Varna welcomes choirs from Hong Kong, Philippines, Romania and Sofia for the 44th edition of the International Choir Competition “Professor Georgi Dimitrov” – 2026, which officially starts on 10.09.2026 in Hall 1 of the FCC – Varna, at 19.00.
The following choirs will participate in the competition program: Good Hope School Choir / Hong Kong – Kowloon, Kammerchor Manila / Philippines – Manila, Angeli Choir / Romania – Iasi, Euterpe / Romania – Ploiesti and Youth Chamber Choir “Ohana” / Sofia – Bulgaria.
The international jury is traditionally composed of world-renowned specialists in the field. In 2026, the choirs will be evaluated by: Slavil Dimitrov – Bulgaria, Milena Dobreva – Bulgaria, Leon Tong – China, Naomi Faran – Israel and Bernie Sherlock – Ireland.
The International Choir Competition in Varna is organized by the Municipality of Varna with the exclusive assistance of the Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian Choral Union, the Union of Music and Dance Artists and the Union of Bulgarian Composers.
The competition will take place over 3 days, during which choirs from all over the world will compete in four categories – Mixed Choirs, Single Choirs, Chamber Choirs and Children’s Choirs. The best participants in each category will compete for the Varna Grand Prix.
We are happy that two of our members are on the professional jury.
Slavil Dimitrov was born in 1972. He started playing the piano at an early age and sang in the “Bodra Pesen” choir in Shumen. As a teenager, he began studying composition with Alexander Raichev and Prof. Georgi Uspensky in Odessa. He graduated from the National Academy of Music in Sofia with degrees in “Choral Conducting” and “Opera-Symphonic Conducting”. While still a student, he worked with the Sofia Boys’ Choir and the A. Manolov Academic Choir. Before graduating, he began working at the State Philharmonic in Shumen. There, in 2006, he founded the Simeonis Choir. From 2007 to 2009, he was the choirmaster of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, and then became the chief conductor of the State Opera in Ruse, where he directed the Danube Sounds Choir. In 2012, he took over the position of choirmaster of the Izmir Opera (Turkey), and in 2013, he became the conductor of the orchestra. There, he introduced the first specialty in Turkey, “Choral Conducting”. From 2015 to 2022, he was the conductor of the National Philharmonic Choir at the Sofia Philharmonic, where he founded the Children’s Philharmonic Choir. He is the conductor of the symphonic and choral ensembles at the National Music School “Lyubomir Pipkov”.
He is the author of instrumental, choral and opera music, as well as cantatas and oratorios. He is the General Director of the “Children’s Choir of Bulgaria”. He is a member of the Union of Bulgarian Composers. From 2018 to 2021. he is the Chairman of the Bulgarian Choral Union.
Milena Dobreva was born in 1962. in the city of Burgas. Graduated from the Secondary Music School – Burgas, AMTII – Plovdiv, qualification Pop and Jazz Singing – NMA “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” and Music Media Technologies and Sound Engineering at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
Teacher of pop and jazz singing and piano at Sofia University “Dimcho Debelyanov” until 2021. and pop and jazz singing and vocal ensembles at the National University of Music and Dramatic Arts “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” – Burgas (from 2011 to 2017). Since 2018, he has also been the conductor of the mixed choir “Rodna pesen” at the Municipality of Burgas. Since 2021, he has been a teacher of pop and jazz singing at the Central Choral Center – Burgas.
Creator, leader and conductor of the Vocal Formation “Sea Sands” and the Vocal Ensemble “Fortissimo” – multiple Grand Prix winners of international choir competitions and championships.
Records and releases 5 solo albums of the vocal formation, as well as two of the Vocal Ensemble “Fortissimo”. He performs sound recording, processing and mastering of numerous albums of folklore, choral and pop groups, gospel formations, as well as individual, diverse in genre performers.
Composer and arranger of popular and children’s songs – awarded at the National Competition “Burgas and the Sea” and the National Children’s Song Competition “Sladkopoina lachuliga”.
Winner of the First Prize at the “Teacher of the Year” Competition of the Republic of Bulgaria – 2008 and the prestigious award “Burg of the Year – 2018”, as well as the award for conducting mastery “Prof. Veneta Vicheva” at the XXV Choir Festival “Dobri Voynikov” – Shumen 2019, award for best conductor at the choir competition “Voices of Peace”, Perugia, Italy 2023, Music Pedagogue of the Year 2023 of the Bulgarian National Radio.
She graduated from the Master Class for Choral Conductors with Maestro Frieder Bernius – 2019.
Member of the Board of the Bulgarian Choral Society since 2021
Honored in 2022 with the title of “Honorary Citizen” of the city of Burgas. Winner of the “Crystal Lyre” Award 2024, awarded by the Bulgarian Chamber Music and Dance Association and “Cantus Firmus” AD for excellence in the field of Bulgarian music and dance art and the Golden Feather 2024.
The other members of the international jury are:
Prof. Leon Shiu-wai Tong
President of the World Association of Choral Performers (Children and Youth), Artistic Director of the World Festival of Children and Youth Choirs – Hong Kong, Artistic Director of the World Choir Festival, First Vice-President of the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM);
Naomi Faran – Conductor and Music Director
Ms. Faran is the founder of the Moran Choirs and has been their conductor since 1986. She is a graduate of the Buchman-Metta School of Music at Tel Aviv University. Ms. Faran leads advanced conducting master classes and acts as a mentor and director in the field of choral conducting. She has been invited to serve on the jury of prestigious competitions and is the winner of the Outstanding Conductor Award at the first International Choral Competition in Israel. ;
Bernie Sherlock is a leading Irish choral conductor. She is the founder and conductor of the internationally acclaimed chamber choir New Dublin Voices, former Artistic Director of the Irish Youth Choirs (2020–2025) and former Co-Director of EuroChoir (2021). She develops and teaches in the MA program in Choral Conducting at the TU Dublin Conservatoire
More information, as well as the competition program, can be found here.