Dear Friends,

Some of my earliest recollections of my childhood in Varna, Bulgaria, are of my father. My father was a true conductor. His love of music and passion for excellence shaped my musical conscience from a very young age. I was introduced to my first love, the piano, at age five. During my teen years, I discovered and cultivated a love for conducting through extensive training in this beloved field.

The vision of Varna International is to be an intercultural platform, upon which artistic beauty and musical excellence are produced and experienced. The heart of this company revolves around the pursuit and celebration of such excellence and the opportunity to connect with people through the universal language of music. I am moved time and time again when I see men and women from different nationalities and cultures unite on a single platform for a single purpose: to celebrate music.

Something I've learned through the years, both in my professional and personal life, is that it is people who make all the difference. The Varna experience is more than a program, itinerary, podium, or hall. While those details are significant, the individuals with whom we connect along the way are what define the experience, as a whole, and when those connections develop into relationships, we are changed.

The two greatest relationships in my life are my wife, Sharon, and son, Eliav. A native of Israel, Sharon was a breath of fresh Mediterranean air when we met over 17 years ago. (If you come with us on a festival tour in Israel, you will be sure to meet this truly incredible woman.) Sharon and I work together as a team to develop, perfect, and deliver to our guests unforgettable experiences that bring the cities, cultures, and music masterpieces to life.

In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are and for what, whence, and where to." So, finally I ask you: "Who are you and what do you want to accomplish? Where are you coming from and where would you like to go?"

Maybe you've been waiting for an opportunity to practice your skill on an instrument while interacting with Italian artists and their culture. Perhaps you just want to hear your voice echo back to you from the cathedral ceilings in Prague. Are you driven, as I was, by the desire to commune with the ancient cities where so many familiar notes were penned? Or maybe, you are a world-traveler at heart with a genuine love for music and culture and the desire to experience it for yourself.

If so, consider this your invitation.

Remember, you do not have to be a conductor, instrumentalist, or vocalist to share in this musical adventure. I welcome you, dear traveler, and anticipate the day when we meet in person to share this experience together!

Let us create beauty in excellence.
Let us move cities together.
Let us speak music to the world.

Kalin Tchonev
Founder and CEO
Varna International

"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul." - Johann Sebastian Bach