07 may 2025 Beethoven's Ninth Symphony To Be Performed On Europe Day

On Friday, May 9, a date that we celebrate as the United Europe Day, the Burgas Opera will present an emblematic work – Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for soloists, choir and orchestra in D minor, Op. 125. The brilliant composer, a representative of the Viennese Classical School, composed one of his most famous works when he was already completely deaf and unable to hear even the frenetic ovations after the premiere on May 7, 1824. Behind the concert podium on Friday is the eminent Bulgarian conductor with a remarkable international career – Ivan Kozhuharov, an honorary citizen of Burgas. Just a few days ago, he successfully conducted the exciting and attractive spectacle “Samson and Delilah” by Camille Saint-Saëns in the Opera Hall. Ivan Kozhuharov is the recipient of the Order of Cyril and Methodius – II degree, three awards “Golden Lyre” and “Crystal Lyre” of the Bulgarian State Musical Theatre for the production of “Countess Maritsa” at the Stefan Makedonski Drama Theatre. This year he celebrates his 75th anniversary. The conductor of the choir is Alexander Chepanov, the soloists are: Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova – soprano, Maria Yurkovskaya – mezzo-soprano, Yani Nikolov – tenor, and Valeri Turmanov – baritone.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony has not been performed in its entirety, with orchestra, choir, and soloists, for more than 20 years on the Burgas stage. During the pandemic, on May 9, 2021, “Ode to Joy” was performed by the choir of the Burgas Opera, together with the representative brass orchestra of Burgas, during a flash mob in front of the Municipality, and the event was covered by national and local media.

“In 2002, with the entire Burgas Opera /the orchestra alone at that time numbered 116 musicians!/We performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on the Greek island of Rhodes. It was an unforgettable experience, and the performance under the open sky gave the event a special atmosphere,” recalls Ivan Kozhuharov about the last time he conducted the large-scale symphonic work.

“This is a work whose roots lie in Beethoven’s desire for freedom and democracy in Europe.” This is a struggle between light and darkness, which the composer decided to include in his symphony through the contrast of dark minor sounds and bright major ones,” said Alexander Chepanov, choirmaster, in an interview for the “Hristo Botev” program on the Bulgarian National Radio.

“You unite in a wondrous impulse those divided by evil!” "All men are brothers, if you spread your wings." - Friedrich Schiller. 240 years after writing these words, we still hope for peace in the world! We will sing about it! Victory over evil, peace, joy, equality, and good days that await our children!" - shares her emotions before the concert, soprano Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova.

"Performing the alto part in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is a special moment in my creative path. This work inspires me with its depth and humanistic message. This concert will be especially memorable for me, as this is the first Europe Day that I will celebrate in Bulgaria as a participant in such a significant musical event," says mezzo-soprano Maria Yurkovskaya, who has been a soloist of the Burgas Opera for less than a year.

“It is an honor for me to be the soloist of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Symphony Concert on May 9, an event of exceptional value in the cultural life of Burgas, with which the State Opera – Burgas marks the Day of a United Europe. The scale of the work is impressive, the messages are both eternal and current,” says baritone Valeri Turmanov.

Europe Day, celebrated on May 9 every year, is dedicated to peace and unity in Europe. This date marks the anniversary of the historic Schuman Declaration. In his speech in 1950 in Paris, Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister at the time, shared his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe that would make war between European nations unthinkable. Just a year later, the treaty establishing such an institution was signed. Schuman’s proposal is considered the beginning of this unification of the member states, which we today call the European Union. Every year, thousands of people take part in visits, debates, concerts, and other events dedicated to Europe Day and aimed at raising awareness of the Union.

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, also called the Choral Symphony, is the last fully completed symphony by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Written in 1824, it is among the most popular works in the world's classical repertoire. The symphony is the first example of a symphony by a major composer to use vocal elements. Its fourth movement features a performance by a choir and four solo vocalists, an adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy". This symphony still retains its power and evocativeness today. It is no coincidence that in 1971 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to adopt the Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th Symphony as the European anthem. It officially became the symbol of the Council of Europe on January 19, 1972, and in 1985, it was recognized by the heads of the EU as the official anthem of the European Community, and since 1993, of the European Union. The anthem is an expression of the ideals of a united Europe – freedom, peace, and solidarity.