Ara Malikian’s extraordinary personal and musical journey and his deep connection with the violin—from his family heritage and childhood during wartime to his professional development. What is the influence of his musical idols and his search for a distinctive style combining classical tradition, Armenian roots, and diverse musical genres.
 
 

The national conference of the Bulgarian Festivals Association and the European Festivals Association forum in Varna focused on the sustainable development, funding and impact assessment of festivals. Representatives of the Municipality of Ruse presented March Music Days as an established cultural landmark of the city and Northern Bulgaria.

What to expect on 10 October, what inspired Intruso tour, how was the promo video shot and more interesting fact about the virtuoso Ara Malikian.

June 22, 2026 was the final day for submitting refund requests for tickets for Ara Malikian’s concert, which has been rescheduled to October 10.

After more than three decades as a leading figure of the festival, its long-serving Artistic Director, Iva Chavdarova, handed over the leadership to Maestro Dimitar Kosev, Chief Conductor of the Ruse State Opera.

Starting from May 15, 2026, ticket sales for the new date of the concert by Ara Malikian at Arena Ruse will resume on 10 October 2026. Requests for refunds of tickets  will be accepted until June 22.

Information and instructions for refund of tickets bought at the box office cash desk, online or using EasyPay/Epay service.

The concert of the world-renowned violinist Ara Malikian has been rescheduled to October 10 (Saturday), 2026, at 7:00 PM at Arena Ruse Hall. This new postponement follows the cancellation of several other concerts from this year’s tour.

All purchased tickets will remain valid for October 10 without the need for revalidation.

The procedure for refunding purchased tickets continues.

The organizing team of the 65th March Music Days regrets to inform that the concert of Ara Malikian, scheduled for March 27 (Friday) at 19:00 at Arena Ruse, has been postponed due to the sudden illness of the world-renowned violinist.

The new date for the show of the world-renowned violinist will be announced soon.

 “Seventeen exciting days and evenings have passed, charged with the creative energy of hundreds of eminent artists, ensembles and orchestras from Bulgaria, Europe and the world. These 23 concerts, all the accompanying events and the exceptional interest from the audience confirmed the authority of our festival, organized by Ruse Municipality,” emphasized the Deputy Mayor.

The music festival began with a symphony concert by the Ruse State Opera conducted by Maestro Nayden Todorov. The prestigious forum, organized by the Municipality of Ruse and under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, will last until March 30 and will offer Ruse residents and guests of the city 23 concerts and 9 accompanying events, including exhibitions, a visual art competition, book presentations and meetings with authors.

Maestro Nayden Todorov and the musicians of the Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra will open the 64th edition of the March Music Days Music Festival with a concert by Johannes Brahms for orchestra, violin and cello and the Ninth Symphony by Antonín Dvořák.

Soulful, introspective, as if gazing into the infinity of Eternity — such is the spirit of Johannes Brahms’ Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra.
This is the last symphonic work to come from the pen of the great composer — a piece that will hold a special place in the program of the concert opening the 64th edition of the International Festival “March Music Days.”

This year, the event will take place from March 14 to 30, with the 64th edition offering a variety of concerts and exciting meetings with famous artists from around the world, as well as several exhibitions, a competition, book presentations and other accompanying programs.

The International Festival "March Music Days" will be held from March 14 to 30. The 64th edition of the emblematic forum for Ruse will present 23 concerts and 10 accompanying events, including exhibitions, a competition, book presentations and meetings with authors.

The 64th edition of March Music Days International Festival - one of the oldest and most renowned international festival stages in Bulgaria – will start on March 14th this year.

The symphony orchestra of the Bulgarian National Radio and world-renowned Bulgarian musicians appear on the festival stage today and tomorrow

The program of "March Music Days" continues with the French-Belgian quartet DANEL and the Ruse choir "Prof. Vasil Arnaudov", marking 30 years since its establishment

Tonight, at 5:30 p.m., in Europe Hall, within the framework of the MF "March Music Days" 2024, the new book by Prof. Dr. Julian Kuyumdzhiev, dedicated to the Bulgarian pianist, composer, music pedagogue, architect and public figure Dimitar Nenov, will be presented. 

With today's concert by the jazzmen Veselin Veselinov-Eko and Milen Kukosharov, the program of the 63rd MF "March Music Days" continues. 

A solo piano recital, a saxophone and a string quartet concerts await music lovers over the next three days

The exhibition of Tanya and Georgi Pasevi will be opened at 6 p.m

In connection with the two days of national mourning announced by the government on the occasion of the death of Patriarch Neophyte - March 15th and 16th, the opening of the International Festival of March Music Days is postponed indefinitely. 

This year's 63rd edition of the March Music Days International Festival, organized by the Municipality of Ruse under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, will get off to a stellar start. The explicit program of the festival, including and the accompanying events, was presented by the deputy mayor Encho Enchev, the main organizer and member of the program board Iva Chavdarova and the director of NUI "Prof. Vesselin Stoyanov" Maria Dukanova.

Ticket sales for the 63rd edition of the March Music Days International Festival began on February 16. Festival-goers will be able to purchase tickets at the Opera box office every weekday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., as well as on-site at the lobby of Theater Hall before the concerts, subject to availability. For the concerts on March 15, 17, 18, 20, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29 and 30, this is also possible through the Eventim online platform from February 15.

18 concerts, 7 accompanying events and hundreds of artists from Bulgaria and abroad offers this year's edition of March Music Days International Festival.

It will take place between 15th and 31st March and is organized by Ruse Municipality under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture

2 April, 7 p.m., Theater Hall

1 April, 7 pm, Theater Hall

1 April, 5 pm, Europe Hall

1 April, 11 am, Theater Hall

31 March, 7 pm, Theater Hall

30 March, 7 pm, Theater Hall

29 March, 7 pm, Theatre Hall

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Ruse festivals, including the MF "March Music Days", will be part of the research.

Article about the festival program in Descrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Article about the festival program in Descrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

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Graduated 61. IF "March Music Days, Ruse 2022

Publication of Yanitsa Hristova on the website of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency

Clarinetist Rosen Idealov and pianist Nadezhda Tsanova with a stylish program for music connoisseurs

Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble with a jubilee concert

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"I hope that we manage to deserve this honor - to be a participant in perhaps the most prestigious festival of classical music in Bulgaria"

 Svilen Dimitrov, conductor of the Mixed Choir "Prof. Vasil Arnaudov ".

Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra, maestro Ivo Venkov and cellist Atanas Krastev on the festival stage in Ruse

Modigliani Quartet on the stage of the 61st MF "March Music Days"

On the occasion of 101 years since the birth of the great opera singer Kiril Krastev

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Yesterday, the March Music Days Festival offered the Ruse audience a concert with the participation of the remarkable instrumentalists Sergei Dogadin and Pavel Gomzyakov in a stylish ensemble program together with the pianist Plamena Mangova.

Аплодисменти за Сергей Крилов и Литовския камерен оркестър

The chamber concert with the participation of Tsvetelina Vasileva and Jose Kura in the program of the 61st MF "March Music Days"

13. International Competition "Franz Schubert", Ruse 2021

The program of the evening included Overture "Romeo and Juliet" by PI Tchaikovsky, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by E. Korngold and Symphony № 2 by A. Scriabin.

The flutists Kremena Acheva, Gergana Ivanova, Petra Atanasova, Mila Tsankova and the harpist Vessela Trichkova with a successful project on the festival stage in Ruse.

Margarita Atanasova received the award of the MF "March Music Days" for the painting "Four Roman"

Premiere presentation on the Ruse stage

Directed by the State Opera - Ruse

String quartet "Frosch" with a concert for connoisseurs

A fascinating and unforgettable evening with the interpretive art of the violinist Svetlin Rusev and the pianist Vahran Mardirosyan

Soloists were violinist Mincho Minchev and pianist Lyudmil Angelov

100 years since the birth of the composer

During the opening of the 61st edition of the festival, the President of the Union of Bulgarian Musical and Dance Figures Stanislav Slavko-Tchantsi.

The sixty-first edition of the international festival "March Music Days" - one of the most prestigious festivals for classical music in our country - was opened yesterday with great success in the Revenue Building in Ruse.

The exhibition will be opened on March 11, at 6 pm, in the lobby of the Revenue Building, as part of the accompanying events of the festival.

On Friday, March 11, the world-famous Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski will have his first meeting with the festival audience in Bulgaria, partnering with the Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra and maestro Emil Tabakov. The program of the evening will feature the famous for its rich, almost impressive, sensitivity "Four Sketches" for large orchestra by D. Nenov, as well as two of the most beautiful and popular works in music literature of the early 20th century - Piano Concerto. M. Ravel in G major and "The Sea" by C. Debussy.

The main partners of the Municipality of Ruse for the festival: Ruse State Opera, "Prof. V. Stoyanov ” NAS, “ L. Karavelov ” RL, Ruse Art Gallery, Ruse Art.

Main media partners: BTA, BNR, BNT, Live7 TV, Radio Ruse and Ruse and national print and electronic media.

Performers from 8 countries will be guests at the March Music Days Festival in March 2022. Musicians from Argentina, Germany, France, Romania, Lithuania, Russia, Macedonia and Bulgaria will be touring on the festival stage in Ruse from March 11 to 27. This year the festival offers a total of 19 exceptional events to the fans of classical music.

Article about the final concert of the 60th MF "March Music Days" 2021 in Decrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Article about the festival program on September 27, 30 and October 1 in Decrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Article about the festival program on September 18 and 29 in Decrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Article about the festival program on September 22 and 25 in Decrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Article about the festival program on September 21 in Decrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Article about the festival program on September 18 and 19 in Decrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Article about the opening of the 60th "March Music Days" IF 2021 in Decrescendo.net - blog of critic Ekaterina Docheva

Main media partners of the 60th MF "March Music Days": Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian National Television and Live7 TV.

100 years of NMA "Prof. Pancho Vladigerov"

"Chamber music is the soul of music," says the pianist

Within the "March Music Days" IF 2021

"Teodor Petrov Jazz Trio" with a debut on the stage "March Music Days"

Soloist - Sergei Redkin, piano

The concert program included world and Bulgarian premieres of works by emblematic figures in European and Bulgarian music such as A. Vieru, G. Ustvolskaya, B. Spasov, S. Pironkov - son, A. Schnittke, A. Webern.

The violinist performed 10 encores at the request of the Ruse audience. The work that received the most votes was one of the most beautiful Bulgarian works for violin and piano - "Sevdana" by Georgi Zlatev - Cherkin.

The concert is realized with the financial support of the Culture Program of the Municipality of Rousse.

Within the  "March Music Days" IF 2021

Soloist  - Emanuil Ivanov, piano

The violinist Mincho Minchev and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra on the stage of "March Music Days"

Laureate of the International Tchaikovsky Competition debuted on the stage of the festival

Soloist - Christian Kaloyanov, clarinet

Tranquility and trance, exaltation and exhaustion, sleep and reality - with this new program called Goldberg Nights, the boys from the SIGNUM Saxophone Quartet, often compared to the four from the Beatles, presented an odyssey of images and sounds.

Within the "March Music Days" IF

Impressive premiere of the opera "Mephistopheles" during the "March Music Days" !F! One of the rarest opera titles staged not only in Bulgaria, but also on the world stages, was presented on September 20 for the first time in Ruse.

Soloist - Yavor Zhelev, flute

A dizzying debut on the Ruse festival stage for the virtuoso percussionist Vivi Vasileva and the Brazilian guitarist Lucas Campara Diniz on the second day of the program of "March Music Days"! 

he Ruse Philharmonic, Maestro Emil Tabakov and the French cellist Aurelien Pascal opened the 60th edition of the long-awaited musical event.

The event is organized jointly by the State Archives of Ruse and the Municipality of Ruse.

This is done by virtue of a partnership agreement between the Municipality of Ruse and BTA to promote the development and promotion of the international festival. The document was signed today by the General Director of BTA Kiril Valchev and the Mayor of Ruse Pencho Milkov.

The official opening of the festival is on September 17

The Choice is yours!

The web platform is funded by the Municipality of Ruse and is the work of the team of the Ruse design bureau "Form Design and Innovation", with manager Venelin Molnar.

The March Music Days I.F. returns to the Bulgarian festival scene with many new names, exciting debuts, festival premieres, and world-famous artists from around the world.

Highlights in the program at 60. the March Music Days International Festival