ph. Ivo Popov
In December 2010 within the project “Raina Kabaivanska presents her students on the international stage” the Sofia Opera and Ballet staged the opera “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini. The project is the brainchild of Raina Kabaivanska and is put into effect under the auspices of New Bulgarian University. Partners in the event are the Sofia Opera and Ballet and Teatro Comunale “Luciano Pavarotti” in Modena.
The performances in Sofia were conducted by maestro Aldo Sissilo – artistic director of Teatro Comunale “Luciano Pavarotti” in Modena with three casts in the main parts - Raina Kabaivanska’s Bulgarian and Italian students - Dorotea Doroteeva, Maria Agresta, Sylvia Teneva, Vera Guirguinova, Kristina Bagio, Maria Radoeva, Kiril Sharbanov, Marco Fruzoni, Vesselin Mihailov, Daniel Stefanov, Mateo Ferrara, Kostadin Mechkov.
The staging of the opera “La Boheme” with Raina Kabaivanska’s students joins Bulgarian and Italian performers from the famous opera diva’s school. The event marked the completion of the 10th Master Class of Raina Kabaivanska at NBU. Her first Master Class in Bulgaria was organized by New Bulgarian University in 2001. In 2002 she established a fund at NBU which continues her charity work in Bulgaria. The Fund provides tuition scholarships for young opera singers in Bulgaria and Italy. More than 100 young performers from the five continents have studied in NBU’s Master Class and nearly 40 are the grantees of the fund who have continued their studies with Raina Kabaivanska and have performed on the professional stage with the help of the opera diva.
The event was held under the patronage of the Mayor of Sofia, the Minister of Education, Youth and Science and the Ambassador of Italy to Bulgaria and is made possible by the scholarships of the “Raina Kabaivanska” Fund at NBU and the main sponsorship provided by the “America for Bulgaria” Foundation”.
In 2012 the project will continue on the stage of Teatro Comunale “Luciano Pavarotti” in Modena.
New Bulgarian University, having supported the development of this big cultural project for ten years, would like to express gratitude and deep respect to Raina Kabaivanska for her concern for art and its continuity.
George Tekev