Mario Hossen is an internationally acclaimed Bulgarian violinist with an active solo and teaching career, renowned for his exceptional interpretations of classical works. For several years, he has been the Artistic Director of Varna Summer International Music Festival – one of Bulgaria’s most significant cultural events, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026. In this role, he shapes the festival’s artistic vision and reinforces Varna’s position as a leading stage for classical music and international cultural exchange.
You are an artist with an international career, but also a person with a mission in Bulgaria. How would you introduce yourself to the readers of VISIT.Varna.bg?
First and foremost, I would describe myself as an artist for whom music is destiny, mission, and a form of service. I was born in Bulgaria and raised in a family with a cosmopolitan cultural sensibility, while my professional path has taken me to many stages around the world. Yet the more one travels, the more clearly one becomes aware of their roots. For me, Bulgaria is not merely the place where I was born, but a spiritual and energetic homeland toward which I feel a deep sense of responsibility.
You have been the Artistic Director of Varna Summer International Music Festival for several years now – what does this role mean to you?
This role is both a great honour and a profound responsibility. Varna Summer International Music Festival is not simply a festival, but a cultural institution with historical memory and European significance. As Artistic Director, working alongside the remarkable team of the Culture Department of Община Варна, my mission is to preserve the festival’s tradition while also developing it further – creating, through my international connections, a vibrant dialogue between past and present, between the Bulgarian cultural scene and the great international world of music.
This year the festival celebrates its 100th anniversary – what does this milestone mean for Bulgarian culture?
Hundred years Varna Summer International Music Festival is an extraordinary event on both a national and European scale. This is not merely the anniversary of a festival, but a symbol of Bulgaria’s European cultural identity. For an entire century, Varna has been a stage where music connects Bulgaria with the world. This jubilee is at once an act of remembrance and a vision toward the future.
What makes this year’s edition different and truly special? Which highlights of the programme should not be missed?
The anniversary edition has been conceived as a powerful symbolic narrative of continuity and artistic legacy. From first-ever appearances in Bulgaria and at the festival of world-renowned orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Virtuosi of La Scala, the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, and the European Union Youth Orchestra, chamber ensembles such as the Jerusalem Quartet, the Paganini Ensemble, or the legendary baroque ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien to the internationally celebrated guest artists among wich the conductors Vladimir Jurowski, Sakari Oramo, the soloists Julia Fischer, Francesco Piemontesi, Sophie Dervaux, Alexander Ghindin, Milena Mollova, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and Natalia Postnikova. The opening concert has been entrusted to Delyana Lazarova, which carries particular significance, as she is the first woman conductor to open the festival in its one-hundred-year history.
Among the festival’s major highlights is the world premiere of the Varna-born composer Milko Kolarov and his work, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising – the cantata dedicated to “the most Bulgarian of times”, participations of remarkable soloists such as violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky and two laureates of an award from the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow: the Irish emblem of the performing art Barry Douglas (piano) and the young Romanian concert artist Andrei Ionitsa. The programme brings together symphonic music, chamber concerts, a baroque module, contemporary music, masterclasses, and open-air events.
What place does Varna Summer hold on the European festival map today?
Today Varna Summer is one of the oldest and most significant music festivals in Europe. Its contemporary importance lies precisely in the combination of historical depth, high artistic standards, and openness to the world. In recent years, the festival has increasingly established itself as an international platform that places Varna in active dialogue with the major cultural centres of Europe.
How do music and culture change the way people experience a city?
Culture gives a city its “soul”. When someone experiences music within a particular setting – a concert hall, a courtyard, the Sea Garden, a church, or an open-air stage – that place remains in their memory in a unique and unforgettable way. Varna possesses a very special energy: the sea, the light at sunrise and sunset, the city’s history, and its music together create unique atmosphere. The festival transforms the city not only into a tourist destination but into a profound spiritual experience as well.
Can classical music become a driving force for tourism?
Without a doubt. Cultural tourism is one of the most meaningful forms of travel because it leads people not only to a destination, but also to its memory, spirit, and identity. The world’s great festivals have proven that classical music can attract international audiences, create prestige, and stimulate the development and vitality of entire cities. Varna possesses all the qualities needed to become precisely such a European festival destination.
What personally connects you to Varna – beyond the stage and the festival?
What connects me most deeply to Varna is the sea. The city has a unique rhythm – at once artistic, free, but also very contemplative. Here, one senses openness and space. For me, the sea is a source of energy, inspiration, and inner balance. Varna is not merely a stage for me; it is a place of encounters, friendships, ideas, and spiritual renewal.
How does Varna look through your eyes – as an artist who travels the world?
Varna is a city with tremendous potential and a powerful cultural aura. When I look at it through the eyes of someone who has performed and lived in various European cultural centres, I see a city that can become even more visible on the international stage. Varna possesses the sea, history, an engaged audience, strong traditions, and a festival with a one-hundred-year legacy – a rare combination that, with the vision and commitment of the city’s and the country’s leadership, could transform it into a true spiritual oasis of Southeastern Europe.
What would you say to the people who will visit Varna this summer? And what does “Varna Summer” mean to you personally?
I would encourage them to come with an open mind and a sense of curiosity. To surrender themselves to the music, the sea, the encounters, and the atmosphere of the city. For me, “Varna Summer” is a celebration of the spirit – a time when tradition comes alive, music brings people together, and Varna becomes a stage connecting Bulgaria, Europe, and the world.
