07 may 2026 A Captivating Story of Мysteries and Тreasures With "Gypsy Baron

With the spectacular performance of "The Gypsy Baron" to music by Johann Strauss-son and directed by Mario Nikolov, under the baton of maestro Kalina Vasileva /guest/, the evening of May 8, Friday, at 7:00 PM will become a celebration for connoisseurs of operetta art - a bearer of life-affirming messages, combined with a magnificent vision and excellent artistic performance by the entire cast of the State Opera - Burgas.

This performance has everything - riddles, hidden treasures, fortune tellers, prophecies, mysteries, fires, passion, dynamics, whirlwind gypsy dances, temperamental czardash, refined Viennese waltz, love, doubts, unexpected revelations, turbulent plot development and a happy ending. On Friday, the Burgas audience will once again have the opportunity to attend a unique performance with wonderful performers, beautiful scenography and costumes, as well as a dizzying direction, in which every detail is in its place and in sync with the overall picture. In the hall of the Burgas Opera, an authentic atmosphere of a spectacle containing the characteristics of the best of the popular genre "opera", without a nuance of compromise with the quality of performance, as well as with every detail of the large-scale production, will be felt.

The action of the operetta in three acts, "The Gypsy Baron," takes place in Hungary at the end of the 18th century. The libretto is by Ignaz Schnitzer, created based on the novella "Safi" by Mor Jokai. The direction of the production, characteristic for its splendor, dynamic stage action, attractive costumes, and special effects, is by Mario Nikolov.

The conductor of the performance on May 8 is Kalina Vasileva /guest/, who was also behind the stage of the remarkable Symphonic Concert with music by Borislava Taneva and Petya Toncheva, with soloist Ilina Todorova, piano, in March in the hall of the Burgas Opera.

At the performance of "The Gypsy Baron" on May 8, the soloist of the Burgas Opera Yani Nikolov, tenor, will once again perform in the role of Sandor Barinkay, a landowner's son, driven into exile. The singer does not hide his interest in the role, and it will certainly become one of the preferred ones in his portfolio as an artist. The tenor approaches the character with exceptional respect and detailed insight, discovering intriguing facts about the Bulgarian origin of the treasure, which is a cornerstone in the plot of "The Gypsy Baron". Yani Nikolov performs the difficult part with ease and undisguised pleasure – and in terms of vocals, he is impeccable.

In the role of Safi, daughter of the gypsy fortune teller Chipra, who actually turns out to be the daughter of the last Turkish pasha who resided during the Ottoman invasion of Hungarian lands, the wonderful dramatic soprano Nona Krastnikova will perform on the Opera stage on Friday. She has several roles from world opera titles in her repertoire, since the summer of 2023 – after her debut in the role of Safi, she has also been singing operetta, not only managing to professionally build the vocal part, saturated with difficulty and requiring a wide vocal range, but also presenting the role with artistry, mood, teasing and finesse, as well as a lot of love for the created image, which is tangible. A few days ago, on May 5, on the stage of the Opera, the Burgas audience had the opportunity to watch the two soloists – Yanni Nikolov and Nona Krastnikova, in the roles of Don Basilio and Countess Almaviva in the comic operetta by Mozart “The Marriage of Figaro”.

As an integral part of the puzzle of the magnificent spectacle, the other soloists of “The Gypsy Baron” are also: soprano Shmilena Sultanova – temperamental and emotional as the gypsy fortune teller Chipra, who raises Safi – the daughter of the last pasha from the time of the Ottoman rule of Hungary, as her own daughter and carefully guards the family secret, revealing it at the right moment; baritone Yordan Hristozov – funny and convincing as the rich pig trader Kaloman Zhupan and Arsena’s father; the charming soprano Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova, who gives the role her individual touch as his daughter Arsena; bass Diman Panchev – temperamental and inspiring respect, combined with a smile – due to the cheerful plot, in the role of the leader of the hussars, Count Homonay; Lina Peeva, mezzo-soprano and assistant director of the production – as Mirabella, governess of the rich daughter Arsena; tenor Milen Dinolov – also a strong debut as Otokar, son of Mirabella; bass Petar Tiholov – as the commissioner of the Commission for the observance of local customs, husband of Mirabella and father of Otokar.

The orchestra, choir, and ballet of the State Opera – Burgas are also brilliant and inscribed in the overall multi-colored picture of the performance, professionally sounding, with the appropriate mood, befitting a classy spectacle.

The scenography of "The Gypsy Baron" is by the award-winning master of stage design for opera theaters Ivan Tokadzhiev, choir conductor - Alexander Chepanov, dances are the work of Galina Kalcheva, rehearser of the ballet troupe of the Burgas Opera - Marina Zmeeva-Markova, assistant directors of the attractive production are Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov, and concertmaster - Hristo Belchev.