"It is difficult to maintain the Bulgarian spirit by gathering once a year on the national holiday. That is why we rely so much on our cooperation with Bulgarian schools, with various artists, dance and singing ensembles, so that the maximum number of events related to our culture can be organized and this strong connection can be maintained," says Consul General Angel Angelov.

The Sunday schools, located in nine states in the US Northeast, are not by chance among the priorities of our diplomatic mission. Its head believes that where there are active Bulgarian educational institutions, there is also a cohesive Bulgarian community.

"Schools are fundamentally important, as they teach children in Bulgarian and in this way they communicate with other children and see the point of attending classes", believes Angel Angelov. "The recipe for maintaining unity in the community is to have as many Bulgarian cultural events as possible and for Bulgarians to be able to learn what other Bulgarians are doing. We are very active on social networks to promote the performances of fellow Bulgarians - they do an awful lot of things in New York."

The Consul General gives an example "of how to do things that are not once a year" with an initiative that arose 20 years ago and has become established thanks to the commitment and professionalism of Bulgarian musicians.

"The beginning of the "Bulgarian Concert Evenings in New York" was set by a group of musicians, including the doyen of the Bulgarian musical community in New York, Prof. Pavlina Dokovska", says Angel Angelov. "Throughout the years, the initiative has held a concert at the Consulate General almost every month. In addition, the season begins and ends with a concert at the prestigious Carnegie concert hall. These types of events are interesting because they show another face of Bulgarian culture. Of course, our country has exceptional folklore traditions that enjoy great interest in the United States."

An interesting fact is that at the beginning of the "Bulgarian Concert Evenings in New York", the smaller Bulgarian community despite its limited financial resources managed to raise funds to purchase a grand piano. Thus, for two decades now, the concert pianists have had a first-class instrument for their performances at the diplomatic mission.

"The current value of the grand piano is probably around $100,000, which is an example of how our community can mobilize for a cause, which will result in even greater unification thanks to the concerts," the Consul General explains to Radio Bulgaria. "We also use the grand piano at receptions for Bulgarian official holidays - the Bulgarian anthem is performed on it, and at concerts of Bulgarian children who learn piano from Bulgarian musicians and thus have the opportunity to perform on a big stage at an early age. In this way, we are bringing the Consulate General into the cultural program of a city extremely rich in cultural events."

By bringing the art of Bulgarian musicians to the most prestigious venues, the Consulate General receives satisfaction through the feedback from the audience, which has enjoyed the achievements of our cultural artists.

One of the most touching events is undoubtedly the Bulgarian national holiday – March 3, when the Bulgarian flag rises in the sky above Manhattan for the third year in a row.

"Many people from our community come", says Angel Angelov. "All three times we had the privilege of having the mayor of New York present, who participated in the raising of the American and Bulgarian flags. We intend to continue this tradition, which is very well received by our community - we manage to integrate it into the celebration and children from Bulgarian schools in the area perform poems and songs."

The tradition of our fellow Bulgarians dancing to the sounds of folk music performed by a local folklore ensemble has not been forgotten.