Off the Beaten Path Eight Edition 2026

Eighth Edition of the Off the Beaten Path Chamber Music FestivalIn 2026, the Off the Beaten Path Chamber Music Festival will continue bringing new music to new venues around Bulgaria, starting at our festival home Kovachevitsa, and expanding our programs to other picturesque destinations – Gotse Delchev, Dobrinishte, Karpachevo and, for the first time, Troyan in North-Central Bulgaria.Following the success of the new works we've commissioned and presented to Bulgarian audiences, our concert programs will continue to focus on creating new works and presenting premieres of international works in Bulgaria. Each premiere will be featured along specially selected masterpieces from the classical chamber repertoire. This summer, we will commission and premiere new works by composers David Ludwig (USA), Penka Kouneva (Bulgaria / USA) and Peter Kerkelov (Bulgaria). In addition, we will establish a residency program in Kovachevitsa for emerging composers, who will have a chance to work with Mr. Ludwig (Dean and Acting Chair of Composition at The Juilliard School in New York), Ms. Kouneva (a renowned Hollywood composer) and Mr. Kerkelov (Associate Professor at the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia). We will continue collaborating with the renowned Bulgarian-British composer Dobrinka Tabakova by presenting her works in new venues. Our guest artists will include the distinguished musicians Bella Hristova (violin), Hyunah Yu (soprano), Mark Sparks (flute) and Karin Dornbusch (clarinet).