Opera and Nature. Volume 3

A journey into a universe of emotions born in ancient theatres and new, unusual spaces, merging nature and opera on a magical open-air stage.

"My productions in non-traditional environments carry a CULTURAL IMPULSE to various cities across the country; SEEDS OF INITIATIVES for summer open-air opera festivals that no one had ever dared to dream of."

Plamen Kartaloff

Opera and Nature is a three-volume edition presenting a fateful selection of opera productions by director PLAMEN KARTALOFF. These were created amidst natural settings, historical landmarks, squares, fortresses, ancient theatres, architectural reserves, and other unusual spaces as well as traditional open-air sites, selected from over forty years of the director's stagings. The author of this one-of-a-kind composition of open-air opera performances demonstrates how opera unleashes its full power and emotional impact within nature through an innovative vision and interpretation of opera dramaturgy.

Volume 3 presents productions from the period 1987–2025 and includes:

• Open-air productions in Bulgaria: Pleven, Sofia, Veliki Preslav, Plovdiv, Smolyan, Stara Zagora, Varna, Blagoevgrad, Lovech, Albena Resort

• Open-air productions abroad: Brazil, Republic of North Macedonia, Croatia, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Turkey, Cyprus

• Reviews, interviews, archival photographs

• Premiere performances 2023–2025 (SOFIA OPERA WAGNER FESTIVAL)

About the Author

Academician Plamen Kartaloff is among the greatest names in contemporary Bulgarian culture. Music seems to run through his veins instead of blood. He transforms everything he touches into music, squeezing every single tone out of it until he hears and sees his vision brought to life on stage.

— Violeta Tsvetkova, journalist

I was at the Sofia Opera for the Wagner Festival. I know of no other person in Europe like Maestro Kartaloff who can create something like this: using the art of theatre to awaken the spirit of the audience through such magnificent stagings.

— Gregor Tassie, music critic