Bulgarian classical music

Classical music in Bulgaria emerged after liberation from Ottoman rule and was associated with the arrival of Russian, Polish and Czech immigrants during Tsar Ferdinand's reign. Professional Bulgarian music developed gradually, initially focusing chiefly on classical music. Its earliest musicians were immigrants and Bulgarians of international backgrounds. Early wind bands and symphony orchestras were formed from musicians without formal training. Early conductors and composers were music and singing teachers, and very few had been educated in western Europe. Music schools and academies, increasing numbers of wind and symphony orchestras, and developing urban choirs laid the foundations for professional musical practice in the country. The initial emphasis on classical and choral music gradually extended to the theory of Church Slavonic music and Bulgarian folklore. In the late 1960s, interest broadened to popular styles such as pop, jazz and rock. The first generation of Bulgarian composers based their works mainly on Bulgarian folklore. These were initially published in collections called kitki, before the composers began making arrangements of them.