STOYAN KARAIVANOV - bandoneon player
CULTURAMA FEST and Dia del Tango Sofia present:
STOYAN KARAIVANOV
“SELECCION DE TANGOS” - DEBUT ALBUM - PRESENTATION
FREE ADMISSION
11 December 2025 г., 7 p.m.
BIAD Concert Hall, 108 G.S.Rakovski Str., Sofia
In 2025, for the first time, the celebration of the Day of Tango in Sofia will be a featured guest event in the program of CULTURAMA Fest!
The World Tango Day (or "el dia del tango", as it is known in Argentina and around the world) is celebrated every year on December 11, which is the birthday of the legendary tango singer and composer Carlos Gardel.
In Sofia, this day has been honoured since 2004 with special events, which, in addition to concerts, exhibitions, dance seminars, screenings, etc., always include the traditional Gran Milonga, at which tango dancers gather to listen and dance to their favorite music.
This year, the celebration of el Día del Tango will begin on December 11 at 7 p.m. at the BIAD Concert Hall with the presentation of the debut solo album of the Bulgarian bandoneonist Stoyan Karaivanov, during which he will give a short solo recital with tango pieces from his album, answer questions from the audience and introduce us to the peculiarities of the bandoneon, the most important instrument for performing Argentine tango. Under Stoyan’s guidance, the curious among the tango fans will also have the unique opportunity to take a closer look at his bandoneon, an original model from the most famous historical bandoneon factory, Alfred Arnold, and try playing this complex, rare and extremely interesting instrument that has become the musical soul of the tango.
Stoyan Karaivanov
Stoyan Karaivanov is the most famous bandoneon player in Bulgaria and the only bandoneon player in the country who uses the classical Argentine system. Stoyan began his musical career as a bayan and accordion player, winning numerous awards and performing in Bulgaria and many other countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, etc. His love for Argentine tango naturally led him to switch to the most typical instrument of this genre – the bandoneon. His formation as a bandoneonist began with studies with Prof. Fabio Furia at the Conservatory in Cagliari, Italy, and went through lessons and master classes with such eminent bandoneon performers as Juan José Mosalini and Daniel Binelli. Stoyan's talent and skills quickly made him the most sought-after bandoneonist in Bulgaria, invited as a soloist by philharmonic orchestras and chamber ensembles in the country and abroad. He is the winner of the "Musician of the Year 2022" award of the Bulgarian National Radio, the first prize in the World Music category at the "International Accordion Competition" in Klingenthal in 2023, as well as the special Bandoneon Prize awarded by the city of Krefeld, the birthplace of the creator of the bandoneon Heinrich Band. Stoyan is the artistic director and founder of Orquesta Tipica "Libertango", the first Bulgarian tango orchestra, with which he performs at tango festivals in Bulgaria and Europe, as well as a member of the 5/4 Tango Quintet led by the renowned pianist Lyudmil Angelov. In 2025, Stoyan recorded his first solo album "Seleccion de Tangos" in Paris for the Argentine label "Club del Disco" and is only natural that the premiere of the album should take place on the World Tango Day in Sofia.
With the special support of
