Vizia: Kossio Hadzhigenchev
America for Bulgaria Foundationsupports the cause of Raina Kabaivanska and New Bulgarian University for professional development and performance of Bulgarian young opera singers
The donation Fund of Raina Kabaivanska at New Bulgarian University was set up in 2002 as a continuation of the charitable activities of the great opera actress and for further support of her International Master Class in Bulgaria. The Fund is aimed at discovering talented young opera singers and enhancing their development and performance on the international opera stage. The same year the Fund attracted as partners with their own donations other persons as well as Bulgarian and foreign organizations.
In 2009 America for Bulgaria Foundation became a strategic partner of the Fund and joined the cause for development of young Bulgarian opera singers in multicultural environment, thus encouraging New Bulgarian University (NBU) and Raina Kabaivanska Fund to gradually grow and expand into main event in the cultural life of the country with substantial international resonance. Through the years the Master Classes of the great opera actress opened the musical seasons in Sofia – with Gala concerts at Bulgaria Concert Hall or at Sofia Opera and Ballet House where young opera singers demonstrated the results of their training with the magnificent Maestra in the presence of loudly applauding audience. In 2010 in Sofia started the project “Raina Kabaivanska presents her students on the world opera stage” resulting in producing two operas - “La Boheme” and “Werther” with the Bulgarian and Italian students of Raina Kabaivanska in the leading parts. Brilliant performances took place many times on the stages of Sofia Opera and Ballet House and Teatro Comunale “Luciano Pavarotti” in Modena, Italy thanks to the successful partnership between NBU, Sofia Opera and Ballet House and La Monnaie Royal Opera House – Brussels, Belgium.
Since 2009 up to the present days with the support of America for Bulgaria Foundation more than 30 young Bulgarian opera singers continued their training with Raina Kabaivanska at New Bulgarian University, at the Music Academy “Vecchi Tonelli” in Modena and Academia Chigiana in Siena. Therefore the music world defines that as “the School of Kabaivanska” for distinguished achievements of young Bulgarian opera singers. Maria Radoeva – one of the participants in the project “Raina Kabaivanska presents her students on the world opera stage”: took part in the opera “La Boheme” in Sofia (2011) and in Modena (2012), finalist of the “Musical competition for young opera singers” in Cardiff, UK (2010) and of the International competition “Chaikovski” in Moscow (2015), debuts in UK, Italy and Austria;Silvia Taneva, Diana Vasileva, Kostadin Mechkov, Alexpander Nosikov, Dorotea Doroteeva – laureates of prestigious opera competitions in Bulgaria and abroad, soloists of Sofia Opera and Ballet, incl. significant international participation in performances of the first Bulgarian Opera Theatre; Kiril Sharbanov – a soloist in Hamburg State Opera;
And younger singers: Anton Markov – laureate of the competition of Accademia Rossiniana (2014); Darina Linkova – finalist of the competitions in Sarzana, Italy and Tenerife, Spain (2015); Venera Kotlarova – third prize-winner of the International competition for young opera singers”Elena Nikolay” (2014); Dimitar Arnaudov – prize-winner of the award for young singer of the International competition for young opera singers”Elena Nikolay” (2013).
Collaboration between America for Bulgaria Foundation and NBU in support of the cause of Raina Kabaivanska continues the tradition of Bulgarian opera theatre and opens the door for young talented opera singers to the big opera stages in the world.