Sofia Brass Orchestra

published on 5/12/11 9:54 AM

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Sofia Brass Orchestra

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Bulgaria’s brass orchestras have got a 130-year-old history. Almost each town or city in Northern Bulgaria has got its “brass music”, which entertains people during holidays. The first professional brass orchestra, which has expanded its repertoire limits, varying from folk music through military marches to symphonic music is Sofia Brass Orchestra at Iskar House of Culture. In 2011 the orchestra marks its 60th anniversary.

Sofia Brass Orchestra was set up by Sasho Mihailov, who has also conducted it for many years. Born in the town of Lyaskovets, the kingdom of brass orchestras, he took up the conducting position, his father being conductor of brass music. Mr Mihailov managed to develop a quality orchestra with rich repertoire. Sofia Brass Orchestra regularly takes part in New Bulgarian Music Festival. It has received first awards from international festivals for brass orchestras in Uster, Switzerland and Siklos, Hungary, also giving concerts in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, etc.

Sofia Brass Orchestra is particularly fond of folk music. According to late Sasho Mihailov, the orchestra carefully selects folk music pieces from the Bulgarian chain dances of Diko Iliev, Petko Radev, Hristofor Radanov,etc.

In recent years Sofia Brass Orchestra has been conducted by Dotso Vatkov, Vesselin Baichev, Krasimir Iliev and Plamen Burziiski. We bring you now concert master Krassimir Iliev, a clarinet player with 35 years of experience, who talks about the orchetsra’s first festive programme.

“The concert, which took place in Bulgaria Music Hall, was under the baton of Vesselin Baichev, who prepared a very interesting programme. We are not intimidated by more complicated works, because our brass orchestra is the best of its kind in Bulgaria. The concert included performances of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Marin Goleminov’s Five Sketches, Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, etc.

The concert was realized with the media partnership of the Bulgarian National Radio. Krassimir Iliev told Radio Bulgaria that the orchestra took great pleasure in playing music of all genres. Here is more from him:
“We are mostly busy in Summer. We organize a series of concerts on the outdoor stage of Borisova Gradina Park. We play at a festival dedicated to water in the town of Bankia, which is famous for its mineral water. Despite the crisis, with the support of Sofia Municipality, mayor Yordanka Fandakova and the head of Iskar House of Culture, we manage to cope with difficulties. We give memorable concerts in Sofia. I do remember that Bulgaria Music Hall could hardly seat all the people who wanted to see us last Christmas. Our programme is so diverse that we can touch anybody. This year we are giving a series of festive concerts in Bulgaria Music Hall. Our second concert on 15 July is central for our jubilee. We are going to give at least 30 concerts in Borisova Gradina this summer”, Krassimir Iliev says.

Mr Iliev is also proud of the orchestra’s concerts abroad in recent years. Here is what he says: “Wherever we have played, we have always received first awards. At a festival of brass orchestras in Austria’s resort of Schladning we were Number 1 among 43 orchestras from around the world. When we joined the EU, we were the only Bulgarian orchestra to play at the UN Assembly Hall in Geneva. Later, we had a concert in Bern, Switzerland. I was impressed that the people there held artists and musicians in high regard. The halls were crowded all the time and we received an incredible and cordial welcome”.

English version: Vyara Popova

По публикацията работи: Valya Bizhilova

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Sofia Brass Orchestra

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