Beloved opera singer Stefka Evstatieva has passed away.
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The Bulgarian operatic soprano died on Nov. 9 following a short illness, Stanislav Pochekanski, chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Music and Dance Artists, confirmed to the Bulgarian News Agency.
Evstatieva had recently been hospitalized in Sofia. Her husband also confirmed the news of her passing in a conversation with Bulgarian folk singer Tatyana Sarbinska.
She was 78.
Stefka Evstatieva was born on May 7, 1947. She began her career with the Ruse Opera, where she performed from 1971 to 1978. On April 1, 1978, she became a soloist with the Sofia Opera, a position she held until the early 1990s. For more than 15 years, she graced the world’s most prestigious opera stages, including those in Paris, Milan, London, New York, and Vienna.
Since the early 1990s, Evstatieva lived with her family in New Rochelle, New York. In 2004, she co-founded the Bulgarian children’s choir “Gergana” in New York. The choir was named after her student, Gergana, who serves as its conductor, while Evstatieva acted as the choir’s vocal coach.
The Burgas State Opera Pays Tribute to Stefka Evstatieva
Meanwhile, Evstatieva’s career was filled with accolades.
She won Second Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia (1974), the Grand Prize of the Jury for Bel Canto Singing and the Audience Award for Ensemble Singing in Ostend, Belgium (1978), the Grand Prize at the 7th International Competition for Young Opera Singers in Sofia (1979), and the “Giovanni Zanella” Prize from the Arena di Verona, Italy, for Best Performer of the Year (1982).
In 2018, she was awarded the Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
Days after her passing, the Burgas State Opera honored her memory with a performance of Bellini’s Norma, featuring Marena Balinova in the title role.
She is survived by her husband.