The International Choir Competition Prof. Georgi Dimitrov is a member of the Association, which organizes the contest and awards the EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX FOR CHORAL SINGING. The annual editions are held successively in Arezzo (Italy), Debrecen (Hungary), Tours (France), Varna (Bulgaria), Tolosa (Spain) and Maribor (Slovenia).
The goals of the National Festival of Children’s and Youth Choirs are: cultural exchange, networking and cooperation between children’s and youth choirs from the country; creating conditions for development and support of the existing children’s and youth choir groups; expanding their opportunities for expression and enrichment of their creative potential. The festival aims to promote the cultural values of the singing art to the new generations.
The festival is not based on competitive principles.
PROGRAMME 2023
14 SEPTEMBER – Thursday
18:00 – 18:30 Showcase of the participating choral groups
18:30 – 19:30 Laying wreaths and flowers at the monument of composer Dobri Hristov
Festival and Congress Center Varna – Hall 1
20:00 – 21:30 Official opening of the Choral Festive Days and the Competition
15 SEPTEMBER – Friday
“Yunashki Salon” Hall
10:00 – 10:30 Meeting of the International Jury
Competition Programme
“Yunashki Salon” Hall
11:00 – 12:30 Category Children’s And Youth Choirs & Chamber Choirs
- “I Piccoli Cantori di Barcellona P.G.” – Sicily, Italy – IV Category
- “Morski Pesachinki” Vocal Formation – Bourgas, Bulgaria – IV Category
- “Fortissimo” Vocal Ensemble – Bourgas, Bulgaria – III Category
15:00 – 17:00 Category Mixed Choirs
- Chór Politechniki Morskiej w Szczecinie – Szczecin, Poland – I Category
- Coro de Jóvenes de Madrid – Madrid, Spain – I Category
- Emīls Dārziņš Mixed Choir – Riga, Latvia – I Category
Festival Programme
17:30 – 18:30 Open-air concerts
- Open-air stage at “Nezavisimost” Square in front of “Stoyan Bachvarov” Drama Theater
- Open-air stage in front of church “St. Nicholas”
- “Rakovina” Stage, Sea Garden
19:30 – 20:30 Concerts in “Golden Sands” and “Saints Constantine and Helena” resorts
16 SEPTEMBER – Saturday
“Boris Georgiev” City Art Gallery – Varna
11:00 – 13:00 Concert of the choirs participating in the Choral Festive Days and the 5th National Festival of Children’s and Youth Choirs
13:15 – 14:00 Presentation of the book Choir art and musical education, dedicated to the 90 anniversary of the birth of Prof. Veneta Vicheva and Prof. Marin Chonev by Prof. Dr. Stefan Harkov
“Prof. Marin Chonev” Choir School
15:00 – 16:00 Artistic meeting with youth/male choir formation as part of the Varna Boys and Youth Choir – “Challenges in working on Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ with young boys – intonation, rhythm, phrasing, style
Conductor: Darina Krosneva
Pianist: Svetlana Panayotova
“Yunashki Salon” Hall
16:30 – 18:00 VARNA GRAND PRIX COMPETITION
(featuring the prizewinners from each category of the Competition)
18:30 – 19:00 Award ceremony and official closing of the Festival and Competition
“Аnton Novak” Square – Entrance of the Sea Garden
19:30 – 21:00 Gala concert of the participants in the Choral Festive Days, 5th National Festival of Children’s and Youth Choirs and the participants in the 41st “Prof. Georgi Dimitrov” International Choir Competition – Varna 2023
17 SEPTEMBER – Sunday
Grand Mall & Delta Planet Mall – Varna
11:00 – 13:00 Concerts of the participants in 5th National Festival of Children’s and Youth Choirs – Varna 2023 and the participants in 41st International Choir Competition “Prof. Georgi Dimitrov” – Varna 2023
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Upcoming editions
12 – 15 September 2024
11 – 24 September 2025
17 – 20 September 2026