One nomination for gold “Orpheus” for folklore, three gold medals and respectively three titles “national champion”, 12 silver and 15 bronze medals were won in the first three days of the national championship for folklore „Евро фолк 2014“which is held in parallel with the XVIII Stara Planina Fest “Balkan Folk 2014” on the stage of the summer theater in Veliko Tarnovo. The two forums are held from 8^th to 18^th May, and it is expected that during the period 300 folklore ensembles and more than 5000 performers will take part in the event.

80 folklore collectives and individual performers are committed to compete in the fifth edition of the championship “Euro folk 2014” while competent jury of folklorists and choreographers evaluate the qualities of their performances under the conditions of the championship system. Bearers of gold “Orpheus” for folklore became dance ensemble “Thracian magic” from Zlatitrap village, Municipality of Rodopi, Plovdiv area. The ensemble received the applause of the audience and won the jury with its dance performances. The youth became also national champions for folklore in this year’s edition of the championship and received a recommendation by the jury to participate in the World championship for folklore World folk 2014, which will be held this year on the stages in Nesebar, Pomorie, Sunny beach and Sveti Vlas. With its virtuosic performances of Thracian songs, Katrin Kalinova student of Musical high school in Ruse, won Gold medal and the title “national championship”. The 16 year old performer is one of the discoveries of “Euro folk 2014”.

The group for national songs “Senokoski slavei” at community center “Hristo Smirnenski’, Senokos village, municipality Balchik, Dobrich region is the third national champion for folklore. The performers got the gold medal with the Dobrudzhanian songs “Slantseto trepti, zalyazva”, “Momche goryanche”, “Yane le, libe le” and also received invitation for the World championship for folklore.

XVIII Stara Planina fest “Balkan folk 2014” and the V Bulgarian national championship for folklore were officially opened at the evening of 10^th May. Guests of the opening were the deputy mayor of Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo – Gancho Karabadzhov and the director of direction “Culture and tourism” Nelina Tsyrova. Mr. Karabadzhov saluted the performers and the organizers and highlighted the significance of the festival “Balkan folk”, which for 18 years has established as one the leading in Bulgaria, and for the number of the performed 200 thousand participants – even in Europe.

The chairman of the Stara Planina fest “Balkan folk” and president of the European association of folklore festivals EAFF” Kaloyan Nikolov also welcomed the participants and thank for the time, power and energy given for the preservation of the Bulgarian folklore and traditions. After the greetings the audience enjoyed the gala concert of the best performances of the day.

During the first three days 120 collectives and individual performers got on the stage of the summer theater. Beside diplomas for significant contribution on preservation of folklore, some of them received also certificates for succession between the generations by the name of the creator of the championship system Iliyan Nikolov, certificate for opening of the forum.The next dates of the concerts of Stara Planina fest “Balkan folk” are 15, 16 and 18^th May. The official closing is planned for 17^th May from 19:00 o’clock.