The Sofia Boys Choir is a boys' choir which was founded in Bulgaria in 1968. The performers, aged 8–15, are selected from schools in Sofia. The founder and first conductor of the choir was Lilyana Todorova; he served from 1968 to 1989. Since 1989, Adriana Blagoeva has been the conductor of the choir. She graduated from the National Musical Academy as a choir conductor. Besides her active conducting work, Blagoeva is an associate professor in choral conducting at the National Musical Academy. In 1997 she founded the Youth Formation with the Sofia Boys Choir, consisting of former members of the boys choir. Today the choir is presented in three formations – boys, youth and mixed. Blagoeva won the Special Prize for Conductors at the 1st International Choral Competition in Bolzano, Italy, in 2000.
The Sofia Boys Choir has a very wide repertoire: Bulgarian choral music, Orthodox music, Bulgarian folk music, Catholic music, musicals, operas and choral pieces of various musical genres from the 14th century to today. Many recordings of the Sofia boys choir are in the musical archives of Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and Bulgarian National Television (BNT).
The choir has published eight audio CDs of its own and has participated in another eight with other musicians (see external links below "Discography").
Since 1993, the Sofia Boys Choir has won awards at international choral competitions: one grand prize, four first prizes and four second prizes. The choir has been awarded the Musician of the Year prize in 2002 by Bulgarian National Radio, The Silver Lyre in 1998 and The Golden Lyre in 2008 by the Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers Union, and The Golden Plaque by the Bulgarian Choral Union.
Famous quotes containing the words boys and/or choir:
“I see you boys of summer in your ruin.
Man in his maggot’s barren.
And boys are full and foreign in the pouch.
I am the man your father was.
We are the sons of flint and pitch.
O see the poles are kissing as they cross.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“O thou, with dewy locks, who lookest down
Through the clear windows of the morning; turn
Thine angel eyes upon our western isle,
Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring!”
—William Blake (1757–1827)