Varna State Opera announces symphonic concert series for late 2026

The Varna State Opera has announced a series of five symphonic concerts scheduled from October to December 2026. The program features a diverse repertoire including works by Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Dvořák, Brahms, and Mozart, alongside pieces by Bulgarian composers Veselin Stoyanov, Aleksandar Raychev, and Lyubomir Pipkov.

The season opens on October 15 under the direction of Konstantin Ilievski, featuring horn soloist Viktor Teodosiev. The performance will include Mussorgsky’s ‘Night on Bald Mountain’, Reinhold Glière’s Horn Concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. On October 29, pianist Martin Yovkov will perform Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, accompanied by works from Stoyanov and Raychev under conductor Stefan Boyadzhiev.

In November, conductor Nikolay Hilendarov and cellist Todor Ivanov will present Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Dvořák’s ‘From the New World’ Symphony on November 13. On November 26, Romanian conductor Abel Tompa and soloist Eva Kóbor will perform works by Erich Korngold, Brahms, and Elgar. The final concert of the year on December 18, conducted by Pavel Balev with pianist Lyudmil Angelov, will launch the ‘Mozart and Pipkov’ cycle, featuring Mozart’s piano concertos and Pipkov’s Second Symphony, which has not been performed in 60 years.