11th International Festival “Meeting of Student Choirs”
The 11th International Festival “Meeting of Student Choirs” is the most important cultural event of 2024 for the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). This edition is dedicated to 90th anniversary of Prof. Georgi Robev.
Festival History
The Festival was organized in cooperation with Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, US Embassy – Sofia, Bulgarian National Radio, Sofia University, NMA “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”, NMS “Lyubomir Pipkov”, Bulgarian Choir Union and Municipality - Blagoevgrad. It is held once every two years.
The previous 10 editions of the festival had drawn great interest to the choir community in Blagoevgrad and the country – students, professors, local citizens, participants, media and many guests. In the Festival took part terrific choirs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Greece, North Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, and the best Bulgarian student choirs. The event attracted many special guests – distinguished composers, choral directors and experts – from Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia.
Location
Blagoevgrad (100 km south from Sofia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blagoevgrad
Rila Monastery (40 km north from Blagoevgrad) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rila_Monastery
Bansko (60 km south from Blagoevgrad) http://www.banskoski.com/en
The Current Festival
Organized by AUBG with cooperation with Sofia University “St. Clement of Ohrid”, Bulgarian National Radio, Norwegian Honorary Consulate General and with kind support of our donors. The event is dedicated to 90th anniversary of the world-renowned conductor, professor of choral conducting and public figure Prof. Georgi Robev.
Festival Purposes
• To stimulate the development of student choir art.
Participation: Rules and Conditions
Both homogeneous and mixed, student or university choirs can participate. At least 2/3 of the singers must be students. The juvenile, as well as senior high school choirs (consisting of people aged between 16 and 20) can also join the Festival.
Participants must prepare and perform 20-minute (pure music) freely chosen program. A Grand piano will be available in the concert halls. Every choir will have 15 minutes time for acoustical rehearsal before performance.
The candidates must send a filled application form with repertoire, biographies of choir and conductor, artistic pictures of choir and conductor, and document verifying payment of the entry tax. The application fee is 80 Euro per choir. The entry fee will not be refunded in case the applying choir cancels its participation. The money must be transferred to the following bank account of the American University in Bulgaria:
Bank name: United Bulgarian Bank, Branch Blagoevgrad
As “reason for payment”, one should enter: “Participation fee for the Student choir festival”
The application deadline is January 31st, 2024
Choir participants must cover all their personal expenses during the Festival – transportation, accommodation and food. The Organization Committee is pleased to offer several different rates for accommodation, as follows:
Arrangement of accommodation and food for participants is the exclusive right of the Organizing Committee of the Festival. The amounts for accommodation and food, along with specification of final number of the group, must be transferred no later than March 1, 2024.
For more information contact the Director of the Festival Prof. Dr. Hristo Krotev – the AUBG choir Director. Phone number: 073/888 423, E-mail: [email protected] Application form
• To provoke the creation of new student and high-school choirs in the country and in Europe.
Bank address: T. Aleksandrov str. 47, 2700 Blagoevgrad
Account name: American University in Bulgaria
Account number: BG85RZBB 9155 1487 0037 89
BIC /SWIFT/ N: RZBBBGSF
