During a meeting, Iliya Lozanov: director of the Bulgarian cultural institute in Rome, and Plamen Kartaloff: director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, signed a cooperation memorandum.
“Today is our birthday, our second birthday. The first one was in 1987 when prof. Kartaloff helmed the Bulgarian arts and culture academy in Rome. Back then, it didn’t yet carry Boris Hristov’s name because the singer was still alive and worked together with Kartaloff. Today, we bring back to life that which was created so many years ago. We’re greatly optimistic and exceptionally thankful for the strong support from the Sofia Opera and Ballet”, Mr. Lozanov said, who has dedicated more than twenty-five years of his life to this institution, as a pianist and now as its director.
Ideas for the academy’s development:
The Sofia Opera can offer many opportunities. It’s the greatest attractive force in Bulgaria and not only there. It’s enough to just look at its repertoire in recent years. The Sofia Opera is becoming an attractive force for world-famous stars. I’m so glad when someone in Rome comes up to me and says: “Rosa Feola performed in Sofia with Daniel Oren”. “As expected”, I answer. Yes, today this is the norm. However, for the older generation of opera fans, the norm was exporting Bulgarian opera talents abroad. A singer became world-famous only after he left Bulgaria. To these viewers it’s unusual for world-famous names to perform in Bulgaria. It’s a new thing for them and they appreciate it.
The memorandum’s main idea:
“Analyzing and developing the acting programs and study process forms at the Academy according to expectations and time dynamics”. This means our doors are wide open; just because something works today, it doesn’t mean it’s still going to be useful and work tomorrow. The study process is a developing dynamic form.
The Rome “Boris Hristov” Academy can accept five interns. In the span of four-five months split into two semesters throughout the years, these people work for four-hundred hours with a vocal pedagogue or opera singers; they work with conductors, pianists and also attend two masterclasses in a three to five days format, each semester. Just five people! As of now, this amount is or I hope will be financed by the Ministry of culture. However, I ask myself: why doesn’t this academy go international in the foreseeable future? Because then Bulgaria will receive a much bigger exposure worldwide. I’ll be very happy if we get to a point where people say “I studied at the “Boris Hristov” Bulgarian academy in Rome. For now, looking at the opera singers list at the Sofia Opera and in other opera theaters in Bulgaria, I believe at least half of them have attended our academy.
Our first collaborative initiative:
Choosing the new scholarship holders. This will happen on the 12th of May, 14:00, at the Sofia Opera and Ballet. The commission members who will take part in the audition have already been chosen. The course begins on the 5th of July in Rome. Italians and Bulgarians will teach this first group in Rome. This year, however, due to understandable and mostly financial reasons, we skipped the spring semester and went straight to the summer one.
I’ll gladly share the names of some of our teachers: Roberto Frontali, Renata Lamanda, Anna Vandi, Lucrecia Mesa. I hope Darina Takova will teach as well: she has participated very actively up until now. There are more Bulgarians: Vladimir Stoyanov, Alexandrina Pendachanska, Mariana Pencheva. Of course, there’s also Orlin Anastasov who rejuvenated the Academy’s work process several years ago and brought back singer sessions on our calendar; Mateo Pais who is the head of the “Maggio Musicale Fiorentino” studio and also Alfonso Todisco: a conductor who is very useful and dedicates himself fully to our students. There are also Alessandro D’Agostini, Giacomo Prestia, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Luciana D’Intino: all people with great commitment to the Academy.
Up until now, the Academy was just a part of the Bulgarian institute in Rome’s budget. For the first time in our budget’s draft bill, the Academy “Boris Hristov” name is featured as a separate entity. This way, we’re going to be much better off financially which will allow for planning years in advance. Then, when asked “Who is going to teach?”, I’m going to know the answer for the following years. I’ll be able to hire people in advance who have their own career and prearranged engagements.
Timelines:
Now is the time to send documents at the Academy address. The deadline is the 30th of April. https://www.ibcroma.it/
Tel: +39 06 331 2704
istituto@ibcroma.it
The audition will take place at the Sofia Opera, on the 12th of May, 14:00.
