Guslarche Folklore Ensemble celebrates 60 years in Gorna Oryahovitsa

The Guslarche Children and Youth Folklore Ensemble will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a special concert at the Summer Theater in Gorna Oryahovitsa on September 12. The event aims to bring together multiple generations of performers, including current youth groups and former members who have maintained their connection to Bulgarian folklore.

Participating groups include the 'Elbetitsa' dance group from Gorna Oryahovitsa, as well as youth dance ensembles from the 'Bulgarian Rhythms' Association and the Prof. Ivan Shishman Bulgarian School in Vienna. Previous reunions have also included performers from the Hristo Botev Bulgarian School in New York.

Founded in 1966 by Petar Rizov, the ensemble began as a folk choir and expanded to include folk instruments and a dance troupe by 1970. Over the decades, the school has trained hundreds of young people in traditional music and dance, with many alumni continuing to preserve these cultural traditions globally.