site.btaSofia Philharmonic Orchestra to Debut at Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris

Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra will perform in Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris for the first time on March 27. The orchestra, under the baton of conductor Michelangelo Mazza, will accompany Puccini Gala with Russian-Austrian soprano Anna Netrebko and Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov, the Philharmonic said.

The invitation came after the orchestra's convincing performance at the Masters of Classic festival in Bucharest last September, when the top soprano met Bulgarian musicians for the first time, the statement added. 

Sofia Philharmonic Director Nayden Todorov will use the orchestra's visit to Paris to finalize negotiations for its next concerts there. The first of these, on January 7, 2026 with Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva has been organized by her agency. Performances are planned for the coming years. 

The theatre opened on March 31, 1913, with a concert featuring music by French composer Camille Saint-Saens. The programme included Claude Debussy's The Sea, Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Vincent d'Indy's Prelude to Fervaal, all conducted by their composers.