“The Spirit”, a sculpture from the collection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to be presented at this year's edition of the Off The Beaten Path Festival
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Kaya Deckelbaum’s sculpture “The Spirit” will be featured at the 8th edition of the Off The Beaten Path Festival, which brings together lovers of classical chamber music and will take place between 29 July and 8 August. The sculpture was donated by its creator, Ms. Deckelbaum, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2015 and is on display by the State Institute for Culture in a prominent location at the Ministry’s headquarters.
The sculpture depicts an angel measuring 1.30 m by 1.00 m, its wings spread wide and in flight, evoking both personal and collective and societal growth. Kaya Deckelbaum was born in Sofia in the midst of World War II and currently lives in New York. Her works have been exhibited at numerous art forums in the United States and around the world. To this day, Ms. Deckelbaum preserves a feeling of gratitude towards the nation of Bulgaria for its efforts in saving the Bulgarian Jewish population from the death camps during World War II. An installation similar to “The Spirit” was exhibited at the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York in March of this year, where the organizers of the Off The Beaten Path Festival saw it for the first time.
The Off The Beaten Path Festival, founded by New York-based pianist Lora Chekoratova, is a forum for Bulgarian and international musicians to perform concerts in natural settings and historic sites away from major urban centers. The highlight of this year’s season is a new chamber music piece that pays tribute to Dimitar Peshev - the Bulgarian who played a key role in saving Bulgarian Jews during World War II, as noted in a social media post by the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York. The piece was commissioned by David Ludwig, dean and chair of the composition department at the Juilliard School in New York. David Ludwig dedicates the work to members of his family who fled or perished during World War II.
The world premiere will take place on August 1 in Kovachevitsa, and the work will also be performed on July 29 in Dobrinishte. It will be performed by Britt Hewitt (soprano), Georgi Valchev (violin), Annet Artinyan (cello), and Lora Chekoratova (piano). For more information about the festival and its eighth edition, read here.