Sofia Opera opened its new season at "Tsari Mali Grad" fortress

Sofia Opera on September 24 opened its new season at the Tsari Mali Grad fortress, the opera announced. Sofia Opera is an example of apostolic activity in creating, promoting and disseminating new works of our national opera, the opera said. This consistent policy gives new stage life to the musical poem "The Hermit of Rila", created from the miraculous poems of writer Tihomir Pavlov and the music of composer Father Kiril Popov.

The director of the opera in Sofia, Plamen Kartalov, chose the fortress "Tsari Mali Grad" for the outdoor performance of this work dedicated to the exploits of an exalted man and patron saint of our country, Saint John of Rila (Ivan Rilski).

"The Hermit of Rila" is a call to our contemporaries to feel a deep pride and intimate closeness to the spiritual and purifying love of St. John with the power of his gracious kindness and prayers for faith and hope in the Bulgarian people, for a true Bulgaria, opera representatives commented.

The director's concept is like a creative shrine service at the exact place through which the relics of the revered saint passed on their return route when transferred from Veliko Tarnovo to Rila monastery (founded by Saint John of Rila). This is the hill "St. Spas" above the village of Belchin, not far from Samokov, southwestern Bulgaria.

The main roles are performed by the actor Irinei Konstantinov and the soloists of the Sofia Opera Atanas Mladenov, Angel Hristov, Veselin Mihailov and others. Vera Petrova and Vera Beleva participate in collaboration with director Plamen Kartalov. The main actor is the chorus of the Sofia Opera conducted by Violeta Dimitrova.