Култура

From 3 to 6 April our city became the capital of the First Balkan Classical Guitar Festival. The competition and festival days have passed, the awards have been given away. The time has come for assessments and opinions: Snezhana Veleva, Deputy Mayor: This festival should have it. Velingrad took a very important step on the path of its cultural life, in which there must be something that is specific and we found the formula: Balkan Festival-Competition. The fact that the festival is Balkan obliges even more. We've made a good start, an experience that we'll turn into a tradition.
Hikmet Kapsuzov, Culture Department: I am happy that we have put this festival into practice. It featured 24 guitarists in the competition, 16 in the festival and 15 guests. We managed to bring here guitarists from 6 countries: Greece, Cyprus, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Germany. The representatives of Romania and Albania were virtually absent, but we hope to provide representatives of these countries at the Second Balkan Festival. I say Second because I believe we have laid good foundations for a new tradition.
Eva Pampas, Greece - winner of the statuette of the Municipality of Velingrad: The first Balkan Classical Guitar Festival "Velingrad 2002" was very nice and beautiful as your city and audience. I'm sorry that the time I had was so short. You are warm people, and what I saw I liked very much. Next year I'll give myself more time to meet more people, to love you more. I believe that the festival will become a tradition and next year the participants will be even more. Gerhard Ranhembach, Germany - winner of the Special Award for Contribution to the Cultural Development of the Balkans: I am grateful to Prof. Gerhard Ranhembach. Doychinov for offering to participate in this festival. I am grateful to the town hall of Velingrad for organizing the festival. I thank Velingrad for being so beautiful and warm and the audience for her applause. I hope I'll come back next year.
Hristina Peshterska, student at Secondary School "V. Levski”: In my opinion the level of the festival was very high. The organization was very stable. The best thing, however, is the unexpected for me great interest of the audience. This festival should become a tradition because it brings popularity to our city and beyond the borders of Bulgaria. Stoyanka Encheva, piano teacher: In Velingrad you can very rarely hear "live" music. In this sense, the festival fills in part the need for live concerts. The Russian piano pedagogue Perelman says: "Listening to a quality musical record the first time is a surprise, the second-a edification, and the third-inquisition." That's why it's nice to have live concerts. I believe in the future of the festival because the people of Velingrad deserve it. The discreet and gentle sound of the classical guitar remains a great expanse of our imagination and is thus distinguished from other concerts. At the evening concerts, the standing were more than the sitting. For me, the festival is a very joyful and prestigious event and I believe it will become a tradition.
Tanya Blagova, teacher: Our beautiful city with rich cultural traditions, with the beauty-thirsty people of Velikograd, we deserve to become the founders of such a festival. This is a fabulous idea, for joy worthy accomplished and I congratulate the organizers and from my heart I thank the performers. Prof. Dimitar Doychinov, Honorary Chairman of the Festival: I am happy! I didn't expect it to be so successful and beautiful. I hope it'll be a tradition. The guitar is one of the most magical instruments and I am happy that during those days we gave joy to Velingrad and to ourselves. Rejoice with us, for we love you very much.
Veska Bozhkova