The National School of Folklore Art (NSFA) in the village of Shiroka Laka is a specialized school where talented Bulgarians train professionally in traditional music and dance. The course of training is five years and is led by qualified teachers. Upon graduation students receive a certificate for secondary vocational education. Many of them continue their development as successful singers, instrumentalists and dancers in academies and universities. Apart from individual training in traditional singing, instruments and dances the students take part in the school’s music groups: a folk choir and orchestra, groups for authentic folklore and chamber groups. This way they acquire invaluable experience and get trained for their careers in the future – as conductors, choreographers, etc.

With their solo performances the singers and instrumentalists from NSFA Shiroka Laka have won a few folk music competitions named after the big names in Bulgarian folk music. These include the competitions “Radka Kushleva”, “Kalinka Valcheva” and „Yovcho Karaivanov“ for singers, “Rusko Stefanov” for tambourine players and “Yanko Petrov” for rebec players etc.

In 2004 the NSFA representative choir won First Prize at the World in Music festival in Albena on the Black Sea, and the Silver Dolphin at the International Competition in Fivizzano, Italy. NSFA graduates have launched international careers – Nedyalko Nedyalkov (kaval, wooden flute), Vasil Bebelekov (bagpipe), Georgi Andreev (composer and rebec player), singers Donka Koleva and Nelly Andreeva, Valeri Dimchev (tambourine) and many others.

More about the beginnings of the school, from NSFA Shiroka Laka principal Stoyanka Tenova.

“Back in 1971, on 1 September, the Secondary Music School for folk instruments and singing in Shiroka Laka was founded, with the mission to preserve, develop and promote the Bulgarian folk music and dances. The first principal of the school was Prof. Konstantin Shopov. He was assisted by the teacher from the village of Gela Manol Radichev and the director of the local Forestry Service who provided accommodation to the first students. The first alumni could not study in an own building but 45 years ago there was great enthusiasm and love for folklore, and many talented teenagers from across Bulgaria headed to Shiroka Laka. I should like to mention the people who participated in the first admission committees: Prof. Parashkev Hadzhiev, the director of the Plovdiv Music School Anastas Marinkiev and Prof. Manol Todorov. I am happy to have been working at NSFA for more than 30 years. I joined the school as a teacher in 1985 and became its principal ten years later. Over that time achievement multiplied owing to the team that trains talented children. Today some graduates of the school are my colleagues: the teachers Sonya Balabanova, Shtilion Nedelchev, Stefka Gaydeva etc. Two exceptional bagpipe players have been teachers in the school – Dafo Trendafilov and Mikhail Kalfov. On 7 May we will mark with a concert the 100th birth anniversary of Mikhail Kalfov. On 29 April the NSFA hall is hosting a concert of former and current students and this will be the culmination of the celebrations of the school’s 45th anniversary. On 26 April a concert for the occasion was already held At the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv. We are proud that our talented graduates continue Bulgarian traditions and do not forget the school.”

Music in the rendition of graduates of NSFA

* Shiroka Laka Melodies performed by Vasil Bebelekov

* Get the Distaffs, Girls performed by Nelly Andreeva

* Uncle’s Tune arranged by Georgi Andreev, performed by the Bulgarian National Radio Folk Music Orchestra

* Give Me, Mom performed by Donka Koleva

* Staccato performed by Nedyalko Nedyalkov, kaval