02 July, 7:00 PM – Varna State Opera, Stage Filial
Vratsa Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Hristo Pavlov
Soloists:
Patrick Rafter – violin, Ireland
Chryso Makariou – soprano, Cyprus
This concert marks the handover of the Council Presidency of the EU from Cyprus to Ireland
Under the Honorary Patronage of H. E. Ms. Catherine Bannon – Ambassador of Ireland in Bulgaria
It is already a tradition for the festival to mark musically the handover of the Presidency of the Council of the EU – this year from Cyprus to Ireland. Culture has always been the best ambassador, building bridges and shared musical memories.
For Cypriot soprano Chryso Makariou Bulgaria is the ley country in her musical path – she graduated from the National Academy of Music in Sofia and went to Vienna afterwards to make a specialization with the world famous Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Margarita Lilova, who was Kammersängerin of the Vienna State Opera. Chryso Makariou is laureate of the international competitions in Spoleto (Italy), Chur (Switzerland), and Barcelona (Spain). She has performed in opera productions in Bulgaria, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic (Smetana Hall). Her warm, lyrical voice will represent Cyprus.
The violinist Patrick Rafter, who is equally fluent in classical repertoire and typical Irish traditional violin pieces, will take the musical torch. He embodies the vivid energy and performance mastery of the new generation of Irish musicians. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London with numerous awards, Patrick Rafter has specialized at the Yehudi Menuhin School on the personal recommendation by Maxim Vengerov, who became his musical mentor.
Rafter performs actively, conducts, and teaches in Cork and Geneva. In 2023, he founded a festival in the Irish city of Kilkenny. The orchestra on stage for this concert is Sinfonietta Vratsa, the successor to the symphonic and opera traditions of the city. Driven by momentum and energy, it currently features musicians from over 15 countries across Europe and the USA. Since 2017, under the guidance of Hristo Pavlov, Sinfonietta Vratsa has become a well-known and increasingly sought-after partner for projects with established soloists and for challenging musical programs.
