site.btaBalkan Music Artists Exchange Experience with over 60 Key Industry Figures at International Music Conference in Sofia

The SoAlive international music conference was unveiled in Sofia on Thursday evening. Until October 21, the event organized by Bulgarian singers Ruth Koleva and Mila Georgieva gives music artists from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries the opportunity to exchange experience and information with over 60 key figures in the industry. 

Participating in the first edition of SoAlive are representatives of big music companies, such as Warner Music, Ninja Tune, and Global Records, experts from the YouTube and Spotify platforms as well as organizers of popular European and international festivals, such as Mad Cool and Live Nation Madrid.

The programme is divided into three main directions: a conference part, a concert programme and film screenings. Within the concert programme, nearly 40 performers from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greeece, Albania, and Turkiye will perform live. Entry to the concerts is free of charge. The venues are the National Palace of Culture (NDK), Sofia Live Club, Mixtape 5 and open areas around the NDK.

The opening evening on Thursday was attended by Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, who is patron of the conference, and Culture Minister Krastyu Krastev.

In her address, Gabriel said, as quoted by the Foreign Ministry, that cultural diplomacy and arts strengthen the ties between peoples and mutual understanding. SoAlive is yet another opportunity to discuss strategies, initiatives, and ideas in the field of cultural diplomacy. It demonstrates the power of music and arts and their role in creating a story that shows regions’ cultural richness, Gabriel noted.

In her words, SoAlive aims not only to present the Bulgarian culture and music works but also to position the country as an important centre in the European music industry. “The conference is different in that it puts an emphasis on the Balkans’ cultural and historical heritage. The goal is to popularize this heritage while also helping artists from the Balkans and Southeast Europe access the wider European music market,” the Foreign Minister noted. “With innovations and young people, the Balkans can turn into a development centre of the music industry,” she added.