Opera in Myrtle Beach? First-of-its-kind festival brings musical twist to Grand Strand

When it comes to live entertainment, locals and visitors in Myrtle Beach are likely to think of tribute bands, Pirate’s Voyage and the Carolina Opry — not classical music and operas.

A new festival, MUZIKA, wants to change that perception.

Originally started in Varna, Bulgaria, on the coast of the Black Sea, the month-long celebration brings together classical musicians, singers and conductors for a series of small musical performances culminating in two major operas, “Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, Puccini” and “Carmen, Bizet.”

MUZIKA, underway from now until the end of July is being put on by Varna International, a company cofounded by Kalin and Sharon Tchnoev that is based in Columbia and hosts music festivals and performances around the world.

For decades, MUZIKA was held in Europe, but the Tchonevs decided to bring it to South Carolina, where their company was based, after having to cancel the festival for several years due to the pandemic.

“You can really deliver a message to the audience through music,” Sharon Tchonev said. “People might not always read the book you recommend, or go to a lecture, but if you invite them to a concert, they’re more likely to go. And if the show has a good message, it’s just so important. The power of the arts is so important, for the people on stage and the audience.”

In keeping with the festival’s roots, the couple chose the Grand Strand as MUZIKA’s new home.

“As we walked the beach, it reminded us of Kalin’s hometown, which is Varna, Bulgaria,” Sharon Tchonev said. “It is also a beach resort similar to Myrtle Beach. We thought it would be just a wonderful connection to bring the festival ... to a beautiful resort city.

“Who knows, maybe they can become sister cities.”

The region offers a host of benefits for MUZIKA to take advantage of: Locals who moved to Myrtle Beach from places like New York City, where classical music and operas are common; Coastal Carolina University’s performing arts programs; and dozens of venues, large and small, to host the festival’s performances.

“All the ingredients are here,” Sharon Tchonev said.

Expanding the arts in Myrtle beach

The festival started with recitals featuring Metropolitan Opera Trumpeteer and a young artists showcase, featuring both local and visiting performers. The recitals will continue for the rest of the month and will include performances ranging from “La Scala to Broadway: Arias and duets from beloved operas, operettas, and musicals” on July 17 to “Mediterranean Breeze,” a performance featuring works from renowned European composers, on July 23.

“I think we sometimes take for granted the value of music in our lives,” Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said in a statement. “Music soothes our souls, triggers our emotions, enhances our social lives and activates our memories. ... I am sure that each and every (performance) will enhance and stimulate your knowledge of and love for music.”

Maestro Gregory Buchalter of the Metropolitan Opera is the conductor for both of the operas. He said the operas were chosen because of their accessibility. Giacomo Puccini, who wrote the two, one-act operas, “Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi,” is one of the most famous composers in history, having written “Madame Butterfly.” And “Carmen,” written by Georges Bizet, is a well-known comedic opera with songs Buchalter said “many will recognize.”

“It’s not this scary thing in a foreign language that people can’t understand, that people think it is,” Buchalter said. “It’s really accessible. The music is very melodic, but the staging is very fun. It’s just like going to a musical theater, to Broadway.”

The company that’s putting on the MUZIKA festival also runs the Varna International Music Academy, where performers can learn from world-class faculty as they progress in their careers. One of the people benefitting from Varna’s teachings this year is Hunter Rogers, who is performing in “Carmen” after having graduated this spring from Appalachian State University in North Carolina.

“I’m working with new teachers and new coaches just to get new, fresh insight into the voice and how to sing,” Rogers said. “I’ve had the same teacher for the past three years, so it’s nice to get different opinions.”

The best part, he said, is how Varna is giving him the chance to experience opera and performance as a professional career.

“I’m having a blast. If anybody’s thinking about pursuing a summer program like this, they should definitely look into it,” Rogers said.

The academy is one of the primary reasons why Buchalter loves working with Varna.

“I believe in their mission, which is to give young singers the opportunity to perform with orchestra, to perform in fully-staged operas, to have the experience of learning roles and getting them on their resumes,” he said. “It’s very rewarding. I’ve spent so many years working at the Metropolitan Opera and just conducting all over, but I can take my experience and knowledge and share it with young people.”

The arrival of MUZIKA fits into the greater mission of area leaders and the local arts community to expand access to arts and culture in Myrtle Beach. Last month, the Myrtle Beach Art Museum celebrated its 25th anniversary as it contemplated moving downtown, potentially leaving its original home for the chance to grow and bring art galleries more directly to tourists and locals in the new Arts & Innovation District.

With MUZIKA, the Grand Strand is one step closer to becoming a place where people live and visit to seek out the arts, rather than having to leave to find culture elsewhere. And while it is only in its first year, the Tchonevs plan for MUZIKA to become an annual event.

“Myrtle Beach is now a hub and a place where you can go to hear great operas,” Sharon Tchonev said. “It doesn’t need to be only in Florida or in Wilmington or in Charlotte. It can be right here.”

MUZIKA performances continue through July 29. Admission to many of the recitals is free. Full ticket information can be found online at VarnaInternational.com/muzika.