"Morski Zvutsi”: (Sounds of the Sea), is the representative Varna city choir, which was founded by Professor Marin Chonev in 1956. It is one of the most eminent among Bulgarian choral societies and has been awarded distinguished prizes, eight of which were first prizes, at the International Choral competitions in Gorizia - Italy, Cork - Ireland, Varna - Bulgaria, Middlesbrough - England and Cantonigros - Spain. The choir had toured throughout Europe and the U.S.A. It had the privilege to perform at the National Convention of The American Choral Directors Association in San Diego, CA in 1997 and at a number of other cities in California. The choir also participated in an East-Coast tour in 2000.

The repertoire of “Morski Zvutsi” includes choral pieces from all generations of Bulgarian composers, East Orthodox music and works from the Renaissance up through the present day. Besides a cappella compositions, the choir has in its repertoire a number of major choral-symphonic works performed with orchestras and conductors from Bulgaria and abroad: “The Ninth Symphony”, “Mass in C-Major” and “Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra” by Beethoven; Requiem Masses by Cherubini, Brahms, Mozart and Verdi; “Stabat Mater” by Dvorak; “The Bells” by Rachmaninoff; “Gloria” by Vivaldi; “Magnificat” and “Cantata No. 150” by Bach; “Short Mass“ and the opera “Oedipus King” by Stravinsky and choral-symphonic works by the Bulgarian composers Konstantin Iliev, Alexander Raichev, Milko Kolarov and others.

The Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra, founded as a private institution in 1910, became State Orchestra on 28 April, 1949. The orchestra has been a leading cultural institution in the city of Vidin and the Vidin region. The Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra's range of activities covers a season of about 35 symphonic concerts and 9 educational concerts in Vidin and its region.

As one of the most sought after tour orchestras of Bulgaria, tours have led the orchestra to Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Suisse, Italy, Spain, Hungary and Serbia-Montenegro. Recently the orchestra performed a highly cheered concert at the Internationales Donaufest 2004 in Ulm/Germany.

The orchestra is often engaged for the orchestral accompaniment of piano-competitions and numerous master classes, such as "Wiener Meisterkurse fuer Junge Dirigenten" (since 1999) and on conducting master classes of Freiburger Dirigentenakademie (since 2002).

A number of foreign masters have been engaged by the Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra, including Igor Oistrakh, Emil Gilels, Salvador Mas Conde, Redondo Romero, Ovidiu Balan and many others whose names are well-known in the musical world, have had the pleasure to perform with the Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra.

For more information please visit: www.vidinphilharmonic.com