News

TURANDOT
Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Librettists: Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni

9,11,13 December, 7:00 p.m., Sofia Opera and ballet House

With the participation of artists from the School of Raina Kabaivanska
Chorus and Orchestra of Sofia Opera and Ballet House
Conductor: Nicola Paszkowski
Director: Plamen Kartaloff

Cast:

Princess Turandot: Ana Petricevic (Serbia), Marily Santoro (Italy)
Emperor Altoum, her father: Dimitar Arnaudov (Bulgaria)
Timur, the deposed King of Tartars: Kostadin Mechkov (Bulgaria), Strahinja Djokic (Serbia)
Calaf, Timurs’son: Yonghyun Ryu (Korea), Taesung Lee (Korea)
Liù a slave girl: Beibei Li (China)
Ping, Grand Vizier: Stefano Kim (Korea)
Pang, Majordomo: Taesung Lee (Korea), Jiangmin Kong (China)
Pong, Head chef of the Imperial: Manuel Rodríguez (Spain)
A Mandarin: Stefano Kim (Korea)

The performance of “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini is a co-project of New Bulgarian University and Sofia Opera and Ballet House with participation of young opera artists – representatives of the School of Kabaivanska coming from Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, China, Serbia and South Korea. The idea about this performance is a continuation of the efforts of Raina Kabaivanska to discover and work with young talents as well as to promote them on the world opera stage.

The international composition of artists in "Turandot" includes participants and scholarship holders from Master Classes of the great opera actress. After graduation of their musical education at prestigious Academies all over the world young performers improved their skills with Kabaivanska at: New Bulgarian University, Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Siena, Italy) and Music Institute "O. Vecchi - A. Tonelli" (Modena, Italy ).

“Turandot” is the third project of a kind - after 2010 when New Bulgarian University and Sofia Opera and Ballet House conducted the opera “La Boheme” with students of Raina Kabaivnaska from Bulgaria and Italy and 2012 – when “Werther” by Jules Massenet appeared as a result of collaboration between New Bulgarian University, Sofia Opera and Ballet House and the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium.

Raina Kabaivanska is working already 16 years with young opera artists from all over the world who arrive in Bulgaria to participate in her Master classes organized by New Bulgarian University. This year the number of candidates was record-breaking – representing four continents and 18 countries. The Gala Concert at the end of the Master Class is one of the most eagerly expected opera events in the beginning of the music season.

Main purpose of Raina Kabaivanska Fund and New Bulgarian University is to enable talented young opera singers to continue their education in Bulgaria and Italy. So far the Fund has disbursed over 70 scholarships in three categories for training with Raina Kabaivanska: for Master Class at New Bulgarian University, for Master Class at Academia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy and for one year training at Istituto Musicale "O. Vecchi - A. Tonelli" in Modena, Italy. Over the years different donors and organizations have contributed to the Fund - among them are America for Bulgaria Foundation, Fantastico, Sofia Municipality, Alpha Bank, DSK Bank, Generali Bulgaria Holding, Teatro Comunale Foundation, Music Institute "O. Vecchi - A. Tonelli", Modena, Italian Cultural Institute, Sofia, Ecoterra, Ltd and others. Events are under the patronage of the President of Republic of Bulgaria.