Yolanta Lazarova

Conductor / Leader

Yolanta Lazarova received her education in the “Pancho Vladigerov” National Academy of Music under professor of choral conducting Liliya Gyuleva, and SWU “Neofit Rilski”. She began her professional career as a piano teacher in Sofia. Since 1977 she has been working in Blagoevgrad, beginning with amateur choral formations, including mixed choir Alen Mak, the children’s, middle school and chamber choirs. From 1983 to 2015 she worked on the professional stage. She worked full time until 1995, and then at a honorarium until 2005 as a tutor-accompanist and choir master, and as part of the stage team, at the Chamber Opera Blagoevgrad. She has worked on many stage plays and done tens of chamber concerts with the opera’s soloists. Apart from the many shows in Bulgaria, she has also made appearances in Germany, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Greece, Israel, Egypt and others. From 1996 to 2015, she was the choral conductor of the professional folk “Pirin” ensemble, which has had a multitude of appearances locally and abroad. During that time, the choir had many solo appearances with a grand acapella repertoire, apart from performances with the whole ensemble. Under her lead, the choir completed recordings with the Portuguese singer Amelia Muge (“A monte” – 2002), with the American composer Alec Costandinos (“1892 Once upon a village” – 2013) and at Radio Blagoevgrad. She did concerts in Portugal, Japan, Russia, Belgium, Greece, France, Macedonia, Serbia and others. Since 1997 Yolanta Lazarova is once again an honorary conductor of mixed choir Alen Mak, which has a tremendously rich and diverse repertoire, and many awards from both local and foreign competitions and festivals. She is the author of a multitude of choral arangements and accompaniments. In 2013 she was awarded the Golden Lyre of the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers, and the Golden Plaque of the Bulgarian Choral Union. She is a member of the board of directors of the Bulgarian Choral Union.