Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 86

MUSIC
The Union of Bulgarian Composers An unassuming shop with the best
selection of folk, devotional, and classical music, all composed and/or recorded by
Bulgarian musicians, in the country. Conveniently located opposite the National Thea-
tre. The lady behind the desk is not fluent in English but helpful and will play any
number of CDs for you. 2 Ivan Vazov St. & 02/988 15 60.
SOFIA AFTER DARK
Sofia's music, opera, and dance seasons are at their peak during the spring and early
summer, but by mid-July most of the city's actors and artists have—like the rest of the
population—deserted the sweltering capital and migrated to the coast, taking the
city's cultural life with them. This also affects the general nightlife scene, which qui-
ets down considerably in Sofia while taking off on the coast. To find out what's on
during your stay, take a look at www.programata.bg (click on “English”), pick up one
of the free seasonal or monthly guides, or purchase a copy of the English weekly news-
paper, Sofia Echo.
Theater performances are almost always in Bulgarian, so best to stick to music con-
certs or opera; tickets are extremely affordable relative to what you'd pay in a western
European city, and while you don't usually have the very top-end performers there are
always foreign imports with impeccable credentials. The monolithic National Palace
of Culture ( NDK; 1 Bulgaria Sq.; & 02/916 6208; www.ndk.bg), built in 1981
(ostensibly to mark the year Bulgaria turned 1,300), is the place to be during the Salon
Des Arts Sofia, which usually runs mid-May to mid-June; as does the International
“Sofia Music Weeks” Festival, hosted in the Bulgaria Hall and Bulgaria Chamber Hall,
home to the Bulgarian philharmonic orchestra (1 Aksakov St.; 02/987 7656 ).
Described as “the jewel in Sofia's cultural crown,” the Sofia National Opera (1
Vrabcha St., off Rakovski St; & 02/981 1549 ) is where the city's most talented and
guest performers from all over Europe play out the great opera and ballet classics; see
what's while you're there by logging onto www.sofiaopera.com. If you're looking for a
more avant-garde experience, check out what's happening at hip and happening Red
House Centre for Culture and Debate (www.redhouse-sofia.org; see “Where to Stay,”
earlier in this chapter).
The Sofia nightlife scene is low-key but vibrant, with plenty of nightclubs and
trendy bars dotted throughout the city. The following three are personal favorites, but
it's worth mentioning that Brilliantine (3 Moskovska St.) is hugely popular, attracting
a diverse and interesting crowd, as does gay-friendly Chillout Café (6 Baba Nedelya
St., just behind the NDK).
Apartament 52 LOUNGE BAR This is the apartment of Boris, who usually
hangs out in the kitchen (he's the one in the easy chair, with the Maltese poodle on
his lap). This is also where the drinks are dispensed, including a startling array of
freshly squeezed juice combos, most with health-giving additives like ginseng and
ginkgo. The rest of the rooms are furnished with comfortable couches on which lon-
ers are curled up with topics or chatting with virtual friends (there's a free Internet sta-
tion, as well as a computer with iPod), or cool couples catch up with friends. 52
Parchevich St. & 02/887 753454. 10pm-2am
Chervilo BAR CLUB If you want to know where the Sofian eye candy likes to hang
out, head for multiple-bar Chervilo. It's not just that the bargirls and boys are disaf-
fected and gorgeous, or that the interiors are super stylish, or that the music thumps

Finds