State Opera Stara Zagora

The first opera house outside the capital. Stara Zagora is a city with deep musical roots, originating from the musical society “Kaval”.

On July 1, 1925, the curtain rose on the first opera performance in Stara Zagora, the production of “Gergana” by Maestro Atanasov. This endeavor was the work of a handful of enthusiasts with a revival spirit, led by directors Georgi Bakalov and the dramatic actress Mara Shopova, mother of the future great Bulgarian artist Naum Shopov, with conductor Kapellmeister Atanas Kovachev.

On March 22, 1928, the Opera was declared the South Bulgarian Regional Opera, and on April 1, 1946, it was officially renamed the State Opera – Stara Zagora.

In the late autumn of 1967, the first music festival “December Music Days” was held, which over the years evolved into the “Festival of Opera and Ballet Art” – a unique forum in our country that continues to attract exceptional interest.

In 1971, the new modern building of the opera was officially opened in Stara Zagora, designed by architects Mihail Sokolovski, Boris Kamilarov, and Tsanko Hadzhistoykov. It is a true gem of architectural thought, unparalleled both in the country and in the Balkans. A deserved reward for the city that has given the world opera giants such as Hristina Morfova, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Vesselina Kasarova, Stefka Mineva, and Nikolay Stoilov.

In 1991, the opera building was set on fire, but in 2010 it was resurrected for a new life, thanks to the love of the people of Stara Zagora and with exceptional financial assistance from the Municipality of Stara Zagora.

In 2015, during the 46th edition of the Festival of Opera and Ballet Art, representatives of cultural institutions from the Balkan region created the Balkan Opera Network, aiming to provide conditions for partnership in the field of opera and ballet art, as well as to promote the common historical past and cultural traditions of the participating countries. Seventeen musical theaters from the country and the Balkan countries, along with impresarios from Vienna, supported the initiative of the State Opera – Stara Zagora and the Municipality of Stara Zagora. The result of this initiative is the co-productions that are an important highlight in the repertoire of the Stara Zagora Opera.

Since 2016, the unique for Bulgaria event “Opera at the Stadium” has been held (“Aida” in 2016, “Carmen” in 2017, “Nabucco” in 2018).

In 2016, the State Opera – Stara Zagora was awarded the Crystal Lyre by the Union of Bulgarian Music and Dance Artists for the performance “Lucia di Lammermoor” by G. Donizetti. The “Stara Zagora” award of the Municipality of Stara Zagora was also presented for the same production, recognized for its indisputable artistic qualities, original direction and interpretation, beautiful and highly impactful costumes in the spirit of the era, modern vision of stage and spatial design, as well as for the magnificent soloist cast.

In 2017, the ballet troupe of the Opera was restored, and their performance of “Swan Lake” by P. I. Tchaikovsky was awarded the Special Prize of the Mayor of the Municipality of Stara Zagora.

The Stara Zagora Opera is a musical institution with undeniable and time-proven achievements, a school for true talents. This is why the love of its most ardent audience, the people of Stara Zagora, captivated entirely by the most powerful and most lively of all arts – music, is enduring. In the opera repertoire, in addition to classical works, many new and experimental forms of musical art are emphasized – projects that are realized with the help of foreign cultural centers and embassies in Bulgaria.