Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

US musician Christiane Karam holds new master class in Sofia

БНР Новини

A few years ago, we introduced you for the first time to Christiane Karam - a jazz and world music vocalist and composer, an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, a fan of ancient musical cultures, among which Bulgarian folklore occupies a special place. Christiane is the founder of the Pletenitsa Choir which brings together Americans, Europeans, people from the Middle East, from the Balkans...

Снимка

Born in Lebanon, she grew up in Beirut during the military conflict, and later later she settled in the United States. She has worked with a number of famous artists. She does not fail to express her respect for Bobby McFerrin, from whom she has learned much of what she is teaching her students now. For the first time she heard Bulgarian folk music as a child and since then she has not stopped searching and studying our songs. Her Bulgarian teacher is the famous folk singer Binka Dobreva from The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices choir.





Over the past few years, Pletenitsa choir has grown and developed. This is no longer just a group of students singing together, but a true musical ensemble with traditions and an interesting repertoire, says Christiane, recalling the history of the group.





Along with her work as a university music professor, choir conductor and organizer of an annual festival, Christiane writes music and constantly carries out her own projects with different musicians. What is her driving force and what is the unifying element among her various paths of professional expression?





Christiane Karam and her Pletenitsa choir are now preparing a new album with Bulgarian and Balkan music.


English Rossitsa Petcova
Photos: Courtesy of Christiane Karam



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The album "Where Do the Miracles Live?" - a message to Bulgarian children around the world

Children's song composer Dono Tsvetkov presents his new album "Where Do the Miracles Live?" with a big concert on April 15 at the Central Military Club in Sofia. This new musical project by the author of the undisputed children's hit "Hello, Hello,..

published on 4/15/25 1:05 PM

The pop adventure of singer Savina

Shortly after the Jazzboree group received award for debut in the annual ceremony of the BNR TOP 20 chart, the singer in the formation – Savina, presents her new solo song "Milo moe" (“My Dear”). It emerged at the moment when Savina..

published on 4/14/25 11:59 AM

"Do You Believe" – A blues project by Angel Dyulgerov

Angel Dyulgerov is a guitarist, violinist, composer, arranger and band leader who, in recent years, has worked with some of the biggest stars of Bulgarian music, such as Lili Ivanova, Lubo Kirov and many others. Alongside his participation in a number..

published on 4/11/25 12:22 PM