Famous opera manager will help for the development of opera in Plovdiv

Ioan Holender, long-time director of the Vienna State Opera, is visiting Bulgaria’s second largest city of Plovdiv to assist in the development of the classical music stage in the city. The renowned artist and manager is a sought-after consultant on world music stages and it is no secret he has a predilection for Bulgarian operatic voices.

Hollander has visited Bulgaria many times and has consulted for the Sofia Opera and Philharmonic. He is coming to Plovdiv for the first time at the invitation of the director of the Plovdiv Opera, Dian Chobanov. He heard good words about the musical traditions in the city from the director Vera Nemirova.

"Bulgaria has many international first-class singers. Austria has never had great international singers. This is a gift given to this nation," says Ioan Holender, opera manager.

The music expert will assist in attracting prominent opera singers to sing on the stage of the Ancient Theatre, the only stage in the city that has truly impressed him.

"Today you can have performers from all over the world. Bulgarians can sing around the world and the world can sing in Bulgaria. Even if you don't have such good conditions as stage facilities and pay," Holender said.

Known for his outspoken and often highly critical reviews of the musical traditions of modern times, Maestro Holender recommended that more classical opera titles should be staged and that attention in performances should be focused primarily on the singers who are the pillars of the art of opera.