Mysteries of the Balkans | Voices, Music and Dance — November 8 to December 7, 2025

Flamboyant, lively, diverse, and inspired: the Balkans form a rich cultural mosaic shaped by centuries of encounters and exchanges. Far from museums and postcard clichés, the Mysteries of the Balkans festival draws on this vibrant heritage to reveal its full richness and expressive power.
Artists from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Crimea, Romania, Turkey, Greece, and even Ukraine come together for a series of concerts, family performances, dance events, talks, lectures, and film screenings.
Syncopated songs, whirling dances, striking timbres, colourful village costumes — these traditions carry both the memory of peoples, sometimes painful, and their extraordinary ability to celebrate the wonders of the world around them.

At the heart of this festival is a tribute to Marcel Cellier (1925–2013), tireless ambassador of Eastern European music to Western audiences. A musician, ethnomusicologist, radio producer, and above all great traveller, he brought the voices of the “Other Europe” to light from Switzerland: from the Black Sea to Bulgarian villages, Romanian monasteries, the cymbalum, and the now-legendary choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares.
A hundred years after his birth, his work still resonates with intensity.

This festival, in its diversity and generosity, continues in that spirit. It also seeks to remind us of the strength of tradition in keeping intercultural dialogue alive.
Through the voices, music, and dances of this programme, a spirit of curiosity, sharing, and the joy of listening and watching is passed on.

— Fabrice Contri

PROGRAMM

Visit our website for the full programme and ticketing information.

Zakouska: In Pursuit of the Horsehair Bow

Adventurous Balkan Music – Family Show

Saturday, November 8, 3:00 PM – MEG

Élodie Messmer – violin, percussion, vocals
Aline Haelberg – violin, lyra, vocals
Arthur Bacon – accordion, percussion, vocals
Fabien Bucher – guitar, percussion, vocals
Original compositions and traditional music from Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Crete
Duration: 50 minutes

Echoes of Crimea – Kara Deniz (“Black Sea”)

Les Vendredis de l’Ethno

Friday, November 14, 9:00 PM – AMR

Enver Izmaylov (Crimea) – guitar
Sergiu Popa (Moldova / Canada) – accordion
Saddam Novruzbayov (Azerbaijan / France) – clarinet, zurna
Noémy Braun (Switzerland / France) – cello
Ayder Ashyrov (Crimea) – drums
Ersoj Kasimov (North Macedonia) – percussion
Duration: 70 minutes with intermission

Bulgarian Dinner-Dance – Into the Circles of Horo

Saturday, November 15, 7:00–11:30 PM

Venue: Point Favre – Chêne-Bourg

No entry after 8:00 PM

This festive dinner-dance celebrates a vibrant living tradition, led by dance master Ivan Ivanov.
Join the lively horo circle and be swept away by the rhythm of the dance.

Dance Workshops

Introductory Sessions at Point Favre and Masterclass at ADEM Maraîchers

Monday, October 27 – Le Spot (Chêne-Bourg community centre)

Friday, November 14, 7:00–9:00 PM

Saturday, November 15, 1:00–3:00 PM – ADEM Maraîchers (Salle Chaussures)

Instructors and musicians:
Ivan Stoyanov Ivanov – dance
Nikoleta Nikolova – dance
Damian Dimov – kaval
Emil Halachev – accordion
Stefan Georgiev Georgiev – gadulka
Desislav Zdravkov Khalkadzhiev – tambura
Yavor Radev – tǔpan
Ivaylo Stoychev – gaïda

Whose is This Song? – Everyone Sings It, No One Owns It

Thursday, November 20, 7:15 PM – Cinelux

A film by Adela Peeva (2003) – Duration: 70 min – Bulgaria

Cinelux ticket prices:
Standard: CHF 16.50
AVS, Disability, Unemployed*: CHF 13
Students*: CHF 12
Youth (under 20): CHF 12
Children (under 12), Ciné Pass*: CHF 10
20 years/20 francs card*: CHF 5
*On presentation of a valid ID

Meeting with Noémy Braun – From the Cello to the Balkans

Wednesday, November 26, 4:30–6:00 PM
Venue: Room GD-00, HEM Dufour Cultural Centre – Rue du Général-Dufour 2, 1204 Geneva
Free entry – Hosted by Talia Bachir-Loopuyt

Balkan Melodie – A Sound Collector in Eastern Europe

Thursday, November 27, 6:00 PM – eMa

A film by Stefan Schwietert (2012) – Duration: 92 min

Co-production: Germany, Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland

Eva Quartet – Listening to the Mystery of Bulgarian Voices

Thursday, November 27, 8:30 PM – eMa

Gergana Dimitrova – soprano
Sofia Yaneva – mezzo-soprano
Evelina Christova – alto
Daniela Stoitchkova – contralto
Duration: 70 minutes with intermission

Violons Barbares – Monsters and Fantastic Creatures

Friday, November 28, 8:00 PM – eMa

Duration: 90 minutes with intermission

Bulgarian Echoes – Balkan Fusions
Saturday, November 29, 8:00 PM – eMa
Sergiu Popa (Switzerland / Canada) – accordion
Noémy Braun (Switzerland / Canada) – cello
Nedyalko Nedyalkov (Bulgaria) – kaval
Petar Milanov (Bulgaria) – guitar and Bulgarian tambura
Ayder Ashyrov (Crimea / Germany) – drums
Duration: 70 minutes

Instrumental Encounter

Friday, December 5, 12:30 PM – MEG, Music Lounge

Duration: 60 minutes

Les Vendredis de l’Ethno – Balkan Fantasia

Tribute to Marcel Cellier (1925–2013)

Friday, December 5, 9:00 PM – AMR

Voices of Ukraine – At the Heart of Europe

Sunday, December 7, 5:00 PM – Temple Saint-Gervais

Ukrainian Singing Workshop – Oral Tradition Polyphonies

Sunday, December 7, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM