DOBRI VOINIKOV INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH CHORAL GALA DAYS SHUMEN, BULGARIA

·        The International Student Choral Gala Days are established in 1971 in Shumen. They are named after the notable Shumen enlightener and cultural figure Dobri Voynikov /1833-1878/. He is a public figure, a teacher – innovator, a scholar – historian, a literary man, a playwright, a producer, a musician, a bandmaster, a composer. Dobri Voynikov lays the foundations of the Bulgarian theatre. He sets  also up the first student orchestra. In 1858 he established the first student many-voiced choral singing in Bulgaria.

·        The main aim of the festival is to develop and popularize the choral art for children and young people and to provide an opportunity for a prestigious appearance of some of the best student choirs in the country.

·        “Dobri Voinikov” International Students Choir Festival is not a competition. Choirs with high artistic achievements take part in it. These students choir meetings are held at an interval of two years. Shumen’s distinguished conductor Prof. Veneta Vitcheva initiative established them. She is a conductor-founder of Shumen’s students choir “Bodra pessen” until 2011; a conductor of the mixed choir “Native sounds”. She was a leading professor in conducting in “Konstantin Preslavski” University.

·        International Students Choir Festival stimulates Bulgarian composer’s creativity. For the very first time here sound over 135 new songs. Over 180 choirs have participated; 2000 songs have been sung. In 2004 the festival became a member of the Balkan Choir Forum; it was a great honour having choirs from Russia, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Macedonia, Japan, Greece, Romania, Poland and others.

·        The International Student Choral Gala Days are a member of the Assotiation of Choral festivals that are held under the aegis of the Balkan ChoralForum.

.         Host of the Choral Gala Days is BODRA PESSEN Children`s Choir at the Municipal Children`s Complex in Shumen.