Sofia Opera and Ballet sends off 2024 with gala concerts

The Sofia Opera will send off 2024 with three consecutive evenings of New Year's gala concerts. As per tradition, the programme remains a closely guarded secret until the last moment, but it always includes beloved operatic and ballet fragments performed by the troupe of the National Opera and Ballet.

For more than 20 years, these New Year's concerts have been a cherished tradition. Initially, there was only one concert on December 31, but due to growing public interest, the number of performances gradually increased. This year, there will be three concerts on December 29, 30, and 31. While the programme is kept as a surprise, in recent years, the concert typically opens with a festive overture. During this time, the audience views a retrospective of the passing year for the Sofia Opera.

What kind of a year is the Sofia Opera sending and what kind of a new year awaits it?

Plamen Kartalov - Director of the National Opera and Ballet:

"Immediately after this emotional reflection on the past 365 days, the concert creates a bridge to the upcoming year. The first performance after the overture is traditionally from the most significant premiere the theater is preparing for the next year. This time, it is a chorus from the opera 'Tannhäuser,' marking our Wagnerian premiere for 2025."