The famous audio-visual spectacle Sound and Light at the Tsarevets Fortress in Veliko Tarnovo will be presented for the first time with live music. The event marks the 40th anniversary of its first broadcast in 1985. This extraordinary celebration will take place as a gala concert on 5 September at 8:30 p.m. on Tsar Asen I Square in the old capital. The announcement was made by Nelina Tsarova, Director of the “Culture” Department of the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo.

The grand spectacle will feature the choir and orchestra of the Ruse State Opera, with the special participation of the legendary kaval player Teodosii Spassov. Facing the fortress, the musicians will perform the iconic music from the audio-visual show, and the event will most likely be free for residents and guests of the city. Proper arrangements for public access are currently being considered.

The concert will highlight the history of Veliko Tarnovo. Conducted by Vladimir Boshnakov, it will include excerpts from Tsar Kaloyan, Maria Desislava, and the opera Ivaylo. The finale will be the music from Sound and Light itself, accompanying the visual spectacle. The original scores have been located, and specialists have been engaged to prepare the orchestral parts.

Teodosii Spassov will perform nearly all solo passages in the music.

The concert will be part of the opera festival Stage of the Ages, which this year also celebrates 40 years since its first open-air performances and 10 years since its transformation into a large-scale seasonal cultural event.