In 2015 the director of A Night in Venice Operetta Mario Nikolov won a prestigious award presented by the Romanian Ministry of Culture. A Night in Venice was performed on the stage of Oleg Danovski National Opera and Ballet Theater in the city of Constanta. Famous tenor Mario Nikolov starred some of the most popular operetta personalities on the stage. His repertoire include Gabriel Von Eisenstein from the Bat operetta, Tassilo from Maritza Countess operetta, Barinkay from the Gypsy Baron operetta, Paris from the Beautiful Helen operetta, Edwin from the Czardas Queen operetta, Danilo from the Merry Widow, etc. He is a director of several operettas such as the Bat, Ball in Savoy, the Queen of the Czardas, etc. He is a laureate of the Crystal Lyre award in 2010 and 2014 and the Golden Lyre award for overall contribution to the operetta and musical field. He also won the Musician of the Year award in 2013. Here is what Mario Nikolov told Radio Bulgaria about the show with the Burgas Opera:

“In 2015 I performed A Night in Venice in Romania and it became the operetta of the year in that country. I am extremely proud and satisfied with that award. We decided to present it in Bulgaria as well after we were invited by the director of the Burgas State Opera House Aleksandar Tekeliev. This is one of Strauss's best operettas. In fact, it is a comical opera. It is not the typical opera we are all used to listening to. The music is exceptionally beautiful and brilliant. The music dramaturgy is very interesting. The piece entertains the audience from the beginning to the end. This is what provoked me to do that piece, because life in Bulgaria and abroad is very busy and one such piece makes people relax and excited at the same time.”

Mario Nikolov told Radio Bulgaria more details about the successful team of the operetta headed by the conductor of the Burgas Opera maestro Ivan Kozhuharov.

“Conductor Ivan Kozhuharov is very popular among the Bulgarian audience. Ivan Tokadzhiev is the artist and scenographer of the piece. Ani Tokadzhieva is the costume painter and Edelina Kalcheva is the choreographer of the operetta. I am exceptionally happy to work with that team. We have already performed several pieces together in Burgas and on other stages and they turned very successful over the years. The music theater prima Valentina Korchakova stars Amina. Some stars of the Burgas Opera such as Maria Tsvetkova, Georgi Sultanov and Shmilena Sultanova also participate at that piece. The team is very well selected. This is what makes the piece successful to a great extent. I star Duke Urbino. I have been following the Burgas Musical Hoildays since the forum was founded nine years ago and I believe that this is a very high achievement for the city of Burgas. We should admire the efforts of the management of the Burgas Opera House and the Burgas Municipality, because they have been trying to preserve and develop that festival through the years. ”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

The audio contains the following airs:

- 1 A Night in Venice - Waltz, to the rendition of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Martin Panteleev

-2 A Night in Venice - Quartet to the rendition of Noi Nikolov, A. Shumanova, L. Cheshmedzhieva, Stoyan Dimitrov-a recording from the BNR archives.

-3 A Night in Venice - A Paganini piece of the eponymous operetta by F. Lehar, to the rendition of Mario Nikolov

-4 A Night in Venice - Aria from the operetta Maritza Countess by Emmerich Kalman to the rendition of Valentina Korchakova.