Opera singers Geo Chobanov and Mila Ionkova will perform on the Canadian ‎stage

published on 4/6/23 10:05 AM

Geo Chobanov and Mila Ionkova

Photo: Private archive

On May 11, the day on which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church pays homage ‎to Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Aurenda Heritage Foundation is ‎organizing in Toronto, Canada, a concert with the participation of one of ‎the best contemporary Bulgarian basses Geo Chobanov and the talented ‎mezzo-soprano Mila Ionkova. ‎

The event entitled "The Magic of Bulgarian Voices" will feature arias and ‎duets by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Gounod, Bizet and Pancho ‎Vladigerov, as well as Neapolitan canzonettas, Russian romances and ‎Bulgarian songs.‎

‎"We chose the title "The Magic of Bulgarian Voices" for the simple reason that ‎Bulgaria is home to incredible talents”, says Emiliana Blagoeva, director of the ‎organizing foundation. “These talents have existed since the time of Ancient ‎Thrace. We know that Orpheus was a Thracian, ‎i.e. according to many ‎sources, he was born on the territory of modern Bulgaria. This singing talent is ‎also traced further - in the unique intonations and rhythms of Bulgarian ‎folklore. In the 20th century, the procession of Bulgarian opera talents took ‎place on world stages and it was called the Bulgarian opera miracle”.‎

Emiliana Blagoeva, director of the Aurenda Heritage Foundation

The concert which will be held at the City Playhouse Theatre aims to bring together ‎Bulgarians living in Canada, as well as a Canadian audience, representatives of ‎the local Jewish, Russian-speaking and Italian communities. ‎

‎"There are opera singers who give us the chills when they sing. There are ‎others who, no matter how technical, sing to express their ego. Such music ‎cannot take us to the higher spiritual levels. This is exactly why the goal of our ‎foundation is to give the opportunity for the performance of these true musical ‎talents, whose singing can change us for the better," explains Emiliana ‎Blagoeva, who is a yoga teacher.‎

Basso Geo Chobanov is a graduate of the Pancho Vladigerov National ‎Academy of Music in Sofia. He is currently a soloist at the Varna Opera ‎House, and has also been a soloist at the Sofia and Ruse Operas Houses, he ‎has a number of appearances on European stages. He participated in ‎productions such as The Barber of Seville, Don Juan, Attila, Don Carlos and ‎others. In 2022, when she returned to Bulgaria for the summer vacation, ‎Emiliana Blagoeva came across a production of Verdi's Nabucco at the ‎Summer Theatре of Varna. Due to a change in the line-up, Geo Chobanov ‎appeared on the stage in the role of Zakaria. ‎

‎"When he started to sing, as a person practicing yoga and feeling the subtle ‎energies, I was struck by his incredible voice and the incredible change of ‎setting, the very vibrations. I got chills," Emiliana shares, talking to Radio ‎Bulgaria’s Miglena Ivanova. ‎

Then, by the artist's name, she remembers that when she was a teenager, in the ‎summer of 1992, he attended her meditation classes in Varna, and decided to ‎contact him. Later, Geo Chobanov shared that it was during that summer that ‎he made the decision to dedicate himself to opera singing. When the two met, ‎the idea of a concert for the Bulgarian audience in Canada was born.

About the other participant - Mila Ionkova, Emiliana ‎Blagoeva says:‎

‎"Mila Ionkova is an outstanding musician, teacher, conductor. She specialized ‎in opera singing. She has been living in Toronto for over 20 years and is ‎actively involved in local productions. She started her musical career in ‎Bulgaria. She graduated from the Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School ‎and the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts "Prof. Asen Diamandiev" in ‎Plovdiv. She has played professionally in several symphony orchestras in ‎Europe as principal oboist. In Toronto, in addition to her artistic performances, ‎she teaches piano and singing to children".

The Bulgarian community in Canada is already looking forward to the concert ‎‎"The Magic of Bulgarian Voices" with the participation of Geo Chobanov and ‎Mila Ionkova. There is even already a proposal for a second concert in ‎Calgary in the Canadian province of Alberta.‎

Photos: Private archive, BNR archive

Translated and published by Rositsa Petkova

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!

Share

The "Magic of Bulgarian Voices" concert will be held on May 11 in Toronto

Opera singers Geo Chobanov and Mila Ionkova will perform on the Canadian ‎stage

More from category

"Prituri sa planinata" - Deep Zone pass on beautiful Bulgarian music to the next generations

An amalgam of arts at SoFest Autumn

Legendary rock artist Joe Lynn Turner and Bulgarian pop star Maria Ilieva release duet "Forever"

Concert of Musica Antica – Sofia with rarely performed works