Daniela Dimova: Theatre is magic that makes life colourful and exciting

Daniela Dimova graduated in opera singing at the National Academy of Music "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov" in the prestigious class of one of the most sophisticated Bulgarian interpreters - Prof. Resa Koleva. She specialized in Rome and Milan. In 1990, Dimova made her début on stage in Ruse and from 1991 to 2009 she was a soloist of the Varna Opera. Since the end of 2009, she has been the director of the Opera and Philharmonic Society in Varna and a year later she won the competition for managing director of the new organizational structure called Theatre and Music Production Center - Varna, which unites the Varna Opera and the Stoyan Bachvarov Dramatic Theatre. She is a winner of a series of prestigious awards, including "Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters” of France and the Golden Eagle Award of Italy for cultural contribution and partnership with leading Italian opera theatres and artists.

In early March 2026, the chairman of the Alliance Française de Varna, Lyubomir Kaludov, presented Daniela Dimova with the award of the Alliance for 2025.

World Theatre Day is the occasion for the first question of Radio Bulgaria to Daniela Dimova - what is theatre for her?

"The theatre is the magic, without which our life would not be so full, colourful and exciting! Fortunately for me, I have the opportunity (years ago as an artist and in recent seasons as a director) to communicate with the different faces of the theatre. We have an exceptional theatre troupe, with much recognition on various stages in Bulgaria, as well as at some festivals abroad. Dance theatre, in the face of our multinational ballet troupe, reaps applause in many places around the world, as well as in Varna and in Bulgaria! And of course, the most complex of all arts – opera, symphony concerts and the magic that musical theatre gives us!"

The city's 25th Easter Music Festival is currently in full swing. This year, it opened with a magnificent concert conducted by permanent guest conductor Pavel Balev.

On April 21, opera fans are invited to an important event - the first visit to the city of the great Plácido Domingo, who will sing on the same stage with the soloists of the Varna Opera with the orchestra of the opera under the baton of Nayden Todorov.

The cultural and musical life in Varna is vibrant all year round, especially in the summer – with the traditional festival "Varna Summer". Daniela Dimova is also at the heart of another summer international festival – "Opera at the Summer Theatre."

Varna is one of the largest tourist centers in the country. What is the role of the Theatre and Music Production Center in the development of cultural tourism in the city?

"We created Opera at the Summer Theatre 17 years ago, during which the festival gained popularity and became a brand of the opera and our city," Dimova says. The forum begins in mid-June and ends in late August and usually offers about 20 events. The program for 2026 was announced in early December 2025, which gives many tour operators and hotel managers in Varna and nearby resorts the opportunity to present the program to their clients.

"The fact that of all those who visited the Summer Theatre, no less than 15-20 percent are foreigners, sometimes up to 30%, gives us reason to think that we are on the right track, that this is the way to develop this festival and make us known beyond the borders of Bulgaria," Daniela Dimova says. Over 70 percent of the performances and concerts are completely sold out.

Among the highlights of "Opera at the Summer Theatre" Daniela Dimova points out a gala concert with the participation of Ermonela Jaho - the Albanian, who has conquered the world's largest opera houses for the past three decades. Another superstar of contemporary opera - Jessica Pratt, who recently triumphed in Sofia, will perform the title role in "Norma" by Bellini.

At the beginning of the conversation, Daniela Dimova shared what theatre means to her. At the end, we ask – what does Varna mean to her?

"Varna is my hometown. I am a third-generation Varna citizen. I grew up with the sound of the sea, the cries of the seagulls and the early breeze... Varna is my heart!"