Bulgarian choral art has written a new golden page in its international history after the absolute triumph of the Sofia Boys’ Choir at the 45th anniversary edition of the International Festival of Orthodox Church Music “Hajnówka ’26”, which took place in the period 20-24 May 2026, in the city of Bialystok, Republic of Poland. The choir took part with its three concert formations – the Boys’, the Youth’s and the Mixed, and had the pleasure of participating in the competition program (on 23 May 2026) and in the Gala concert held after the award ceremony (on 24 May 2026), in the Philharmonic Concert Hall in Bialystok.
The prestigious ensemble at the National Community Center “Tsar Boris III – 1928”, under the authoritative conductorship of Alexander Mitev, was awarded First Place in the category for children and youth choirs and the highest institutional distinction – the Grand Prize of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. The prestigious success is awarded with an official protocol of the international jury at the end of the festival days, on May 24, 2026. The historical weight of this victory is determined by the extremely strict status and rank of the festival itself.
The Hajnówka Music Forum holds the most prestigious category for artistic quality, which places it alongside the most elite and uncompromising competitions on the European continent.
The Sofia Boys’ Choir presented five specially selected a cappella works from its repertoire. In the category “Children’s and Youth Choirs”, awards were given to several more ensembles – the Second Prize was won by the Children’s Choir of the Lithuanian Radio and Television at the Vilnius Cultural Center with conductor Regina Malekaite. The Third Prize was won by two ensembles – the Children’s Choir “Rainbow” from the city of Tallinn, Estonia (with conductors Natalia Kuzina and Jelena Orlova), and the Choir of the Youth Cultural Center in Bialystok, Poland (with conductor Barbara Kornacka).