The World Premiere of A Melancholy Beauty

Varna International with the support of Bulgarian-American Center Madara
present

2nd Songs of Life Festival

feature

„A Melancholy Beauty“ is a major choral-orchestral work with a performing force of 300 superb musicians and singers, consisting of children and adult choirs, Bulgarian female folk vocal ensemble, a full symphony orchestra, authentic Bulgarian folk instruments, soloists and narrators.
Commemorate the historic, however little-known rescue of 49,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust by ordinary citizens who rose up in civil disobedience.

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2011, 8:00 pm
The Kennedy Center, Concert hall; 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC

NEW YORK, June 26, 2011, 3:00 pm
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center; 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY
(at the corner of Columbus Avenue and 65th Street)

The oratorio was composed by the award-winning Bulgarian composer,
Georgi Andreev, who combines classical choral-orchestral music with traditional rhythms and folk styles that are rarely encountered today!
The original lyrics of this monumental work are by librettist Scott Cairns and contributing author Aryeh Finklestein.

The concert will be conducted by Maestro Henry H. Leck, founder and artistic director of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir.

The performing choirs include:
Philip Kutev – BULGARIA’S National Folklore Ensemble(www.philipkoutev.com)
National Philharmonic Chorale (www.nationalphilharmonic.org)
Indianapolis Children’s Choir, IN (www.icchoir.org)
Victor Valley College Singers and Master Arts Chorale, CA
KHORIKOS Choir, NY (www.khorikos.com)

These choirs will be accompanied in New York and
Washington by the renowned
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC(www.nationalphilharmonic.org)
as they perform the oratorio in celebration of a poignant historical moment.

I In Boston the choirs will be accompanied by the
Boston Modern Orchestra Project (www.bmop.org),
who leads the classical categories with three nominations for the 53rd annual Grammy Awards, 2010

TICKETS ON SELL NOW!
Price $25-$75, depending on the seating category and
the performance hall.

Purchasing tickets is simple and can be done in several ways:
+ in person at performance hall box offices (NO SERVICE CHARGE)
+ online or by phone (service charge vary depending on the ticket price)
+ at the door on the night of the show (no service charge)

BOSTON, MA
The Citi Performing Arts Center –  Wang Theatre
270 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116
Box office hours:  Tuesday – Saturday  12 Noon  to 6 PM
Purchase: Online >> By phone at 866.348.9738
Wang Theatre Seating Chart

NEW YORK,
The Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center ,
70 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY
Box office hours:  Monday–Saturday 10–6, Sunday Noon–6
Purchase: Online >> By phone at 212.721.6500
Avery Fisher Hall Seating Chart

WASHINGTON, DC ,
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall –
2700 F Street, NW  Washington, DC
Purchase: Online >> By phone at 202.467.4600
Concert Hall Seating Chart

***
The Festival will also premiere the motet, Whosoever Saves a Single Life, composed by internationally renowned cantor and composer, Charles David Osborne, for mixed choirs.
In addition to the world premiere of A Melancholy Beauty, the participating choirs will each feature an A Cappella program specially selected by the Festival conductors: Henry H. Leck, Jesse Peckham, Thomas Miller, and artistic director Georgi Andreev.

Founders, Kalin and Sharon Tchonev, launched Songs of Life, first, as a tribute to the Bulgarian people, which rescued the entire Jewish population from the Nazis. Sharon’s maternal grandparents were among the survivors.
Inspired by the heroic acts of the Bulgarian people who risked their lives for their fellow citizens, Kalin and Sharon founded Songs of Life, secondly, to champion the principles of tolerance in the midst of diversity and bravery in the face of prejudice.

For more information visit our website www.songsoflife.org or call:
Center Madara (617) 800-9720 or Songs of life (803) 545-4167