The Bulgarian Consulate General in Los Angeles Presents a Special Chamber Music Concert

The Consul General of Bulgaria in Los Angeles, Mr. Boyko Hristov, and his spouse, Mrs. Sylvia Hristova, in collaboration with internationally renowned musicians, will host an evening of chamber music featuring a string quartet, piano, and flute, showcasing Classical Bulgarian Music in honor of Bulgaria's National Day.

Similar to the artistic explorations of their 19th-century European colleagues Dvořák, Smetana, and Grieg in establishing a distinctive “national” musical style, Bulgarian composers from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries have created unique musical expressions, drawing upon folklore traditions and contemporary Western composition techniques.

This concert highlights the works of world-renowned Bulgarian composers, including Pancho Vladigerov and his iconic Bulgarian Rhapsody Vardar, Lyubomir Pipkov, Marin Goleminov, Petko Staynov, and contemporary artists Milen Kirov and Penka Kouneva. Although these composers belong to different generations, they share a deep well of inspiration from the melodies, tonalities, asymmetrical rhythms, and instruments of Bulgarian folk music.

This unique performance also features string quartet and flute arrangements of songs from the Grammy-winning album The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices and will be performed by internationally acclaimed virtuoso musicians.

The event is being co-sponsored by Bulgaria-born actress and entertainer Irina Maleeva storied international career started at age 15, when she was discovered by the great Federico Fellini. She performed in three of his movies, Satyricon, Spirits of the Dead/Toby Dammit and Roma, and went on to star opposite Orson Welles in his iconic version of The Merchant of Venice.  She had over 30 leading roles in European and American movies, starring opposite James Mason, Valentina Cortese, Terence Stamp, Anthony Franciosa and Charles Grodin, and was honored at the Toronto International Film Festival for her portrayal of the ‘Demented Contessa' in Union City, co-starring opposite Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar.

In addition to her film achievements, she was the lead in the Italian-French TV co-production Poly in Venice and The Girl without Identity. In the U.S. she guest-starred in Days of our Lives, The Gilmore Girls, Pensacola, Just Shoot Me, Six Feet Under, Angel and Threshold, and had the recurring role in the TV series Cracking Up and The Bold and the Beautiful. She also guest-starred in American Body Shop, the hit TV series Heroes, For All mankind, Paul T. Goldman and, recently she produced and stared in “Sunny's Closet” a pilot which will become a TV Series.

Irina's singing career led to one-woman musical comedy shows which traveled from New York to Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Her hits include Passion, Pain and Occasional Vodka Tonic, Irina Abroad and she starred also in the musical “Gypsy in My Soul”. She was immortalized in artist Hundertwasser's most famous mixed-media piece, Irinaland Over the Balkans, which is in the collection of the KunstHausWien, Vienna, Austria.

Besides acting and singing, Irina also dedicates her life preserving the lives of wild animals through “Sheldrick Wildlife” in Nairobi, Dogs and Cats around the world through “ASPCA” and organizations that support the homeless.

To post a comment, you must register and login.