On Nov. 9, 2021, Bulgarian director Svetozar Donev passed away. He was 88-years-old.

Born on Jan. 29, 1933 in Sofia, Bulgaria, Donev graduated in 1954 in directing and made his debut with a production of “The Youth of the Fathers” by B. Gorbatov at the Geo Milev Drama Theater – Stara Zagora.

However, he later specialized in opera directing in Paris and Moscow and became the Artistic Director of the State Musical Theater in Sofia from 1972-1978 and 1996-2009 and was later named Chief Artistic Director of the Sofia Opera from 1981-1991.

He also served as a member of the jury of international opera competitions in Bulgaria, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, and Japan.

Over his career, he went on to direct over 200 operas, operettas, musicals, dramas, radio plays and television shows. Among the operatic productions, he directed include “Rigoletto,” “Nabucco,” Un Ballo in Maschera,” “Aida,” “Don Carlo,” “The Merry Widow,” “Falstaff” and “Boris Godunov.”