site.btaMarch Music Days Begin with Concert by Ruse Philharmonic

The 64th March Music Days open in Ruse on Friday, March 14, with a concert by the Ruse Philharmonic under the baton of Nayden Todorov, with soloists Andrei Ionita (Romania, cello) and Alexander Sitkovetsky (UK, violin), the international festival's Director Iva Chavdarova told BTA. The musicians will present Concerto for Violin and Cello by Johannes Brahms and Symphony No. 9 by Antonin Dvorak.

The festival will be on until March 30 and will include 23 concerts, 10 sideline events and a meeting with top-class artists from 16 countries on three continents. The audience will be able to enjoy great music ranging from Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary compositions and jazz, Chavdarova said.

The programme offers exceptional shows by world elite artists, among them Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer and his world-famous trio, Spanish clarinet virtuoso Pablo Barragan and Alexander Sitkovetsky's widely acclaimed trio.

Other remarkable entrants are the American string quartet Brooklyn Rider and such composers as Betsy Jolas of the United States and the highly popular Arvo Part of Estonia. One of the foremost European recorder players, Erik Bosgraaf of the Netherlands, is also expected in Ruse, Chavdarova said.

A Bulgarian vocal ensemble for antique music called Cantanti Dai Monti Verdi will have its premiere at the March Music Days.

The festival is marked by contrast, Chavdarova said. An escape from the culture of Old Europe is offered by German crossover music star Kai Schumacher, who is an excellent pianist. He will present a captivating show centred almost entirely on American music, a kind of instrumental theatre which will be particularly appealing to younger people.

The rich and varied festival programme closes on March 30 with a grand staging of Verdi's "Requiem", a project by the Ruse Festival Orchestra conducted by Emil Tabakov.

Six documentary and art exhibitions will be held on the sidelines of the March Music Days.

The festival is organized by Ruse City Hall under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and with the support of dozens of sponsors from Ruse and other parts of Bulgaria.

The March Music Days is one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals in Bulgaria, with an up-to-date programming strategy. Founded in 1961, the festival turns Ruse every year into a meeting place for elite musicians from Europe and the world.

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is one of the principal media partners for the event.