The program of the concert “Zenith and Sunset“ on July 14 on the stage of the “Allegra“ festival immerses us in one of the most exciting and complex love stories in art.
When 20-year-old Johannes Brahms knocks on Robert Schumann's door, the older composer immediately declares him the “messiah of music“. Schumann becomes his mentor, and his wife Clara - a brilliant pianist and eternal muse. A deep bond flares up between the three, wrapped in unspoken attraction and boundless loyalty, with Brahms remaining Clara's closest friend and support to her very end.
The threads of this shared fate remain forever woven into the notes that we will hear on the concert evening. It all begins with Schumann's Piano Quartet (op. 47), created in his happiest year as an intimate diary of his love, whose true heart is the slow third movement (Andante cantabile) - recognized as one of the most beautiful and intimate declarations of love in world history, dedicated entirely to Clara, in which the melody flows like a gentle whisper.
Immediately after that, Brahms' fate is examined through his Clarinet Quintet (op. 115).
The curious thing is that shortly before writing it, Brahms was in a severe creative crisis and officially announced that he was stopping composing, but his encounter with the magical sound of the clarinet turned everything upside down. From the very first movement, he unfolded an extremely complex emotional world, charged with inner tension and a storm of longing, passes through wild, improvisational Hungarian motifs in the second part, and finally the theme returns pacified, purified and wrapped in soft, golden autumn light to close the life and creative circle in complete harmony with fate.
To breathe life into this drama, a real Dream Team of artists with film biographies comes on stage:
Valery Sokolov (violin): The Ukrainian child prodigy who left for England at the age of 13. His talent is so magnetic that the famous French director Bruno Monsenjon filmed the documentary "Violin in the Soul" about him. Today he is among the most extravagant virtuosos in Europe.
Eckart Runge (cello): In addition to playing a priceless instrument Amati since 1595, he regularly blows up New York jazz clubs, mixing Beethoven with Jimi Hendrix. Runge is also a great philanthropist – he plays for refugee children and supports youth orchestras in South America.
Salih Gevrek (piano): The rising star of the European scene. He made his debut as a soloist in Ankara at just 13 years old, went through the prestigious King's College in London and possesses a rare combination of a fiery oriental temperament and perfect intellectual precision.
Fabio Di Cazzola (clarinet): The winner of the Swiss Music Prize, whose velvety sound will make Brahms' Hungarian motifs cry out. He is known for fleeing snobbery and often organizes concerts in unusual city locations to bring the classics closer to the people.
Lech Antoni Uschinski (viola): Born in Italy and raised in Switzerland, he combines artistry with modern aristocracy, which made him the face of luxury watches Raymond Weil. He plays an antique viola from 1690 and is a favorite stage partner of superstars such as Katya Buniatishvili.
Stoimen Peev (violin):A native presence on a world level with a nomination for “Musician of the Year“ (2024). The face of “Sofia Soloists“ and the “Sofia“ Quartet, he has an impressive lifestyle record behind him – he has appeared on the stage of the Opera House over 24 times as a special guest soloist in the hit ballet “Anna Karenina“.
Details about the festival program and soloists, as well as tickets for the concerts, can be found at https://allegrafestival.com/bg/concerts/2026-summer/. This year, a festival ticket is also available for Allegra's loyal audience, which provides access to all concerts at a preferential price.
The Allegra Festival and Academy are held under the patronage of the Embassy of Switzerland, with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and the Sofia Municipality – Calendar of Cultural Events and the Sofia City Council and in partnership with the National Music Academy "Lyubomir Pipkov".