BNR musician announces hunger strike over low wages

Iva Dzajdeva, a soloist with the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Symphony Orchestra, has announced a hunger strike starting September 28 to protest low wages and the deteriorating state of the country's musical ensembles.

The protest follows over a year of unsuccessful appeals by musicians from the BNR Symphony Orchestra, Big Band, Folk Music Orchestra, and Mixed Choir. Musicians are reportedly earning monthly salaries between 700 and 800 euros. To secure a sustainable funding model, the groups are requesting an additional 350,000 euros for the 2026 budget and 2 million euros for 2027.

Dzajdeva has sent open letters to the President of Bulgaria, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Culture, and the Commission on Culture and Media. She noted that no official meetings have taken place between the Ministry of Culture and BNR musical representatives since the current government took office. The situation has gained international attention from classical music publications such as The Violin Channel and Slipped Disc.