Sofia and Bulgaria are renowned throughout the world for one of their greatest sources of pride – the stars of the international opera scene who have emerged from the Sofia National Opera. As well as its exceptional talent, the opera house is also notable for its building. Originally, the building was not constructed as an opera house, but as a conference centre for the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union (BZNS), which is why there is a giant monument to Alexander Stamboliyski in front of the main entrance. Foreign tourists are likely to assume that this is a monument to our most prominent composer, without realising that he was the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, who made an enormous contribution to the development of Bulgarian agriculture. 

But the truth is that our Opera is a significant institution where many Bulgarian artists from as many as three generations have launched their internationally acclaimed careers, going on to perform at venues such as La Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and many others. Bulgaria’s opera voices today are one of our cultural calling cards around the world, thanks to the mark left on the global opera scene by artists such as Gena Dimitrova, Raina Kabaivanska, Nikolay Gyaurov, Boris Christoff, and the next generation of great artists, such as Darina Takova, Alexandrina Pendachanska, Krasimira Stoyanova, Mariana Pencheva, Vladimir Stoyanov and Orlin Anastasov, who remain valuable cultural ambassadors for Bulgaria to this day. 

Today, at the Sofia Opera, you can enjoy a wide variety of performances across different genres – with a focus on young audiences and musical theatre enthusiasts, fewer classical productions, and a strong emphasis on Wagner. We asked Darina Takova herself what she recommends we see, and she replied unequivocally – the ballet “Anna Karenina”, whilst not failing to advise us to base our choice first and foremost on the musical score and only then on the visual aspect of the performances.