The “Gena Dimitrova” Contest will be taking place in the period May 19th to May 23rd in Pleven. Organizer is the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Pleven. Young performers who would like to participate still have time to prepare and submit documents as the deadline is May 2. Created by Gena Dimitrova herself, the contest has had two editions so far. It took place for the first time in 2006 – a year after the Bulgarian opera star passed away. The second edition of the contest took place in 2009. A long pause followed, during which many prominent citizens of Pleven were trying to raise funds and attract the attention of people towards the music forum. We learned more from Avgustina Serafimova – musicologist of the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra and member of the organizational team:

“The second edition of the contest took place ten years ago. To our delight, the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra, which is an organizer, received strong support from the municipality in the city, so the dream of many citizens of Pleven will finally come true. Gena Dimitrova, together with Maestro Georgi Notev, Chief Conductor of the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra at that time, worked for the creation of the first edition of the contest. Mr. Rumen Petkov - then Minister of the Interior, helped to secure the financial resources. The contest was established to meet a strong need for cultural life. In the late 1990s, the Pleven Opera House was closed, despite the big number of opera fans in the city. Gena Dimitrova, who is famous all over the world and sang in the biggest opera theaters in the world, was connected to Pleven. She was born in the village of Beglezh near Pleven and has performed many times on the stage of the Pleven Opera House. She also participated in charity performances for the construction of the Pleven Panorama, for example, as well as for other important events. The city also hosts the Katya Popova Laureate Days for young instrumentalists and opera talents from around the world. The restoration of Gena Dimitrova contest is really a great event for us.”

Chairman of the juries this year is Nayden Todorov – Director of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. He will also be the conductor of the final concert. Together with him juries will be famous opera singers and pedagogues Alexandrina Milcheva, Darina Takova, Kaludi Kaludov, as well as Austrian opera director and producer Adrian Hollaender.

“The rules as a whole are preserved in the way Gena Dimitrova and Georgi Notev created them” Ms. Serafimova says. “Although the contest started as a national one, foreign students from the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music took part in the second edition. That is why we have also decided to allow international participation as Gena Dimitrova was a singer, famous all over the world. Men and women aged 18 and over may participate in the competition. Women must be no older than 32 years, men – no older than 35. The auditions take place in the order of the draw. In the first round, candidates perform an aria and a cabaletta at their choice, as well as a song by a Bulgarian composer. In the second round participants perform an aria by Mozart and an aria of their choice, different from the one presented in the first round. All arias and songs must be performed in the original language, accompanied by a piano. The final concert is on May 23, on the eve of the Day of Bulgarian Culture and the Slavonic Scripture. The prize winners will be performing on stage, accompanied by the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra.”

English: Alexander Markov