On October 4th, Saturday, Burgas will host a musical spectacle dedicated to the memory of the exceptional composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950).

The concert, which will take place in the "Petia Dubarova" hall of the "Sea Casino" Cultural Centre, at 5:30 PM, is an event organized as a tribute to the genius who transformed his exile into art.

The audience is expected to embark on an emotional journey through his musical path, reflecting the turbulent turns of his life – from Berlin through Paris to New York.

Programme

The programme will trace his musical wanderings through the years of exile and new beginnings, across different cultures and styles. It will begin with Weill"s years in Berlin, when his legendary collaboration with Bertolt Brecht created a unique fusion of cabaret, musical theatre, and social criticism. His emigration in 1933 first took him to France – to the charm of the chanson, and later to America, where he found new freedom and achieved enormous success on Broadway.

Key themes in his work that will strongly resonate with the audience are war and persecution, new beginnings, love and loneliness, longing and hope. These deeply human and simultaneously political ideas are relevant today, continuing to provoke emotional responses.

For a long time, European critics have insisted on the existence of two periods in Kurt Weill"s work – one recognized as a serious composer in Europe, and another in which, according to some, he "sacrificed" his art for commercial success in the USA. Weill himself, however, firmly defended the right of his musical theatre to unite high art and popular culture.

His work is an exceptional example of adaptability and strength. His musical identity was never static, but reflected the dynamics of a life in constant motion.

"Can the land of longing be found only in music itself?"

– this question permeates the musical programme that will captivate the audience in Burgas. In the dialogue between piano and voice, an emotional space is born, connecting home and abroad, memory and hope.

The audience will have the opportunity to enjoy songs such as "J’attends un navire" ("I"m waiting for a ship"), "Youkali – Land of My Love", as well as excerpts from "Lost in the Stars" and "Knickerbocker Holiday" – a musical odyssey of belonging, freedom and humanity.

Performers

On stage will shine Kerstin Turnheim (mezzo-soprano), a multifaceted Austrian singer whose appearances have taken her to festivals and stages both in Austria and abroad, and Katya Borisova (piano), a native of Burgas, who graduated from the National Music Academy "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov" in Sofia and has worked with renowned conductors and singers such as Valery Gergiev, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Rene Fleming, Anna Netrebko and Veselina Katsarova.

Katya Borisova, with extensive teaching experience in universities and opera studios in Austria, Germany, China, Russia and Portugal, will contribute to the exceptional interpretation of Kurt Weill"s works. Her repertoire covers a wide stylistic spectrum – from classical and romantic music to works of the 20th and 21st centuries.