, vocal performers, pop music etc. Albena received the beautiful statuette in the “Music critique” category.

“I think that for quite some time music critique has not existed in this country as it once did – when I myself was starting out in the profession. There have been many changes in Bulgarian culture. After 1989 artistes found themselves in a position that was very different and each had to fend for himself. But what kind of critique are we talking about", says Albena Bezovska and adds:

“To my mind music critique should mean: selecting the events you find interesting and the people who deserve to be given support. The selection is, in itself, a kind of nomination. Especially if you are writing for an audience abroad, as is the case with Radio Bulgaria. In my work, I am constantly making my own nominations. I choose the top achievements, the young musicians who need to be encouraged or the projects that may not be all that popular, but that are, to my mind worthwhile.”

Albena Bezovska has graduated “music folklore” and “music aesthetics” and this has enabled her to work in several spheres. When she was still at university, she started publishing critique, reviews and to cover events in the sphere of chamber and symphony music.

“At the beginning, when my son was young I was even commissioned an article about the music at the puppet theatre – at that time I would take my son to the puppet theatre every week. Or I wrote about the music in the music shows of the Bulgarian National TV and the Bulgarian National Radio. I have been working more actively since 1982,” says Albena.

But it was at Radio Bulgaria that she was afforded an opportunity to work in a wider range of genres:

“Any place else I would have been restricted by the specifics of the respective form of mass media. I would have had to write only about folklore or pop or chamber music, for example. But I find so many different things interesting, that is why I am so happy to be working here.”

Albena says Folk Studio is particularly close to her heart. And it is one of the oldest Bulgarian National Radio music shows that is still running – it started at the beginning of the 1970s. The idea for Folk Studio was given by Raina Konstantinova, who was working for the English language service at the time; later, from 2001 until 2012 she was Director of the European Broadcasting Union’s Radio Department. Raina Konstantinova suggested to Rumyana Tsintsarska – an emblematic name at the BNR in the sphere of folklore – that she present Bulgarian tradition and customs in an intriguing way, so as to make them appealing to an English-speaking audience. Gradually, Folk Studio was included in the programmes of the other languages Radio Bulgaria broadcasts in:

“When I started work at the BNR 22 years ago, Folk Studio was authored by Rumyana Panayotova, who, sadly passed away a few years back. The music selection – by no means an easy task – was made by Ilka Dimitrova, a colleague from the BNR’s culture channel Hristo Botev, in fact she still writes for us. Rumyana got sick and someone had to take over – so, I was given the task. Since then I have been the prime author, though at times, I invite colleagues from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Institute of Ethnography, most often Vihra Baeva, whose work is wonderful. But I still make the music selection. I am especially fond of Folk Studio because there is no other form of mass media that presents Bulgarian customs so extensively. And I have found that they are of interest to foreigners and to Bulgarians alike – whether living abroad or people of different age, living here in Bulgaria.”

English Milena Daynova