Raina Kabaivanska: Opera is my world

The master class provides an opportunity for young opera singers to get a first-‎hand experience of the mastery of Raina Kabaivanska and improve their vocal ‎technique and acting interpretation with her. The participants are selected on a ‎competitive basis, as the best of them become part of the final Gala Concert of ‎the laureates and are included in performances at the Sofia Opera and Ballet. ‎Those who have shown particularly high achievements during the class are ‎awarded scholarships from the Raina Kabaivanska fund at NBU for continuing ‎their studies in Italy. ‎

This year, young people from 19 countries have signed up, Raina Kabaivanska ‎told the Bulgarian National Radio:

‎"There are many good voices on earth. And these young singers are very well ‎informed. Today, information is something genius, because on your phone or ‎on TV you can see the whole world, you know who is doing what in the ‎north, south and west. That's how my master class in Sofia really became ‎global. I have always had many candidates, but my rule is not to give illusions. ‎It is a career that is becoming more and more difficult. Because today the ‎theater is not what it was 50 or 100 years ago. Theater is really something very ‎special, which gives you emotion, which gives you illusion, which gives you ‎strength to live. When I enter the theater, I feel better. There is my world. The ‎world outside the theater is not as mine as the one inside the theater. And there ‎are many young ‎people who want to live with this illusion. Because opera is ‎also an illusion - an illusion of emotions, of strong feelings that still excite ‎humanity today."‎

Three weeks, as long as each master class lasts, are not enough to make a ‎singer, Raina Kabaivanska admits. This happens after at least two years of hard ‎work, but good schools are already quite hard to find. ‎

‎"It seems like I am the only one left alive from the old Italian singing school," ‎she continues. “So these children that I choose, these are children who have ‎talent, who will have a future. With my great experience, ‎because I am 88 years ‎old and I have been in this business for more than 70 years ‎‎(laughs), I can ‎already tell who will have a future and who will not. Talent alone is not ‎enough. First of all, it takes a lot of work. And then intelligence. Today you ‎have to do on stage what the audience expects from you. So many, many ‎qualities are required of the singer.” ‎

And what does contact with young people give the diva? Raina Kabaivanska ‎says that she is excited by every achievement of her students, by every success ‎or performance. ‎

‎"I have had the joy and chance to work with the greatest musicians of my time. ‎I have worked with Maestro Karajan, at the Metropolitan, at La Scala, in ‎Paris... So, I carry all this very valuable heritage with me. And I want to ‎transfer it to young people. Because I love young people. They give me life, ‎and when they make a successful career, for me it is the greatest happiness. ‎And to tell you the truth, I have my people almost everywhere. Not all of them ‎perform big roles, but that doesn't matter. Big role or small role, it doesn't ‎matter! The important thing is that you are on stage, that you sing and express ‎what you are, your intimate essence. This is the greatest happiness.”‎

The master class will run until 7 October and will be closed with a Gala Concert on 8 October.

Photos: Raina Kabaivanska School

Compiled by Krasimir Martinov (based on an interview of Daniela Goleminova from BNR's Horizon channel)