About

• Drop Down Community

  Drop Down Community is a Bulgarian independent string orchestra composed of young, talented musicians who have chosen to share their passion for music and dedicate themselves to creating exciting experiences for their audience, bridging the gap between young audiences and the classical music scene.

  Their journey began in 2019 with a thrilling performance in the unique atmosphere of the “Ledonika” cave, where they impressed with their skills and passion for music. Following this success, in early 2020, the orchestra expanded its horizons and brought its music to one of the largest clubs in Sofia, “EXE,” leaving a lasting mark on the Sofia club scene with their performance.

  In the summer of 2020, Drop Down Community was invited to participate for the first time in the Mozart Festival in Pravets, where they performed the world premiere of “Chamber Symphony for String Orchestra,” a composition dedicated to the ensemble by the respected Bulgarian composer Rumen Boyadzhiev Jr. In November 2020, DDC held a solo concert at the Bulgaria Hall as part of the “Hope through Music” project, produced by the Sofia Philharmonic.

  In the following year, 2021, Drop Down Community presented their ambitious project “Five Elements,” aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues affecting planet Earth. The project includes strong visual elements that amplify its message. As part of the project, they released their debut album, which shares the same name as the project. The music was composed by Ivo Paunov, and the five music videos were created by Bulgarian director Vasil Karkelanos. Additionally, in 2021, they participated in numerous concerts and festivals across the country with soloists like Lia Petrova and Simos Papanas, solidifying their presence on the Bulgarian music scene.

  In the years that followed, Drop Down Community continued to develop and expand their activities and repertoire. In 2022, they organized a charity concert to support people fleeing the war in Ukraine. They also recorded music for the new album of Bulgarian artist Vladimir Ampov – Grafa. In the same year, Drop Down Community held their first concert abroad, performing at the Thracian Economic Forum on the island of Samothrace, Greece. At the end of 2022, they were invited to participate in the New Year’s Music Festival at the National Palace of Culture, where they collaborated in a joint performance with pantomime students from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA).

  From 2023 on, Drop Down Community continues to evolve and showcase their music through various festival platforms. They recorded music with Belgian composer Arthur Browns for the theatrical production Blood Wedding, which premiered in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

• "5 Elements"

  “Five Elements” is Drop Down Community’s latest innovative project addressing global environmental issues. Recognized as the Five Elements are: Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Plastic, which are in an inextricable cycle that humanity is leads to a destructive direction. The daily struggle in the personal lives of the young musicians of Drop Down Community to reduce their use of plastic and their intransigence towards the destruction of nature provoked this project. Through the power of art, the talented artists expressed a stance inspiring the creation of a society that values vital resources. As part of the project, the successful film composer Ivo Paunov created the music for the Five Elements suite, for which five videos were filmed, presenting real environmental issues to alert society. The visual design of the project is the work of the established director Vasil Karkelanov. After the successful premiere on 14.11.2021 at the Bulgaria Hall, the videos for the project have been uploaded to the orchestra’s social media channels on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram, while the eponymous album, which is also the debut for the ensemble, is available on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Deezer and other digital platforms. 

The project would not have been possible without the financial support of the Ministry of Culture’s Music Programme and the National Culture Fund’s Socially Engaged Arts Programme.