The Meeting of Hopes, Talents and Masters festival started on Wednesday in Dobrich and Albena.

It is the sixth international youth music festival and has united 203 musicians from 16 countries. Well over Bulgarian musicians took part in the festival alongside 81 foreign participants, their ages ranged from six to 32.

Each musician will perform once in the competition and then in several concerts. "This creates a relaxed atmosphere, where performers are not tense and there are no parents crying or angry with the jury, as often happens at competitions," said jury chairman and president of the Union of Bulgarian Composers Professor Viktor Chuchkov.

According to him, a major advantage of the youth festival forum is its wide scope in terms of instruments and vocal performances. Categories include cello, violin, oboe, harp, brass instruments, classical singing and choirs.

The chance for talented youngsters to perform to successfully start their careers is what concerns the organizers the most. Alexanderina Milcheva, Yosif Radionov and musicians from the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Russia, the U.S., Germany, Greece and other countries are on the jury. Usually they invite the festival winners to festivals in their own countries.

During the festival the jury members will also arrange master classes and take part in a concert on September 12. The winners will participate in two gala concerts on Saturday in Dobrich and in Albena on Sunday.

Prizes include works of art, computers, games, excursions and drawings. The Interart company is giving prizes for every festival. "Interart's owner Zdravka Sirakova has been signed into the honorary book of Dobrich," said Lyubomir Sivkov, mayor of Dobrich.

The festival will pay special attention to the day of Dobrich on September 25. It was on that day in 1940 that the town was freed from Romanian occupation. Dobrich will be the first town in Bulgaria to receive the Flag of Honour of the European Council for achievements in establishing European values.