Emanuil Manolov

My name is Emanuil Manolov. I was born on January 7, 1860, in Gabrovo. I loved music from an early age, which is why I went to study at the Moscow Conservatory. I am the composer of the first Bulgarian opera and am considered one of the founders of professional Bulgarian music. When the Serbian-Bulgarian War broke out in 1885, I interrupted my studies and returned to Bulgaria as a volunteer. After the war, I became the bandmaster of the Guard Orchestra and a choir conductor. I composed the first Bulgarian marches and songs, which inspired the soldiers and the people. Few people know that I wrote the music for some of the most beloved Bulgarian school songs. I died at the age of just 42 in Kazanlak, but my spirit lives on in every melody that makes hearts beat stronger. My monument in Gabrovo pays tribute to the first Bulgarian composer with a European education.