From rock to Strauss, upcoming performances in Bulgaria September to December 2013
Whatever else may happen in Bulgaria in the last four months of 2013, there is at least the consolation of concerts, ranging from local rock stars through to veteran stars from the Alan Parsons Live Project to Belinda Carlisle, Tom Jones and Uriah Heep and on to the festive season appearances by Ennio Morricone – at the baton – and also the Vienna Strauss Orchestra.
The Sense of Rock festival on September 13, 14 and 15 brings together a range of Bulgarian rock and metal groups at the National Hippodrome in Bankya, just outside Sofia.
Twenty-six groups are scheduled to play, including Vasko the Patch and the Poduyane Blues Band, Diana Express, Wartime, Crashbrake and the Barabi Blues Band. Tickets are available through ticketpro.com.
A campsite area is being provided which, according to organisers, has space for 5000 tents and to which access is free. For those who cannot bear ever being offline, the whole area will have wi-fi coverage, organisers say. Tickets to Sense of Rock are being sold through ticketpro.com.
Alegria – Cirque du Soleil has five performances at Sofia’s Arena Armeec from September 20 to 22.
In the words of promoters, “the spectacle is performed by an international team of artists, including 55 acrobats and 15 musicians from 15 different countries. The show is presented in a baroque, operatic style, full of lavish costumes, live music, and an elaborate decor, all complementing the unique athletic and artistic display on stage”.
Tickets cost 40 to 110 leva and can be bought at the TicketPro box office at the National Palace of Culture, NDK, and at all Ticketpro outlets in the country, at the Arena Armeec box office and online at ticketpro.bg.
The Alan Parsons Live Project is scheduled to perform at NDK’s Hall 1 on September 28 at 8pm. The Alan Parsons Live Project is a post-1993 successor to the original Parsons/Eric Woolfson collaboration, the progressive rock that was part of the soundtrack of the 1970s and early 1980s. Tickets through eventim.bg.
Joe Lynn Turner is at Joy Station, 3 Stefan Mladenov Street, Studenstki Grad on October 3 at 9pm. Best known for his work with hard rock band Rainbow, his career also includes a stint with Deep Purple.
Berlinda Carlisle makes her first appearance in Bulgaria on October 14 at Hall 1 of NDK. Perhaps best known for the hits, Heaven is a Place on Earth, La Luna and Circles in the Sand, Carlisle also will be performing newer tracks, backed up by a full live band. Tickets are available at Office 1 Superstore, Technomarket, Piccadilly shops, Germanos, OMV fuel stations, the NDK ticket office and online at eventim.bg.
On October 16, US group Pink Martini will be at NDK at 8pm, just three weeks after the global premiere of their new album Get Happy. The group draws inspiration and reflects musical influences from classical to jazz and pop to offer up a fresh sound that charms a wide range of audiences. Tickets from NDK’s box office and via eventim.bg.
According to the NDK website, legendary vocalist and veteran star Tom Jones will be performing at Hall 1 on October 30, although this concert is not mentioned on his official website, which lists performances only up to his Bucharest date a few weeks before that.
December 5 sees Uriah Heep at Joy Station at 9pm. The current line-up, Mick Box, Trevor Bolder, Bernie Shaw, Phil Lanzon and Russel Gilbrook will be performing tracks from the rock band’s long career.
December 10 marks a milestone, with maestro Ennio Morricone in Sofia to conduct Classic FM’s orchestra and choir in performing several of Morricone’s best-known compositions. About 185 Bulgarian musicians, as well as a band from Italy, will take part in the performance, which is being organised by Event Zone. Morricone has composed scores for more than 20 award-winning films, in addition to several symphonic and choral arrangements, some of which will be performed in Sofia.
Tickets for the concert, taking place in Sofia’s Arena Armeec hall at 8pm, can be obtained online at https://www.tixgate.com/en/event/ennio-morricone-concert/222/ and at all Easypay cashpoints.
The Vienna Strauss Orchestra is at NDK Hall 1 on December 14 at 8pm. Its performance is part of NDK’s New Year Music Festival. The orchestra, of 20 virtuosos, has made numerous tours to various parts of the world, with its brand of authentic Viennese music and styles. Tickets are available from the NDK box office, Piccadilly, Germanos, Office 1 Superstore, OMV fuel stations and online at eventim.bg.
