Sofia Philharmonic presents "Joan of Arc at the Stake" for the first time

On 29 January 2026, at Sofia’s Bulgaria Hall, the Sofia Philharmonic will present for the first time in its history one of the most striking vocal-instrumental works of the 20th century - the oratorio Joan of Arc at the Stake (Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher) by Arthur Honegger, with a text by Paul Claudel.

Created in 1935 and described by its authors as a “lyrical mystery,” Joan of Arc is today regarded as a masterpiece of musical modernism. Its premiere in Basel in 1938 was triumphant, with critics praising the “perfect harmony between text and music” and hailing a new type of “mysterious stage action” on the borderline between oratorio and dramatic theatre.

The Bulgarian history of the work begins in 1984, when it was performed at Bulgaria Hall as part of the International Festival Sofia Musical Weeks by the Plovdiv Choral Society, the Plovdiv Philharmonic, and its chief conductor Dobrin Petkov. This remains the first and only performance of the piece in Bulgaria to date, remembered by audiences for the extraordinary scope and emotional power of the interpretation.

More than 40 years later, soloists, the National Philharmonic Choir, the Children’s Philharmonic Choir, and the Sofia Philharmonic are bringing the legend of Joan of Arc at the Stake back to life on the Bulgarian stage.

On the podium will be the Bulgarian conductor Vladimir Kiradjiev, who has enjoyed an impressive European career and has lived and worked in Vienna since 1989. He has appeared with renowned orchestras in Scotland, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Colombia, China, Japan, and Korea. Kiradjiev teaches opera conducting and score reading at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

The role of Joan will be performed by actress Evelin Kostova, while the vocal parts of Margaret and the Virgin Mary will be sung by soprano Mila Mihova. Also participating are Petya Petrova (mezzo-soprano), Ivaylo Mihaylov (tenor), Georgi Beykov (bass), as well as the narrators Plamen Beykov, Daniel Angelov, and Petar Kalchev.

Edited by Tsvetana Toncheva
English: R. Petkova