The Varna Summer
International Music Festival

This is the oldest music festival in Bulgaria and one of the festivals with the longest tradition in Europe. It is held every year in June-July.

Achieved national and international acclaim today the festival is an important and prestigious forum of Bulgarian and world music and performing art in the field of classical music. The rich and varied programme is a visiting card of Varna as a center of international cultural tourism. The diversity of genres features opera, symphony concerts, chamber and choral music, cross-over projects, thematic series, International Summer Academy.

During its existence the festival has won national and international recognition. It has contributed greatly to the promotion of Bulgarian composing and performing art. The slogan of the founders "to bring together the greatest music authorities in the country" has found its followers in the promotion of Bulgarian music culture. A great number of Bulgarian music pieces have been first performed in the framework of the Varna Summer.

Masterpieces of Bulgarian and world music culture, diversity of genres and performances of internationally renowned artists mark the overall image of the festival. Varna Music Institutions and outstanding Bulgarian performers and ensembles are regular guests on the stage of the Varna Summer.

Foreign soloists, conductors, symphony and chamber orchestras, choirs, opera ensembles, ballet companies of world value impress with their performing art. Among them are the The Academic Maly Drama Theatre – Leningrad, the National Academic Theater for Opera and Ballet - Odessa, Ballet of the Hungarian Opera, Ballet Company of Komische Oper-Berlin, Bolshoi Theatre - Moscow, Piccola Scala-Milano, Gyorgy Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Royal Swedish Ballet, Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leningrad Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lyon Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, La Scala Chamber Orchestra - Milan, Schubert Ensemble, Borodin Quartet, Camerata Amsterdam, Camerata Trajektina, Moscow Soloists Ensemble and Yuri Bashmet, amarcord vocal quintet, Divino Sospiro Baroque Ensemble, Spirit of Europe Orchestra… as well as the most eminent Bulgarian soloists and orchestras.

Every year the festival programme features many premieres and first performances. The series Young Talents, Early Music, Varna Music Gallery, and Eminent European Quartets are also met with great interest. Since 1984 for the first time in Bulgaria an International Summer Academy has been organized within the framework of the festival. The master classes are led by tutors and performers of international authority and fame.