The National Academy of Music "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov" (NMA) opened its first branch outside Sofia in Burgas on 4 October 2026, in the academy's 105-year history. Burgas now has branches of two national arts academies. The National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts "Krastyo Sarafov" (NATFA) opened one there in 2025.
This report follows our earlier story on the planned opening of the branch's first academic year with a gala concert at the NHK Cultural House.
The branch was set up under Council of Ministers Decree No. 43 of 2026. Before that, the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency gave it a positive assessment, and the NMA Academic Council issued a decision.
Courses in Burgas fall under the field of "Music and Dance Art". There are 10 bachelor's programmes: classical guitar, classical singing, folk singing, kaval, gaida, gadulka, tambura, pop and jazz guitar, pop and jazz bass guitar, and pop and jazz singing. Folk choreography and ballet art/ballet teaching are taught part-time. The programmes students follow are approved and accredited.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Rosen Balkanski teaches classical guitar, and Prof. Dr Tsvetan Nedyalkov leads pop and jazz guitar. Prof. Dr Ivan Stoyanov runs pop and jazz bass guitar, the combo groups and the orchestra. Assoc. Prof. Dr Vladimir Dimov teaches pop and jazz singing and leads the vocal ensembles. Assoc. Prof. Dr Kiril Manolov teaches classical singing, Chief Assist. Prof. Dr Darina Slavova teaches folk singing, and Assist. Prof. Dr Vanya Moneva leads the chamber ensembles and the folk choir.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Dimitar Hristov teaches tambura and conducting, Petyo Kostadinov gaida, Nedyalko Nedyalkov kaval, and Hristina Beleva gadulka. Prof. Dr Masha Ilieva leads ballet art and ballet teaching, and Assist. Prof. Asen Pavlov teaches folk choreography. Prof. Dr Iliya Gramatikov teaches music history. Prof. Dr Angelina Petrova leads solfège and music theory, and Prof. Dr Violeta Gorcheva teaches acting and stage speech.
The NATFA branch opened with a ceremony at the NHK Cultural House. It is the academy's first outside Sofia. Its director is Assoc. Prof. Dr Alexander Mandzhukov, who heads the "Movement Theatre" programme and teaches "Dance Synthesis" and "Contemporary Dance Techniques". Prof. Dr Penko Gospodinov leads the first class in "Acting for Dramatic Theatre".
The opening also presented the teachers: Chief Assist. Prof. Teya Sugareva, Assist. Prof. Damyan Tenev, Assoc. Prof. Dr Lora Mutisheva, Chief Assist. Prof. Nadezhda Panayotova, Prof. Dr Velimir Velev, Assist. Prof. Ivaylo Dimitrov, Assist. Prof. Elitsa Kostadinova, Milena Dobreva and Petya Ivanova. Mayor Dimitar Nikolov stressed Burgas's traditions in theatre and film.
"Remember that you are already first. You are the beginning, you are the foundation," NATFA rector Prof. Miroslav Dachev told the first intake in Burgas in his welcome.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Lora Mutisheva said the first day of classes at the NATFA branch in Burgas began with a lesson in orthoepy.