31 october 2026 An Exciting Concert for the Day of the National Enlighteners

On the eve of the Day of the National Enlighteners—November 1st—the cozy foyer of the State Opera Burgas hosted a vocal chamber concert dedicated to this significant Bulgarian holiday, a symbol of national consciousness and a source of national self-esteem and pride.
The wonderful soloists of the Burgas Opera—Liudmila Mihailova, Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova, Shmilena Sultanova, Maria Yurkovskaya, Yani Nikolov, Andrey Yurkovskiy, Valeri Turmanov, Yordan Hristozov, Diman Panchev, and Kostadin Mechkov—along with the delightful pianists Dariya Krasteva, Iliana Todorova, and Yana Marinova, presented a rich and masterfully curated program. With great taste, respect for the occasion, professionalism, and inspiration, they performed works primarily by Bulgarian composers, skillfully interspersed with arias and vocal pieces by Russian, German, and Italian composers—a testament to the unifying and foundational role of the human spirit within the broader European family. Indeed, these opera artists and musicians serve as modern-day "enlighteners," building a bridge between the humanistic and aesthetic messages embedded in music and those who seek more beauty—both in their everyday lives and during moments of celebration. The event was honored with a traditional basket of flowers on behalf of the Mayor of the Municipality of Burgas, Mr. Dimitar Nikolov.

October 31, 2026, 7:00 PM, Foyer of the State Opera – Burgas
VOCAL CHAMBER CONCERT, dedicated to the Day of the National Enlighteners
Soloists: Lyudmila Mihaylova, Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova, Maria Yurkovskaya, Shmilena Sultanova, Yani Nikolov, Andrey Yurkovsky, Valeri Turmanov, Yordan Hristozov, Diman Panchev, Kostadin Mechkov
Piano accompaniment: Dariya Krasteva, Iliana Todorova, Yana Marinova
The program features works from the global vocal and operatic repertoire.
The program included:
• Lyudmila Mihaylova – S. Rachmaninoff – "Vocalise"; piano: Dariya Krasteva
• Valeri Turmanov – Alexander Yosifov – Aria of Khan Krum from the opera *Khan Krum Yuvigi*; piano: Yana Marinova
• Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova – Marin Goleminov – "Doydi Libe" (Come, My Love); piano: Yana Marinova
• Yani Nikolov – Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin – "Lele, Yano"; piano: Yana Marinova
• Diman Panchev – Pancho Vladigerov – "Stari Dyado Stado Pase" (An Old Grandfather Herds a Flock); piano: Iliana Todorova
• Maria Yurkovskaya – Dobri Hristov – "Devoyche" (A Young Girl); piano: Iliana Todorova • Andrey Yurkovski – Dobri Hristov – “Lukovit Girls” (*Lukovitski momi*); piano accompaniment: Iliana Todorova
• Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova – Pancho Vladigerov – “I Went for Water, Maiden” (*Odih, mome, za voda*); piano accompaniment: Iliana Todorova;
• Kostadin Mechkov – Pancho Vladigerov – “Song of the Jester”; piano accompaniment: Dariya Krasteva;
• Shmilena Sultanova – Johannes Brahms – “Von ewiger Liebe”; piano accompaniment: Dariya Krasteva;
• Diman Panchev – Todor Popov – “Not a Breath Stirs Over the Fields” (*Ni lah ne dahva nad poleni*); piano accompaniment: Yana Marinova;
• Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova – Marin Goleminov – “My Beloved Wept” (*Plakalo mi moyto libe*); piano accompaniment: Yana Marinova;
• Kostadin Mechkov – Pancho Vladigerov – “Song of Chang Ling”; piano accompaniment: Dariya Krasteva;
• Lyudmila Mihaylova – Giacomo Puccini – Mimi’s Aria from the opera *La bohème*; piano accompaniment: Dariya Krasteva;
• Yordan Hristozov – Georgi Kostov – “Petruno, Colorful Bird” (*Petruno, pile shareno*); piano accompaniment: Iliana Todorova;
• Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova – Dobri Hristov – “Unbind It” (*Ya razturyay*); piano accompaniment: Yana Marinova;
• Diman Panchev – Dobri Hristov – “Haiduk Song” (*Haydushka pesen*); piano accompaniment: Yana Marinova;
• Lyudmila Mihaylova – Giacomo Puccini – Manon’s Aria from the opera *Manon Lescaut*; piano accompaniment: Dariya Krasteva; • Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova – Parashkev Hadzhiev – Zornitsa’s Aria from the opera *Lud Gidiya*; at the piano: Iliana Todorova;
• Shmilena Sultanova – Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin – “Sineokata” (“The Blue-Eyed Girl”); at the piano: Dariya Krasteva.