The “Bodra pessen” Children’s Choir of the Municipal children’s complex in Shumen, Bulgaria was founded on 05.12.1963. Its founder and chief artistic manager and conductor for 48 years was Prof. Veneta Vicheva. Since 2011 the art director and conductor of the choir has been Denica Uzunova, a follower of Professor Veneta Vicheva. Evridika Valcheva is the piano accompanist, Jordanka Ilieava is a choir-master.
“Bodra pesen” choir won the first prizes at the following international choir competitions:
“Bella Bartok” – Debrecen, Hungary; “Guido d`Arezo” in Arezzo, Italy; “Prof. Georgi Dimitrov “- Varna, Bulgaria; The highest prize “Summa cum laude” in the Extra category at the XXXII ICC in Neerpelt, Belgium; First Prize “Cum Laude” in the ICC – Antalya, Turkey; Grand Prix Winner XI Moscow International Children’s and Youth Choir Festival “Moscow Sonds” ; First prize winner in the category “Equal choirs” and GRAND PRIX Winner in the IV International Choir Festival “Blacksea sounds” in Balchik, Bulgaria; the GRAND-PRIX of the Ohrid Choir Festival, Macedonia, the First Prize in the category “Children`s choir”, the Special prize for Best performance of sacred music and the special prize for the Best interpretation of a choral work of Zapro Zaprov.
In 2015 Choir “Bodra pessen” received the title “European culture ambassador”.
In 2016 had been awarded with the Award of the Bulgarian National Radio “Musician of the Year” for 2015
There were four LP records; studio and documentary recordings in Radio Berlin, Radio Leipzig, Budapest, Brussels, Hamburg, and Sofia; at the national Polish television; and also many audio and video recordings, and a 4 CD.
Denitsa Uzunova is a student of prof. Veneta Vicheva. Since 1995 she has been working at the Municipal Children’s Complex, Shumen as a second conductor of “Bodra Pessen” choir. Since 2011 Denitsa Uzunova has been an artistic director and conductor of the choir and artistic secretary of the International Children and Youth Choral Festival “Dobri Voinikov” – Shumen
She attends the conductors workshops of Professor Boris Tevlin (Russia), prof. Helen Gee (France), Dr. Larry Wyatt (USA), prof. Marin Chonev and Krikor Chetinyan (Bulgaria).
She is the winner of three first prizes from the National Theoretical Competitions of the Ministry of Education and the title “Teacher of the Year 2016”. She won the Shumen Award twice.
Since 2015 D. Uzunova is a member of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Choir Union.
Denitsa Uzunova is the author of articles on topics related to choral art.