The project is being implemented by Varna International Production Company in cooperation with Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar", the Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra and the Opera of Stara Zagora

    Summer Music Academy, unique in its nature, will be open in Bulgaria at the end of May. It is its sixteenth edition, a result of the long-term experience of Varna International Production Company in organizing large-scale musical projects in the USA, Israel, Bulgaria and many other countries in Europe. The Academy will begin on 26 May and end on 13 June and will be implemented in several Bulgarian cities as well as in Thessalonica, Greece. The program includes conducting and opera academies at the final of which remarkable works of the world music treasure will be performed and master class for young pianists and concert tours will be conducted.

    Partners are Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar", the Pazardzhik SymphonyOrchestra, theRepresentativeCivilChoir Morski Zvutsi- Varna, the Choir of the Academy, the Opera of Stara Zagora and the Bulgarian National Radio.

Conducting Academy The conducting academy will be held from 26 May to 6 June at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". Dian Chobanov from Bulgaria and maestro Christopher Thomas from the United States will lead the classes. The training will be focused on the oratorio "The Creation" by Joseph Haydn. The academy will end with two concerts with the participation of orchestra, choir and soloists. One of the concerts will be conducted by the course attendants Thomas Kaunsal, Jason Dungy, John Christinyak and Magdalene Tang on 5 June in Dobrich concert hall in the town of Dobrich and the other one by Dian Chobanov in Hall 1 of the Festival and Congress Centre - Varna on 6 June.

Opera Academy

The opera academy will be held in Varna – at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" from 26 May to 6 June and Stara Zagora – at the State Opera House from 7 to 13 June. Bulgarian and American musicians will be involved in the opera performances "Gianni Schicchi" and "Suor Angelica" by Giacomo Puccini. Dian Chobanov, Samuel Mungo, Jacob Will and Jennifer Luken will lead the classes. The soloists will be selected after casting. The performances are at the Opera House of Stara Zagora on 12 June and at the Home of Culture "Boris Hristov", Plovdiv on 13 June.

Concert Tour

The concert tour of Bel Canto Chorus and Varna International Chamber Orchestra (composite formation of musicians from the USA and Bulgaria) is produced by Varna International. Conductor is maestro Steven Gothold. The first concert will be in Bach hall in Varna on 7 June and the second one will be in Pancho Vladigerov concert hall at the National Music Academy in Sofia on 10 June and the third one - in Thessalonica on 13 June. The program includes works by Johann Sebastian Bach as the focus is on performance of "Magnifikat" - one of the most significant vocal and instrumental works of the composer. The following performers will take part in the tour: Liliana Kondova - soprano, Vyara Zhelezova - mezzo-soprano, Jason Vest – tenor, Gerald Kraft – tenor, Walter Swan - bass, Michael Emery - violin, YvonneChavez Hansbrough- flute, Tsveta Palikarova - flute, Holly Patterson - oboe, and Ralitsa Trifonova – organ.

Piano Classes

You Ju Lee, PhD will lead the classes for young pianists in the concert hall of the National School of Arts "Dobri Hristov" in Varna on 3 June. The training of the future professional performers will be free. The recital of the piano player will be also free of charge, again on 3 June, in the concert studio of Radio Varna.

Music instructors of the academies  

Dian Chobanov, conductor

Dian Chobanov studied piano in Plovdiv, conducting at the State Music Academy "Pancho Vladigerov" - Sofia and the University of Music and Fine Arts - Vienna. He mastered his conducting technique with Sir Colin Davis in Dresden, maestro Fabio Luisi and maestro Michael Halász, a conductor at the Vienna State Opera. He was a conductor of the SchoenbrunnChamber Orchestra- Vienna, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, a chief conductor of the State Opera in Stara Zagora, a conductor at the Croatian National Opera and the Croatian Chamber Orchestra in Zagreb. He has been a Music Director of the State Opera of Plovdiv since 2013.He has conducted with great success many concerts and opera performances in Vienna, Budapest, Verona, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Meiningen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Prague, Zagreb, Rijeka, Skopje, Porto, Sofia, in Israel, the USA, Brazil and China, the Orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio and the National Opera and Ballet - Sofia, the State Opera - Varna, Ruse and others. He has been a permanent lecturer of conducting and opera practice in the summer academies of Varna International since 2006. He leads a conducting masterclass at the University of South Carolina, the USA. In 2012, he received the title of guest professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai, China. He has been a music director of festivals in Germany, Austria; he has participated in many festivals at home and abroad. He records in famous music houses in Vienna, London, Sofia. Dian Chobanov is an award-winner at many prestigious international competitions in Zagreb, Vienna, Prague, Besancon and others.

Jacob Will, bass-baritone

Jacob Will was born in Hartsville, South Carolina. He graduated from the University of South Carolina and the Music Conservatory in Cincinnati. He made his debut with the New York Philharmonic as a soloist in the American premiere of "Messa per Rossini" - a performance broadcast live on television across the country. He has performed with the Symphony Orchestra of Radio Berlin under the baton of VladimirAshkenazy, as well as at the Cabrillo festival conducted by Dennis Davis.He was the soloist in "Johannes Passion" at the international Bach festival in Schaffhausen, Switzerland; he performed "St Matthew Passion"

with the Symphony Orchestra of San Francisco; and with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra – the oratorio "Le mystère de la Nativité" by Frank Martin. He recorded "Solemn Mass" by Luigi Cherubinowith Helmuth Rillingand the comic opera "Kleider Machen Leute" by Zemlinsky conducted by Ralph Vaykart. His repertoire includes the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor," "The Italian Girl in Algiers," "La Boheme," "The Marriage of Figaro," "Norma," "Don Giovanni", "A Masked Ball" and others which he performs with success on the stages of the opera houses in Zurich, New York, Vancouver, San Francisco and others.

Prof. Jennifer Luken, PhD mezzo-soprano

For thevoice of Jennifer Luken the experts say that it is "sensual" and "beautifully clean and radiant." Her opera repertoire includes roles in "Candide", "The Medium", "Mikado," "The Rape of Lucretia," "Hansel and Gretel", "Amalia and the Night Visitors", "The Bat", "Suor Angelica", "Gianni Schicchi" "Rigoletto", "Dido and Aeneas", "The Magic Flute" and others. She has had numerous appearances with the Symphony Orchestra of Charleston and at one of the last she performed six songs by Franz Schubert in a concert dedicated to the masterpieces in music. Her orchestral and concert repertoire includes such emblematic works such as Mozart's and Verdi’s Requiems, Mahler's Second Symphony, "Alexander Nevski", Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, "Stabat Mater" and "Requiem" by Dvorak, the works "Jeremiah" and "Kaddish" by Bernstein,  "Messiah" by Handel, "Elijah" by Mendelssohn, "Johannes Passion" by Bach, "In the beginning" by Copeland. She has performed in England, Scotland, Germany, Austria and Italy. Born in Iowa, she lives in Somerville, South Carolina, where she is a professor of singing at Charleston Southern University.

Assoc. Prof. You Ju Lee, PHD, piano

You Ju Lee, PhD, is a professor of music and a talented pianist with many concerts in the USA and guest performances in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and others. The Second award that she got at the international competition for romantic music American Protégé International Competition opens for her the doorto the stage of Carnegie Hall. Having joined the faculty of Toccoa Falls College in 2004, she was invited as a speaker and performer at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad - Serbia and was a guest performer of Mu Phi International Convention in Rochester, New York.She has recorded a CD album "Chopin: Selected Works for Piano", which is accessible through the sites Amazon.com and Apple iTunes. Assoc. Prof. Lee teaches piano, chamber and contemporary music. She is currently an Associate Professor of Piano at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Georgia and a lecturer in piano accompaniment, musical literature and pedagogy. Recently, she has been presented with two prestigious awards - Faculty Scholar of the Year and Wade Distinguished Scholar Faculty Award. Her repertoire includes works by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Debussy, Bruch, A. Copeland, Bloch, Mendelssohn, Marga Richter, R. Seeger, J. Touar and many others.

Prof. Christopher B. Thomas, PhD, conductor

Christopher B. Thomas, PhD is a director of the choral activities and assistant professor of music at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. He leads Rowan University Concert Choir and Statesmen Men's Chorus and teaches choral conducting and choral literature to Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree students. Under his leadership, Rowan University Concert Choir and Statesmen Men's Chorus performed many concerts. He recently returned from a representative tour in the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. He has participated in prestigious national and international forums.He is currently a board member of the American Association of choral conductors in New Jersey and is in charge of the repertoire and standards of college and university choirs. As a soloist baritone he has sung with the Symphony Orchestra of Tucson, Tucson Chamber Artists and St. Andrew's Bach Society. His recent engagements were "Mass" in C Minor by Bach, "German Requiem" by Brahms and "The Creation" by Haydn.

Michael Emery, violin

Michael Emery combines his artistic work in the USA and Europe and his teaching at Skidmore College in an active music career. The legend of violin art HenrykSzeryngwrote for him: "... It was a pleasure for me to hear him ..." He started playing the violin at the age of 10 years and only two years later gave a concert in Carnegie Hall. He received his diploma in Manhattan. Michael Emery is a concertmaster and frequent soloist of the symphony orchestras of Catskill, Schenectady and Glens Falls, New York state, and the newly created orchestra of Santa Monica, California. In February this year, he performed Beethoven's Triple Concerto, as well as several other works for violin, cello and piano at a concert tour in Manila, Philippines. He was a soloist and concertmaster during the summer tour of Santa Monica Chamber Philharmonic and Central New York Summer Orchestra in several major European cities. He is also the concertmaster and soloist with Varna International. He is a performer and lecturer at the music festival in Lucerne, and this summer he has been invited to teach in Mahler Conservatory of Music, Vienna. He has played with renowned musicians, including Ruggiero Ricci, André-Michel Schub, Emanuel Ax.

Samuel Mungo, director Samuel Mungo is the director of the opera program and coordinator of the vocal department at the State University of Texas. He received his PhD degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and a Master's degree in vocal performance at New England Conservatory. He owns Artist's Diploma of the Boston Conservatory and a Bachelor's degree from the State University of Illinois. He has worked as a director, singer and vocal coach for more than 20 years. He moved to Texas with the mission to promote the prosperity of the local musical theatre. In recent years he hasstaged in opera houses in Texas

"The Bat", "The Magic Flute", "The Turning of the Screw" and "Candide." He has directed "Abduction from the Seraglio" for Florid Grand Opera, "The Pirates of Penzance" for Colorado Light Opera, "Trouble in Tahiti" under the project of Boulder Opera, "Rigoletto" and "Il Trovatore" for San Antonio Opera. As a director, he has implemented the world premiere of the opera by Bruce Trinkley"Saint Thomas the Carpenter" for the National Opera Association in 2011. As a singer, his participation in the USA and worldwide includes performances of the central roles in "Don Giovanni", "The Bat", "The RapeofLucretia", "The Merry Widow" and many others. His debut in Carnegie Hall was "Missa Solemnis" by Milos Bok. He runs a private studio, teaches at the Actor's Studio Drama School, at New York University, at the University of Colorado in Boulder and New School University.

Steven Gothold, PhD, conductor

Steven Gothold, PhD is a founder of Bel Canto Chorus and since 1981 he has been its conductor and music director. He graduated from Whinter College, where he was also a director of the program Choral Activities from 1977 to 2003. He got his Master’s degree from Occidental College. He defended his PhD degree at the University of South Carolina. He continued his studies at the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart, Germany. Overtheyears,StephenGotholdhas heldvariouspositions:President of the Association of American Choral Conductors for Southern California, Secretary of the Choral Conductors Guild. For more than 30 years he has hosted and has been a jury member of the Association of Singers in Southern California. He has conducted more than 100 musical and theatre professional and university productions. He is a composer and reader in one of the editions of the multimedia children's book "Tajar Tales" written by the famous writer Jane Ward. He is currently a professor at the University of South Carolina, the University "La Verne" and Claremont Graduate University, where he leads the Master's degree and PhD degree programs in conducting.

Varna International Varna International is a production company created in the heart of the USA by a Bulgarian and his wife. The Bulgarian Kalin Chonev, son of Prof. Marin Chonev, founder of the RepresentativeCivilChoir Morski Zvutsiand the International May Choir Competition Prof. Georgi Dimitrov in Varna. Today, Varna International is a leader in the music industry and in particular, in the organization of large-scale cantata oratorio, opera and other classical music events. Since its founding in 1999 the company has organized and produced dozens of musical events: festivals, competitions and music academies in the United States, Israel and many countries in Europe, including Bulgaria. Hundreds of concerts have been carried out with the participation of thousands of musicians from different continents and countries around the world - from North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. The success of Varna International has been covered by some of the most prestigious media in the world: Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, The Jewish Daily Forward, The Boston Inelligencer, Jerusalem Post, New Tang Dynasty Television, BNT and BNR and all the leading print media in Bulgaria. The biography of Varna International includes the organization and implementation of such masterpieces of world musical heritage as the requiems of Mozart, Verdi and Brahms, Cantata 150 by Bach, Mass in C Major by Beethoven, Te Deum by Bizet and many others.