24 june 2026 The Ballet "Corsair" Opens the Musical Festival "Emil Chakarov"

The first event of the program of the Burgas Music Festival "Emil Chakarov" 2026, held for the nineteenth time in a row by the Municipality of Burgas and the Burgas State Opera, will be the large-scale - in terms of conception, performance and creative charge, performance of the ballet LE CORSAIRE - on July 1 at 8:30 pm on the stage of the Burgas Summer Theater - Official page.

The spectacular production of Galina Kalcheva, which combined the canons of classical ballet with the original scenographic solutions of Ivan Tokadzhiev, in which sets are visually and semantically intertwined, flowing into multimedia effects, proves that there are no barriers to performing arts in the field of innovative searches and original solutions.

The costumes, wigs, makeup, and props are fabulous and thematic, designed in the spirit of the Orient, whose color palette, saturated with bright colors, aromas, sounds, and atmosphere, will be recreated - like a living picture from the Sultan's palaces.

All the performers will be impeccable, inspired, and extremely dedicated in recreating the images, which will tell the wonderful story of love, betrayal, revenge, and exotic experiences - like changing shots from an adventure film - with a pirate ship, a slave market, the nobleman's chambers, and enchanting gardens in his dream, in which beautiful concubines dance.

All the artists will be wonderful - both in the large-scale ensembles, and in the attractive scenes of the square with the slave market, and in the wonderful oriental palace, and in the open sea, when a storm knocks down the sails, but Fate is kind to the lovers and saves them on the shore of their shared happiness...

On July 1, ballet art is expected to be on a pedestal again with a brilliant spectacle, embodying the talent and enormous work of all who will create a spectrum of dynamics, colors, emotions, tangible desire, and dedication, as well as unquestionable mastery.

July 1, 2026, 8:30 PM, Summer Theater - Burgas
"LE CORSAIR"
BALLET TO MUSIC BY ADOLF ADAM, CÉSAR PUNI, LEO DELIBES, RICARDO DRIGO, Pyotr OLDENBURGSKY
Choreography - Marius Petipa, Joseph Mazile, Konstantin Sergeev
Liberty - Jules-Henri Vernois de Saint-Georges, based on the poem "The Corsair" by George Byron
Direction - Galina Kalcheva
Scenography - Ivan Tokadzhiev
Ballet rehearsal - Galina Kalcheva
Assistant directors: Petar Tiholov and Lina Peeva
Multimedia - State Opera - Burgas - Nikola Peshev
Make-up, hairstyles, and accessories - Kalina Popova
Wardrobe: Kicka Grozeva, Nedka Ivanova, Pepa Ruseva, Rositsa Atanasova, Yana Vlaeva

Actors and performers /by author/:
Conrad, corsair (pirate) – Teodor Tsakov
Birbanto, a friend of Conrad, a pirate – Kiril Filipov
Ali, servant of Conrad – Daniel Tichkov 
Medora, slave – Daniela Turtumanova-Stoyanova 
Gyulnara, slave – Raya Chakarova
Isaac Lankedem, slave trader – Haru Nakagawa
Odalisques: Anna Passelo, Nanako Sato, Giulia Lezzi
Zyulma – Yana Berduta
Said Pasha, local nobleman – Yordan Tsvetanov Hristozov
Secretary of Said Pasha - Stoyan Fartunov 
Pirates - Shun Kawafune, Francesco Pio Russo, Patrick Gill, Naiden Naidenov, slaves, and others.
With the participation of graduates of NUMSI "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov," Burgas
Tickets: at the Opera box office, "Clock" box office, at the Summer Theater box office - after 6:30 p.m. on the day of the event, at Grabo.bg, and Eventim. BG.

We present the program of the Burgas Music Festival "Emil Chakarov" 2026:

The Burgas Music Festival, named after the world-famous Bulgarian conductor, born in Burgas - Emil Chakarov, is a highlight in the rich summer cultural program of our seaside city.
The summer music festival will be held for the nineteenth time this year by the Burgas State Opera in partnership with the Burgas Municipality.
The Maestro Emil Chakarov Prize was established in
2011, with the first recipient of the award being Mincho Minchev – a violinist with a world-class career, whom the Mayor of the Municipality – Mr. Dimitar Nikolov, awarded with the high distinction “The Key to the Tower of Burgas” on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the great Bulgarian musician – during his concert with Lyudmil Angelov – a prominent Bulgarian pianist, in the hall of the
Burgas Opera – in October 2020.
In each of the years so far, the “Emil Chakarov” Prize has been awarded to deserving individuals in the field of musical and performing arts. The last recipient of the prestigious prize is the soloist of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, Kostadin Andreev, a frequent and welcome guest in productions of the Burgas Opera.
The Maestro Emil Chakarov Prize was established in 2011, with the first recipient being Mincho Minchev. In 2012, the award was presented to Rumen Tsonev, and in 2013, to Alexander Tekeliev. The next winners of the prestigious award are: Nayden Todorov – 2014, Dimitar Ivanov – 2015, Georgi Spasov – 2016, Dimitar Momchilov – 2017, Kamen Chanev – 2018, Grigor Palikarov – 2019, Ivaylo Krinchev – 2020, in 2021 the award is not awarded – due to the pandemic situation and a canceled concert, Kiril Manolov – 2022, Mario Nikolov – 2023, Edelina Kaneva – 2024, Kostadin Andreev - 2025. This year's edition of the Burgas Ballet will open on July 1 with the ballet performance "Le Corsaire". Two more ballet performances are coming up for fans of the fine art of dance: "Don Quixote" and "Giselle" - all three productions are directed by Galina Kalcheva.
The festival program of "Emil Chakarov" 2026 includes opera titles: "Samson and Dalila" SAMSON ET DALILA - as the large-scale production directed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev will be presented on the picturesque stage of the Tsarevets fortress - on July 11 this year, within the festival "Stage of the Ages; "Tosca" TOSCA by Giacomo Puccini, the musical-stage performance "Angels and Demons" ANGELS AND DEMONS. The colorful operetta production "The Czardas Queen" DIE CSÁRDÁSFÜRSTIN, directed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev, will also be presented on the stage of the Summer Theater in Burgas. MY FAIR LADY / MY FAIR LADY, directed by Prof. Tekeliev.
The children's audience will be delighted with four titles: "Alice in Wonderland", "Patilantsi", "The Three Little Pigs - Pif, Paf, Pouf", and "Max and Moritz".
There are also surprises in the summer program of the Burgas Cultural Institute, which will certainly be an aesthetic bonus for fans of classical music in our seaside city, as well as for guests of Burgas.
Tickets for the performances from the program of the Burgas Music Festival "Emil Chakarov": at the box office of the Opera, the "Clock" box office, and on the networks of Eventim.BG and Grabo.bg, as well as at the box office of the Burgas Summer Theater - Official page - on the day of the event, after 6:00 p.m.
Information: 056 841740 / 0884 025 918
www.operabourgas.com