19 June 2010

As a tradition the Varna Summer International Music Festival is opened with the Bulgarian rhapsody Vardar of Pancho Vladigerov performed by the VARNA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

At present the Orchestra is a part of the Opera-Philharmonic Society-Varna successor of the Varna Philharmonic Orchestra and Varna Opera which have more than 60-year long history and rich artistic biography.

After the merger of the both institution Hristo Ignatov was a long standing Director of the Opera-Philharmonic Society.

Since December 2009 its Director has been the soprano D. Ivanova Dimova.

The founders Sasha Popov and Ruslan Raichev as well as the conductors Yosko Yossifov, Konstantin Iliev, Emil Glavanakov, Ivan Marinov, Yordan Daffov have had considerable impact on the artistic development of the orchestra.

It has appeared with great success at prestigious festivals in Bulgaria and abroad. A number of premieres have been produced within the Varna Summer IMF.

Since the beginning of 2000 Chief Conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra has been STANISLAV USHEV, graduated in 1985 from Rimski-Korsakov Conservatory, St. Petersburg in operatic and symphonic conducting class with Maris Jansons.

In the period 1985-1993 he was conductor of the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra.

Since 1996 he has been Director of the Shumen Philharmonic Orchestra and since 2000 - Principal Conductor of the Opera-Philharmonic Society - Varna.

He has been a guest conductor in Russia, Spain, France, Romania, Greece, South Korea, Italy, Japan. He has worked with outstanding Bulgarian and foreign soloists instrumentalists and singers.