Welcome Message from the Director of the International Jazz Festival ‘Dr. Emil Iliev’

The International Jazz Festival “Dr. Emil Iliev” has become an eagerly awaited event and tradition for its new home – the Borovets resort complex. The most prestigious jazz forum in Bulgaria is an integrating part of the cultural calendar of Samokov and a major attraction for tourists during the summer in Chamkoria – the oldest ski resort on the Balkan Peninsula.

The energy of the majestic Rila Mountain and the music of beloved Bulgarian and foreign jazz performers turn into one whole and create a sense of freedom and strength. And you, dear friends, and your enthusiastic applause fill the meaning of the festival with content and give us – the organizers, reason to believe that this jazz event must exist and endure over the years, because it has only one goal: to create joy and aesthetic enjoyment of music for its lovers and tourists in the resort complex.

Edition 2025 will bring you joy with the virtuoso performances of musicians from Bulgaria and abroad, some of whom will be performing on the Bulgarian jazz scene for the first time. We sincerely hope to satisfy even the most demanding tastes with a rich musical program and accompanying activities such as the summer jazz academy for children with the talented teacher Kristina Kirova, the meeting with volleyball player Vladimir Nikolov, writer Violeta Tsvetkova and Formula 3 driver Nikola Tsolov.

We are waiting for you in Borovets, dear friends!

With love to you,
Dr. Tatyana Ilieva, Festival Director