City on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. It is the second largest city in the country. The first evidence of opera performances in the city dates from 1901. In 1954 a permanent opera company, Burgaska Samodeyna Opera (Burgas Amateur Opera), was formed, consisting predominantly of instrumentalists from the State SO and singers from the Naroden Khor (Folk Choir) and the Rodna Pesen (Homeland Song) choir. Its first production, La traviata, in 1955 was followed mainly by Italian operas and operas by Mozart and by Bulgarian composers. The Burgas Amateur Opera became the State (National) Opera on 2 March 1972 when it opened with Krasimir Kyurkchiyski’s Yula. Its notable conductors have included Nevin Mikhalev, Ivan Vulpe, Stoyan Kralev and Romeo Raychev, and it has engaged Dragan Kardzhiyev and Nikolay Nikolov (as guest directors) and the baritone Stoyan Popov. The opera’s repertory is influenced by the summer resort character of the city and by the opportunities offered by the open-air stage at the Sunny Beach resort. Until the early 1980s the opera performed in the 670-seat hall of the Culture Club of a petrochemical plant; since 1983 a new building, the Burgas Opera House (800 seats), intended for drama, opera and ballet, has been used for two or three opera performances a week.
MAGDALENA MANOLOVA