site.btaNational Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria, North Macedonia Start Long-term Cooperation

The national opera and ballet of Bulgaria and of North Macedonia are starting long-term cooperation after the signing of a memorandum, the Sofia Opera and Ballet reported here on Thursday.

Sofia Opera and Ballet Director Plamen Kartaloff and his counterpart from North Macedonia Vaso Ristov have discussed the establishment of cultural exchange and activities aimed at encouraging cooperation in the field culture and arts, artistic exchange, co-productions and sharing experience.

The Sofia Opera and Ballet will visit Skopje on May 15, 2024 during the May Opera Nights in North Macedonia’s capital and will stage Elektra by Richard Strauss.

Ristov visited this summer’s Festival dedicated to the 210th birth anniversary of Richard Wagner. “I saw Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde) and was elated. It was wonderful. The festival’s quality and organization were extraordinary. This tour is the first step towards future joint projects and, if all is well, we will invite the Sofia Opera with some of Wagner’s works,” he said. 

The Skopje Opera opened its new season on September 16 with Risto Avramovski’s Lydia from Macedonia Opera, directed by Plamen Kartaloff. The Opera was also staged at the Ohrid Summer International Festival.