International
Jazz Festival “Dr. Emil Iliev”

Dr. Iliev founded The Bansko Jazz Festival out of Maecenas motives with one and only reason: to popularize the mountain city not only as a winter but also as a summer resort by attracting fans of musical art. As inheritors of Dr. Iliev, we proudly say that his mission in Bansko is fulfilled. So we consider it our moral duty to continue my husband’s work with the same goal, but at another place that has all the conditions to develop summer tourism. This new place doesn’t need advertising because it is the most popular winter resort in Bulgaria, situated at the foot of the beautiful Rila mountain – the resort complex Borovetz.

And so today, 25 years later, the International Jazz Festival Dr. Emil Iliev enjoys the kind management of the municipality of Samokov and the resort complex Borovetz. For all the friends of music and fans of the art of jazz, we have prepared a rich program with the participation of some of the best jazz, funk, reggae, ragtime, and blues musicians from Bulgaria and abroad, whose fine playing you will enjoy in the fresh August nights, at the foot of the mountain, amidst the age-old pine trees and the purl of the crystal Rila brooklets.

Our main goal is to continue to fulfill the Doctor’s chief credo – to make the International Jazz Festival Dr. Emil Iliev more famous than the festival at the little Swiss town of Montreux.

Dr. Tatyana Ilieva