Sonya Yoncheva and David Garrett star in “Blue Night”
At the second festival evening of “Gala in Sofia” 2026 (27 August), we present David Garrett: the German violinist is often described as the “Paganini of pop stars” and the “Jimi Hendrix of classical musicians.” Thanks to his visionary approach to building bridges between different eras, genres, and styles, he brings people together through the magic of his mega-spectacles and shines equally brightly in his interpretations of Mozart and Metallica. The creative encounter between Sonya Yoncheva and David Garrett is unprecedented and will present to the Bulgarian audience the very best of both artists’ styles, united under the evening’s motto, “Blue Night.”
“Blue blood, blue sky, blue sea, a blue haze of melodies, crossover arrangements and remixes of classical compositions and contemporary evergreens—this combination will prove to everyone that music is a time machine, the most universal language, destined to build bridges between people in these turbulent times we live in,” Yoncheva emphasized.
About Sonya Yoncheva:
Over the past two decades, Yoncheva’s talent has decisively conquered all the world’s greatest opera stages: the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, Covent Garden in London, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Palais Garnier in Paris, Arena di Verona, and many more. Her portrayals of characters such as Poppea, Violetta, Mimì, Desdemona, Manon, and Iolanta have drawn universal acclaim. Gradually, her range has expanded to include dramatically powerful roles such as Medea, Norma, Fedora, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, establishing her as one of the most compelling artists of the new century. Her extensive repertoire includes jewels of the Baroque era as well as works by Mozart, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Giordano, Bellini, Puccini, and others. She has performed more than 50 leading roles. Celebrated for her exceptionally beautiful voice and striking stage presence, Yoncheva is equally convincing on both the opera and concert stage. Her recitals in Paris, Dresden, Baden-Baden, Munich, Barcelona, Tokyo, Vienna, Buenos Aires, Athens, Mexico City, and elsewhere have all been met with tremendous success. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including Operalia, ECHO Klassik, Medici TV, and others. Bulgarian National Radio has honored her as an Ambassador of Bulgarian Culture Abroad, while Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture awarded her its highest distinction, the “Golden Age.” The French Republic has bestowed upon her the title Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters.
About David Garrett:
His exceptional and multifaceted talent was recognized early: he picked up his first violin at the age of four and later studied with Zakhar Bron and Ida Haendel. A true child prodigy, David Garrett made his stage debut at just ten years old with the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra and became the youngest artist ever to sign with the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon at the age of 13. As a child, he worked with legendary conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado, and Yehudi Menuhin (who described him as “the greatest violinist of his generation”). At just 15, he recorded all 24 of Paganini’s Caprices—among the most challenging works ever written for violin. Over the course of his more than decade-long international crossover career, Garrett has repeatedly surpassed himself. From his debut at age ten to the present day, he has become a true global superstar. He holds 32 gold and 14 platinum awards, including four ECHO Awards in the “Pop Music” category and five in “Classical Music,” making him one of the few artists highly acclaimed in both genres. In addition to being a successful violinist, Garrett is a versatile creator: a composer of his own works, a conductor, a writer (with an autobiography published in 2023), and an actor (starring as Paganini in the film „The Devil’s Violinist”). The virtuoso violinist has sold over 5 million albums and amassed more than 5.65 billion streams worldwide. To date, Garrett has performed more than 1,600 concerts (classical and crossover). The largest live audience he has played for was 75,000 people at the UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, alongside German tenor Jonas Kaufmann. His largest audience for a classical concert was 40,000 people (Milan, 2015), performing with the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Chailly in front of the Duomo. His biggest crossover concert to date gathered 17,000 people (Munich, 2013). The charismatic artist also holds a Guinness World Record as the “Fastest Violinist in the World,” after performing Rimsky-Korsakov’s „Flight of the Bumblebee” in 66.56 seconds (2008), later improving his own record to 65.26 seconds on an acoustic violin (2010).
The Sofia Opera will take part in “Gala in Sofia” 2026. The ensembles of Bulgaria’s largest, most prestigious, and longest-established national institution for classical music and opera are the most fitting partner for such large-scale and distinguished productions. The concert “Blue Night” featuring Sonya Yoncheva and David Garrett will be conducted by Maestro Leonardo Sini—one of the most exciting young talents of the Italian school, particularly in verismo.
The organizer of “Gala in Sofia” 2026 is Sonya Yoncheva’s production company, SY11 Events, which also stands behind “Gala in Sofia” 2021 and 2025, as well as numerous other cultural projects in Bulgaria and abroad. In 2026, “Gala in Sofia” celebrates its 5th anniversary and will return in its most spectacular format yet, welcoming nearly 20,000 attendees across the two festival evenings and featuring over 100 musicians, singers, and soloists on stage.
The festival’s exclusive television partner is Nova Broadcasting Group. The exclusive radio partner is BG Radio. Media partners include the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), „Bulgarian Artist” magazine, Radio 1, the platform Bulgaria Wants You, and others.
Corporate partners include United Bulgarian Bank (UBB), European Roads, SIAD, Confindustria Bulgaria, Mapei, Unique Estates, and InterContinental Hotel.
The event is held with the institutional support of Sofia Municipality, Oborishte District, and the Bulgarian Patriarchate. Tickets are available through the Kupibileti.bg network.
