Dear friends,

We are delighted to share with you the triumphant success of the first part of the Sofia Opera Wagner Festival with the new production of Richard Wagner's “Der Ring des Nibelungen”.

An exciting atmosphere filled the Sofia Opera, and the four opening nights on 8, 9, 11 and 13 July passed under the euphoric cheers of the audience.

We had guests from Germany, Great Britain, Norway, France, Australia, Spain who were excited to see “Das Rheingold”, “Die Walküre”, “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung”. Internationally acclaimed music critics and journalists have already begun to publish their reviews, in which they do not hide their delight with the new “Ring” by the Sofia Opera. They have praised the excellent Bulgarian voices, applauded the orchestra and conductor Constantin Trinks and expressed their great admiration to the director Plamen Kartaloff for the overall vision and concept.

Here is what they share:

Andrea Merli, Italy
"I leave Sofia with a full heart and great satisfaction that the whole production has been made to be understood by the general public and not only by intellectuals and musicians or critics.”

Gregor Tassie, MusicWweb International
"I have seen “Götterdämmerung” many times in different theatres in Europe, but yours is the best – with the best singers, the best orchestra and the best staging."

Tony Cooper, The Opera Critic
"Really fantastic!"

Among the guests was the distinguished Wagnerian bass Falk Struckmann, chamber musician of the Vienna Opera. He said that what he sees and hears inspires him tremendously and the performers are world class.

And Karl Russwurm of the Wagner Society in Munich noted:
"I am amazed at the level of the singers and the orchestra! I have seen “Der Ring des Nibelungen” almost all over the world and I am especially happy that Plamen Kartaloff has achieved such an outstanding result!"

At the end of the week, the Wagner Festival continues with the spectacle “Tristan und Isolde” /23 July/ and “Parsifal” /25 July/. We will put the finishing touches on the outdoor summer stage at Lake Pancharevo with two performances of “Der fliegende Holländer” on 29 and 30 July.

We look forward to seeing you and experiencing the magic of Wagner's music together!