History
Female Chamber Choir “Zlatna lira” (Golden Lyra) from Targovishte was founded in 1973 by a conductor Borislav Hadijski. The Choir “Zatna lira” is a laureate and winner of gold medals from 4th, 5th and 6th Festival of Artistic Achievements in Bulgaria. In its artistic biography there are other successful participations: in the Festival of Chamber Choirs “Golden Diana ’76”, May Choral Festival in Varna (1978), Panorama of Bulgarian Choral Art in Sofia (1980), Bulgaria; festivals in the Greek cities Carditsa (1985), Carpenisi (1994); the Chamber Choirs Festival in Kraguevats, former Yugoslavia, (2001), 21st International Choir Festival of Nis, Serbia 2006, Ohrid Choir Festival – May 10th, 2008; 5 International Choral Festival in Dubrovnik 2009; IV International Choral Festival Antalya, Turkey April 2012. 19-th International Sacred Music Choir Festival 2013 Olbia, Italy; XI International Festival of Orthodox Music “Virgin Mary – It is Truly Meet”, Pomorie, Bulgaria June, 2014; Panorama of Bulgarian Choral Art in Varna (2014); IV-th International Choral Festival “Music & Sea”, Paralia, Greece 2015; IV National choir meeting, Ruse 2015. The Choir had successful concerts in Germany, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Greece, Makedonia and Serbia – Cherna gora, Poland 2010.
It is The winner of bronze medal in International Competition for Spiritual Music in Preveza, Greece, July 2001; X International Competition “Orlando di Lasso”- Kamerino, Italy, 2003 – bronze medal; 9th International Folksong Choir Festival “Europe and Its Songs” in Barcelona (Spain), September 2007 – gold medal; XIII International Choral Festival “Maestro Zachari Mednikarov”, Albena Resort/Dobrich, Bulgaria 2016 – diploma „Laureate I degree”.
The Choir got “Zlatna lira”, the most valuable prize of Association of Bulgarian Music and Dance Artists, when it participated in 3rd International Festival of Orthodox Music “Praise the Lord” in Sofia, Bulgaria, in May 2000.
The repertoire of Chamber Choir “Zlatna lira” consists of compositions Renaissance till nowadays. The Choir has a rich concert activity with Bulgarian chamber orchestra „Bankia”, conductor prof. Emil Yanev.
The Choir is the host of the Festival of Women and Girls’ Choirs, which is organized every two years in Targovishte and which is unique in the world.
Iliana Ivanova is the conductor and the artistic director of the choir “Zlatna lira” since 1998. She was born in Targovishte, Bulgaria graduated from the Academy for Music and Dance Art in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She learnt choir conducting from professor Marin Chonev. She is one of the founders of the Female Choir “Zlatna lira”, and for many years she worked in it as a deputy of the conductor and a choir-master.
She works as a lecturer of classical singing and sol-fa in School of Music in Targovishte.