Editing Plovdiv (section)

== Culture ==

===Theatre and music===
[[File:Small Plovdiv street.JPG|thumb|left|200px|A preserved medieval street in the Old town]]
[[File:Odeon021.jpg|200px|thumb|right|A performance in the [[Odeon of Philippopolis|Roman Odeon]]]]
The Plovdiv Drama Theatre<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dt-plovdiv.org/main.php?lang_id=2 |title=Drama Theatre Plovdiv |publisher=Dt-plovdiv.org |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726004921/http://www.dt-plovdiv.org/main.php?lang_id=2 |archive-date=26 July 2011  }}</ref> is a successor of the first professional theatre group in Bulgaria founded in 1881. The Plovdiv Puppet Theatre, founded in 1948, remains one of the leading institutions in this genre. The Plovdiv Opera was established in 1953.

Another pillar of Plovdiv's culture is the Philharmonic, founded in 1945.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://petracho.ofd-plovdiv.org/philharmony.html |title=Philharmonic of Plovdiv |publisher=Petracho.ofd-plovdiv.org |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183245/http://petracho.ofd-plovdiv.org/philharmony.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Soloists such as [[Dmitri Shostakovich]], [[Sviatoslav Richter]], [[Mstislav Rostropovich]], Yuri Boukov, and Mincho Minchev have worked with the Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra has toured in almost all of the European countries.

The Trakiya Folklore Ensemble, founded in 1974, has performed thousands of concerts in Bulgaria and more than 42 countries.<ref>[http://www.ensembletrakia.hit.bg/ Trakiya Folklore Ensemble] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229231745/http://www.ensembletrakia.hit.bg/ |date=29 December 2014 }} (in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]).</ref> The Trakiya Traditional Choir was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]]. The [[Detska Kitka Choir]] is one of the oldest and best-known youth choirs in Bulgaria and the winner of numerous awards from international choral competitions. [[Evmolpeya|The Evmolpeya choir]] is another girls' choir from Plovdiv, whose establishing patron, [[Ivan Chomakov]], became the then mayor in 2006. The choir was appointed a [[Goodwill Ambassador]] and a municipal choir.

===Literature===
Plovdiv is among the nation's primary literary centres. In 1855 [[Hristo G. Danov]] created the first Bulgarian publishing company and printing-press.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pero-publishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=27 |title=Hristo Danov |publisher=Pero-publishing.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806072357/http://www.pero-publishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=27 |url-status=live }}</ref> The city's traditions as a literary centre are preserved by the first public library in Bulgaria, the [[Ivan Vazov National Library]], the 19 ''[[chitalishta]]'' (cultural centres), and by numerous booksellers and publishers. The library was founded in 1879<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.libplovdiv.com/history.html |title=History of the Ivan Vazov National Library |publisher=Libplovdiv.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713203853/http://www.libplovdiv.com/history.html |archive-date=13 July 2011  }}</ref> and named after the famous Bulgarian writer and poet [[Ivan Vazov]] who worked in Plovdiv for five years creating some of his best works.<ref>With the exception of ''[[Under the Yoke]]'', the other significant works of Ivan Vazov (''Nemili-nedragi'', ''Eppopee of the Forgotten'', ''Uncles'') were written in Plovdiv.</ref> Today the Ivan Vazov National Library is the second largest national library institution with more than 1.5&nbsp;million books,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.libplovdiv.com/structure.html |title=Structure of the Ivan Vazov National Library |publisher=Libplovdiv.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713203928/http://www.libplovdiv.com/structure.html |archive-date=13 July 2011  }}</ref> owning rare Bulgarian and European publications.

===Arts===
[[File:Plovdiv Art Gallery P5030085.JPG|thumb|200px|right|The Art Gallery of Plovdiv]]
The city has traditions in [[iconography]] since the Middle Ages. During the Period of National Revival, a number of notable icon-painters (called in Bulgarian ''zografi'', ''зографи'') from all regions of the country worked in Plovdiv such as{{spaced ndash}} [[Dimitar Zograf]], his son Zafir Zograf, [[Zahari Zograf]], Georgi Danchov, and others.<ref name="pat"/> After the Liberation, the Bulgarian painter of [[Czechs|Czech]] origin [[Ivan Mrkvička]] came to work in the city. The Painters' Society was established there by artists from southern Bulgaria in 1912 whose members included painters [[Zlatyu Boyadzhiev]], [[Tsanko Lavrenov]] and [[Sirak Skitnik]].

Today the city has more than 40 art galleries with most of them being privately owned. The Art Gallery of Plovdiv was founded in the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://art.domino.bg/gallery.php?galID=6 |title=Art Gallery of Plovdiv |publisher=Art.domino.bg |language=bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142802/http://art.domino.bg/gallery.php?galID=6 |url-status=live }}</ref> It possesses 5,000 pieces of art in four buildings. Since 1981, it has had a section for [[Culture of Mexico|Mexican]] art donated by Mexican painters in honour of the 1,300-year anniversary of the Bulgarian State.

===European Capital of Culture===
On 5 September 2014, Plovdiv was selected as the Bulgarian host of [[European Capital of Culture]] in 2019.<ref name=culturecapital>{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-973_en.htm?locale=en |title=Plovdiv to be 2019 European Capital of Culture in Bulgaria |publisher=Official website of the European Union |access-date=5 September 2014 |archive-date=6 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906171312/http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-973_en.htm?locale=en |url-status=live }}</ref> The city will co-host the event with [[Matera]] and another city (yet to be decided).

After Plovdiv was elected as European Capital of Culture in 2019, an ambitious cultural program has started its realisation. According to this program, there will be an Island of Arts in the middle of the Maritsa River in Plovdiv. The "Kapana" area (the "Trap") will become a quarter of the arts where the creative industries are going to be developed and presented. This famous area, Kapana, was renovated in 2014, restoring its authentic outlook.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} It has been used for a number of festivals and art events.

For 2019 the City Under the Hills is planning a number of concerts, including "Balkan Music in Plovdiv".The city will host the Plovdiv Biennale and a number of international forums, such as a meeting of collectors from Europe, a summer art school, dance projects, etc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bulgariatravel.org/en/topical/129 |title=Plovdiv will be the European Capital of Culture in 2019 |website=bulgariatravel.org |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107011551/http://bulgariatravel.org/en/topical/129 |archive-date=7 November 2016 }}</ref>