American Music Festivals

A Concert by the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra

Saturday, August 10 7PM
St. Sophia Bulgarian Orthodox Church
404 W. Oakton St., Des Plaines

To Thee We Sing - Dobri Hristov
Novo Cetvorno - Traditional
Hubavka Milka - Traditional
Summa for String Orchestra - Arvo Part
Summer from the Four Seasons - Antonio Vivaldi
Sevdanah - Georgi Zlatev Cherkin
Waltz - Pancho Vladigerov
Hymn of St. Cyril and St. Methodius - Tchaikovsky/Pipkov

with violin soloist Violetta Todorova

Tickets $25

Available through Paypal

or at the Church Office, call 847-827-3201

AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVALS AND BULGARIA

For almost 20 years, American Music Festivals had been exploring Bulgarian culture and making lasting friendships.  This began in 2001 when Philip Simmons guest conducted the Razgrad Philharmonic in a program which featured pianist Christo Rachev, a prize winner of the Dimitar Nenov International Piano Competition. 

Mr. Simmons returned to Razgrad as an adjudicator at the 2008 Nenov Competition.  First prize went to Bulgarian pianist Victoria Vassilenko.  In 2009 Philip conducted the Varna Chamber Orchestra as part of the Arts Forum Festival in the Municipal Hall, organized by Mr. Rachev.  In 2010, AMF brought Ms. Vassilenko to Chicago to perform at Northeastern Illinois University as soloist with the LCO.  This program, in honor of St. Cyril and Methodius Day, was attended by the Bulgarian Consulate in Chicago and co-presented by the Bulgarian American Heritage Center.

A concert in Chicago of Bulgarian and American music was given in 2012 by the LCO at the Skokie Theatre.  A number of prominent Bulgarian-American musicians performed. American Music Festivals is currently pursuing several exciting new opportunities to co-present programs featuring American music in Bulgaria.