16 august 2025 A Мajestic Сpectacle of "Aida" Аmong the Рocks of Begliktash

The evening of August 16 became a memorable one in the latest annals of the Burgas Opera, with the grandiose spectacle of one of the largest operas in the world's treasury – “Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi. Under the masterful direction of Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev and the skillful baton of Prof. Dr. Grigor Palikarov, among the ancient megalithic blocks, where the ancient Thracians performed their famous mysteries, the amazingly talented soloists, the beautifully sounding orchestra, the wonderfully balanced choir and the attractive ballet inscribed in the geographical and temporal outlines of the sanctuary an aesthetic-emotional-visual masterpiece – both as a concept, and as a performance, and as a monolithic fusion of all the mandatory elements of a spectacle of the highest level.
The majestic performance – the fourth in a row of this year’s “Opera of the Sanctuary” festival, realized with the joint efforts, creativity, and consistency of the State Opera – Burgas and the Municipality of Primorsko, was at full capacity, with those wishing to watch the spectacle searching unsuccessfully for tickets until the last moment. Fans of the unique charm of the events under the starry dome of mythical Strandzha have the only opportunity for this year – “Nabucco” by Verdi – on August 23, starting at 8:30 p.m., also under the baton of maestro Grigor Palikarov.
“Aida” amidst the natural decor of the “Bulgarian Stonehenge” was presented for the first time in 2024, causing a furor and a wide public response. This year, it consolidated and enriched the impressions of the impressive spectacle with a rich, visually unfolded picture of Ancient Egypt on the rock massifs. Those present immersed themselves in the mystery of the pyramids, ancient Egyptian frescoes, odalisques, the sands of the Sahara, the waters of the Nile, and the feeling of monumental, eternal beauty that lives through the centuries and carries its messages to this day.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that under the direction of Prof. Grigor Palikarov, the orchestra of the Burgas Opera sounded at a world-class level, both as an overall sound and as an emotional and meaningful underpinning of the large-scale Verdi score. Admiration for all the wonderful musicians of the Burgas State Opera!
The soloists – each of them with an impressive artistic career and background- were not only impressive as individual performances, but also built a common artistic suggestion – shocking, captivating the senses, carrying messages. Miglena Stoycheva, a reporter from BNT, who reported from the sanctuary, called the renowned soprano Yoana Zhelezcheva “a luxurious Aida” – and rightly so. The role is one of the emblematic ones for Zhelezcheva, who masters in detail every phrase, scene, ensemble, and semantic point of the opera. With a remarkable ease of flowing tones in the interpretation of the part and impressive technical parameters of the performance, she remains an unsurpassed Aida, affecting with her voice and presence.
Another prominent Bulgarian opera singer, mezzo-soprano Daniela Dyakova, was sweeping in the role of Aida’s rival in love, Amneris. Dyakova was completely absorbed by the dynamics of the image of the powerful ruler, in love with Radames, from whom she is repelled, due to his irresistible feelings for the Ethiopian princess in slavery – Aida. An exceptionally powerful voice, resonating among the natural acoustics of the rock massifs, among which the echo of history is carried, irresistible charisma and inner strength, radiating through her every gesture and tone, presented the remarkable mezzo-soprano.

In the role of Radames, for whose heart the two beauties are fighting, the tenor Valery Georgiev was once again convincing and unappealing in vocal terms, who deployed his powerful vocal range – with emotional scope, artistry, respectful presence on the rock blocks – radiating a truly royal bearing and inspiring both respect and human sympathy – due to the personal choice of the heart, which opposes its family duty.

After his magnificent incarnation in the role of Rigoletto in the opera of the same name by Verdi on August 9 this year, the soloist of the National Opera and Ballet of the Republic of North Macedonia and the State Opera – Burgas – the remarkable baritone Maryan Jovanoski entered the image of the king of Ethiopia Amonasro, father of Aida, captured by the Egyptians. His powerful timbre was not only respectful with its exceptional impact, but also emotionally captivating the audience, with the added soulful nuances of a suffering father who recruits his daughter to help his captive compatriots through her irresistible influence on her beloved Radames.
Incredibly strong roles were also created by the basses Delyan Slavov – as the High Priest of Egypt Ramfis – his impressive bass timbre echoed among the megaliths – as a symbol of the merging of the will of the deities and the human destinies they rule; and Kostadin Mechkov – in the image of the Pharaoh of Egypt – who also presented himself with all the dignity that the character requires.

The overall splendor of the production also included the wonderful Stefka Hristozova, soprano, in the role of the Priestess, announcing from the highest rock the beginning of the sacred ancient Egyptian rituals, and the tenor Milen Dinolov, in the role of the Herald.
Congratulations also to the choir of the Burgas Opera with conductor Alexander Chepanov, who was part of the magnificent, overall impressive picture, giving scale and a unique feeling of presence in a special place, at a special time, as a sacred act in the holy place.
The ballet scenes choreographed by Prof. Hikmet Mehmedov were also extremely attractive, presenting a visual and dynamic feast for the senses. Soloists of the wonderful ballet ensemble of the Opera were Laya Ramon and Daniel Tichkov.
Admiration for the impeccable technical support of the event, for the assistant directors Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov, Eng. Kiril Yanev from Studio "Balkandji" - sound engineer, Iliana Todorova - assistant sound director, for Nikola Peshev - multimedia, for all the specialists from the technical services who have been working tirelessly for weeks to make another successful spectacle happen, which aroused admiration among the numerous international audience.