“On 2 and 3 March we had two concerts in Strasbourg to mark Bulgaria’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The event was organized with the help of the Bulgarian representation in Strasbourg and of the Cyril and Methodius association here in the city which set up a Bulgarian school. The concert was at St. Paul’s church and all money raised by the event went to this school where the Bulgarian language is taught. The star cast featured tenor Boyko Tsvetanov, soprano Tsvetelina Vassileva and Daniela Dimova. I had the honour of providing the piano accompaniment. The concert programme included works by Pancho Vladigerov, Dobri Hristov, famous arias by Verdi, Puccini and Offenbach. On 3 March we gave the same concert at the Council of Europe to an audience of council officials and guests. Bulgarian culture is very much appreciated and we have the good fortune of being able to present it, but we must organize more events such as this one so we can popularize it better. We got a very good press locally.”

In 2013 Nikolova was commissioned by the Young Artists Festival in Weingarten, German to compose a drama fantasy “The gate of ivory” based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story “Knight Gluck” for chamber orchestra and reader which had its world premiere that same year. Her opera “Metamorphine” for orchestra, soloists – soprano, mezzosoprano and baritone, actor, children’s choir and illustrator artist who draws “live” as the opera unfolds – was written in 2014 and was a big success with the public and critics in France. With this work, Nikolova actually created a whole new genre: opera-cum-drawing in which the fine arts are a protagonist, playing a role in the story alongside the soloists. The artist draws in sync with the music and the audience is able to follow the action and the story as it is created.

“My latest opera “Metamorphine” whose world premiere was in 2014 is a co-production with the European association of performing arts and a cultural centre based in Drusenheim and with subsidies from the French Ministry of Culture, Strasbourg municipality and the region of Alsace. Last year we performed it again at a festival…” says Ekaterina and adds:

“The opera traces the philosophical idea of “metamorphosis” and how the word is woven into the works by La Fontaine, into his poetry and fables. The libretto is original, by a French author for chamber orchestra, three soloists and singers, a children’s choir as well as an actor and an artist. My idea in writing the opera was to break away from tradition in the genre and do something never done before. I have contacts with theatres in Bulgaria and I would be happy to see this opera staged in Bulgaria. I am now writing my next opera based on Mikhail Bulgakov’s “A dog’s heart” which will be called “The incredible story of the red dog”. I have already been approached about it by Daniela Dimova, director of the opera in Varna. We would like to do a Bulgaria-France co-production, with music companies already stating an interest in it. Being a composer is a difficult thing wherever one may be working, but I have the good fortune of living in France, where, despite the world financial crisis, contemporary composers get a great deal of financial assistance. Coping is very difficult but when that is what lends meaning to one’s life, one finds the strength to fight for one’s dreams.”

The audio file features fragments of the opera “Metamorphine”, courtesy of the composer with special thanks to sound designer Denis Fenninger.

English version: Milena Daynova