An ensemble of two or more harps is nothing new to the Bulgarian stage. What is new, though, is to be able to hear a harp octet – definitely a novelty for the country.

We owe the idea, the programme selection and the organization of the upcoming concert to Kohar Andonian who has been teaching the harp at the Lyubomir Pipkov National School of Music and the Prof. Panbcho Vladigerov National Music Academy for many years.  Here is Kohar Andonian with more about the event:

“There are many harp ensembles in the world, but this will be the first time – on 20 October – that a Bulgarian octet of harps will be heard in Hall No. 3 of the National Palace of Culture. I created the octet together with my colleague Lili Stoeva and students of ours from the Lyubomir Pipkov music school. The programme includes works by Handel, Pachelbel, Grieg. I would like to draw attention to the fact that this year we are marking 175 years since the birth of Alphonse Hasselmans, considered to be the father of the contemporary harp school – a renowned composer and a remarkable harpist. The programme also features works by Bernard Andres, Deborah Henson-Conant, Alfredo Ortiz.”

Bozhana Bozhilova, Yana Georgieva, Nicole Samareva, Natalie Mihailova, Gergana Nikolova, Gabriela Orozki will be playing “harp to harp” with their teachers. The 8 harps are divided into four part volumes; some of the works included in the programme have been arranged especially for the octet. One such work is Pancho Vladigerov’s emblematic Sarabande.

“It is a remarkable fact that all instruments are very high quality, and that brings so much magic to the sound,” says Kohar Andonian, and goes on to explain that harp practice has changed through the years – while once students did not have an instrument of their own and had to practice at school, many of them now own a harp. The school also owns many and different kinds of harp and learning to play the harp starts at an early age – 7.

“The harp is a really beautiful, a magical but also a very difficult instrument. I have had students through the years with a successful career abroad; with those who have not continued playing the harp the instrument has left a deep imprint on their lives and they play it with pleasure,” says Kohar Andonian in an interview with Albena Bezovska, music editor at Radio Bulgaria over many years, now teacher at the national school of music.

Edited by Elena Karkalanova
Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos: Facebook/ Kohar Andonian, ndk.bg