Varna Opera House – Bulgaria

The Drama Theatre’s aesthetically pleasing structure was constructed in the early decades of the 20th century. Ivan Tserov, the mayor of Varna at the time, conceived of this location. The commencement of construction occurred on March 26, 1912.

The architectural conception of the edifice is credited to Nicola Lazarov. However, construction was temporarily suspended due to the Balkan Wars (1912–1913), the First World conflict (1914–18), and the economic crisis that followed the conflict.

It recommenced in 1929, with the completion of the edifice by the renowned architects Dabko Dabkov and Jelyazko Bogdanov. They successfully developed an exemplary instance of the

Art Nouveau incorporating components of the Neo-baroque aesthetic. The theater was inaugurated in July 1932 and was initially directed by Stoyan Batschvarov, in whose honor it was named.

Officially inaugurated on August 1, 1947, the Varna Public Opera House, which was its original name at the time of its registration on April 6, 1947. Prominent Bulgarian vocalist Peter Raichev was invited to serve as the inaugural Art Director, while Stefan Nikolaev was designated as the inaugural Director.

As a seasoned artist who possessed a solid grasp of the processes of staging and directing, Peter Raichev assembled a soloist ensemble of fifteen youthful, gifted, and ardent vocalists. Additionally, under the guidance of the youthful conductor Ruslan Raichev, the choir-master Dimiter Mladenov, and the choreographer Assen Manolov, an orchestra, a choir, and a ballet group were established. In a little over a month, the cast, which included stage designers Vladimir Misin and Asen Popov, prepared the inaugural stage production, an opera titled “The Bartered Bride” by B. Smetana.

• Dabko Dabkov