Representative choir “Golden Lyre” at the Municipality of Targovishte was created in 1973 by conductor Borislav Hadzhiyski. The choir’s creative biography includes many participations in festivals, competitions and rich concert activity in our country and abroad – Italy, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, Albania. It is a laureate of the IV, V and VI festivals of amateur art. It is the winner of a gold medal from the MHC “Europe and its songs” – Barcelona /Spain/, bronze medals from the MHC in Preveza /Greece/, Camerino /Italy/, Antalya /Turkey/ and numerous diplomas and awards. The repertoire of the ensemble includes compositions from the Renaissance to the present day and Orthodox music. Composers Stefan Mutafchiev, Nikolay Stoykov, Petar Lyondev, Andrey Drenikov, Tsenko Minkin have written especially for the choir. The Golden Lyre Choir is the winner of the SBMTD awards – “Golden Lyre” – for its 25 years of activity and “Crystal Necklace” in 2023 for its 50th anniversary. The choir is at the heart of the creation of the Holidays and hosts the forum together with the Municipality of Targovishte.
The choir conductor is Iliana Ivanova. She has been singing in the choir since the age of 15, and after completing her higher education she is a choirmaster and assistant to Maestro Hadzhiyski, and since 1998 – a conductor. She studies conducting with Prof. Zlatina Deliradeva and Prof.Marin Chonev. 
She specializes in choral conducting with Prof. Larry Wild /USA/. Winner of the Culture Award of the Municipality of Targovishte – 2007; Education Award of the Municipality of Targovishte for 2018; “Golden Lyre of the Bulgarian Chamber Music and Dramatic Arts Association – 2023” Award. In 2023, she published the book “Daughters of Orpheus”, dedicated to the “Golden Lyre” choir, in connection with the choir’s 50th anniversary. Iliana Ivanova has been the artistic secretary of the Holidays since 2000.