Taking stock: conductors, accompanists, chairs and awards (1956–2006)

The book ends with an appendix – a “stocktaking” of the people who worked with the choir from its founding in 1956 to 2006. The conductors were Prof. Marin Chonev (from 26 April 1956, still working), Dimitar Demirov (1966–1971), Yanka Mitseva (1976–1977) and Rositsa Shtereva (from 1978, still working); the voice teacher was Mimi Dimova (1958–1992) and the sight-singing teacher Yordanka Shishkova (1967–1976).

The pianists and accompanists were Alis Sirakyan (with the choir 1956–1959, with the vocal studio 1959–1963), Petar Vitanov (with the choir 1959–1985), Elisaveta Kaludzhinova (with the vocal studio 1963–1971), Aneliya Lilova (1971–1974), Nedyalka Stradalska (1974–1981), Yordanka Mancheva (1 January – 15 July 1986) and Anna Varbanova (1986–1991).

The choir had seven honorary chairs: Hristo Hristov (from 25 December 1956), Lyuba Lipova (from 5 February 1959), Nino Ninov (from 27 December 1962), Rayko Kolemanov (from 31 March 1977), Ivanka Hristova (from 25 October 1979), Boyka Vasileva (from 27 June 1986) and Yanko Korenchev (from 8 June 1989 to 1 October 1990); no honorary chair was elected after that. The author also pays tribute to the stewards who carried most of the practical work – Stiliyan Stefanov, Donka Petrova, Petar Petrov, Bogomil Korbakov and Dora Yaneva.

The list of “Honours and awards” has 23 entries. They include the laureate titles and medals from the national festivals – silver (Sofia, 1959) and gold (Sofia, 1964; Ruse, 1969 – four; Varna, 1974; Plovdiv, 1979; the Sixth Festival, 1983) – the Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius, 1st class (1963), and the Order of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. From international competitions: fourth place in Wilton, England (1966), two first prizes – for polyphony and for folk song – in Gorizia, Italy (1972), first place at the Eighth International Choral Competition “Varna ’75”, three first places – for the mixed, women’s and men’s choirs – in Cork, Ireland (1976), and two first places and one second in Cantonigròs, Spain (1985). Also listed are a first prize in the nationwide singing contest for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution (1967), two Varna Prizes (the first in 1976), the special award of the Committee for Culture and Art (1979), a medal for services to the Bulgarian People’s Army (1979), the awards of the Union of Musicians and of the ЦХС (1980), the “1300 Years of the Bulgarian State” plaque (1981), a medal from Varna Summer ’86, and the “Crystal Lyre 2001” of the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers for Prof. Chonev and the choir.