Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zhaklin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Zhaklin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Oh, that’s an interesting question. You know, usually professional musicians start their journey from a very young age, they go to a music school, then music college and university, they practise everyday and gain experience on stage even from those yearly stages of life.
My case was slightly different – I was at the age of 22 when I first felt that pursuing a creative career is what I would TRULY like to do. (Un)fortunately that was right at the beginning of moving to Brussels and following a masters degree in business…
But here’s the full story:
In Bulgaria there is an old town called Plovdiv, a quite creative and culturally rich city with an outstanding hidden gem that attracts thousands of tourists annually – the Ancient Theatre. It is one of the best preserved Roman theatres, built in the 2 century AD, with an exceptional view towards the city and the magical Rhodopi mountains and is still being used every summer as an open-air stage for concerts, opera and ballet, and theatre plays!
I was in the city one day and saw a poster about the show that night, Orpheus and Euridice. A night I would surely remember until the last day. On stage there was sand, water, fire(!), as wall as many dancers and opera singers. And, oh… that moment was magical! I felt something in my heart, a different heartbeat, a passion, a desire and I quietly whispered to myself “One day I would be on that stage performing”.
If what people say about the “call of the soul” is true, then, I believe that intimate moment was exactly it.
So the next day I came back home, asked mum if she knows a classical singer or a teacher in that field and, although quite surprised from the question, it turned out she actually did. Her friend, however, was not giving lessons at that time and connected us to one of her colleagues who was giving private classes to non-professional singers. Her name is Girgina Girginova and I am and would forever be wholeheartedly thankful to her – the woman that changed my life without knowing it.
By that time I was living in Belgium and was already pursuing a masters degree in International Business Economics and Management, so the opportunities of taking private classes with her were just a few times per year when coming back home for the winter or summer break. On the third lesson (summer of 2022) she said “Oh, why don’t you come to the National Music Academy? There is a preparatory class and I think you would be a great fit!” (She is an assisting professor at the Academy). Of course, that special heartbeat came back once again. And yet, starting classical singing could be just a dream as I was right at beginning of the masters and there were at least two more years left.
Fast forward, I graduated, worked for the European Commission, won a scholarship in entrepreneurship and young leadership and went to the US for a few months, then came back again to Brussels. This time to pack my bags and move back to Bulgaria to start the… preparatory programme. And today, in February 2026, I am a happy first-year classical singing student at the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” in prof. Dr. Elitsa Neshevska’s class with assistant Dr. Girgina Girginova.
How exciting life could be!
P.S. Next to the silently whispered dream of becoming an opera singer and performing on the stage of the Ancient theatre in Plovdiv I genuinely dream of singing at the Opernhaus Zürich (Why there and not La Scala or Metropolitan Opera, one would say? Well, my sister lives in the city since 10 years and I’ll be able to do my dream job, and see her everyday).
Zhaklin , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
It’s really funny because I was already 25 when starting the second bachelor (the one in classical singing) and all my friends and relatives were worried. They said “But you just graduated, you must find a regular job, you can’t study until you’re 30!”.
And they’re partially right. But if you don’t follow your heart today, when would the right time be? One day when the kids grow old? Or when the circumstances are better and you have more money? When there is more time, perhaps? No, it’s one life we get, one chance to fill our hearts with joy and excitement through what we’re doing on a daily basis, today, now. I once heard the saying “You shouldn’t fight life, you should enjoy it! It’s a way of living – enjoy the moment”. And that idea got stuck in my mind.
For the record – the first bachelor is in Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam, 2018-2021, so all the professional skill set I gained through the years studying and working is entirely based on the communications and business field. Which seems to be a good fit here in Bulgaria as the salaries for people who work in the creative industry are quite low, actually close to making it impossible to make a living. And creatives usually find a second job to earn a bit more. So combining the business knowledge with music is a great advantage.
One idea I have in mind is to make a creative job board portal as we don’t have such thing here and searching for a job in that field could be extremely hard. I saw my art colleagues struggling to find a new job as there simply is no place to search for artistic jobs. Therefore, dear readers, if you have an idea how we could partner (perhaps with an already developed job board?), please reach out. :)
Today, next to diving in the world of perfect fifths, Verdi, acting, breath work and vertical vocal technique, I’m also working in a startup company and being part of ABLE (Association of Bulgarian Leaders and Entrepreneurs). What I love about that side, the more rational one, is the necessity of going outside your role, of being flexible, learning fast and thinking critically. Skills that are also essential when being an artist.
At work we’re organising Crossroads 2026 – the biggest start up conference in South Eastern Europe, connecting founders and investors under one roof! So if you’re heading towards the warmer side of Europe in October (to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria), pass by for a chat!
Something important about my creative work I forgot to mention and should have done way earlier is Nusha – the choir I joined 5 years ago led by Neli Andreeva. Neli is the soloist of Philip Koutev choir, the national folklore ensemble, for more than 25 years now. She is one of the best folklore singers in Bulgaria, with an exceptional technique and voice as soft as an angels touch. She started a choir for women who always wanted to go into the music world but never had the chance to do so. And this community that feels like a family, it’s amazing. One of my core memories with them is singing in a cave where the acoustics was unbelievable. That’s a feeling so rare I can’t find a similar thing to compare it with. Or another favourite memory is when we were singing in a church built hundreds of years ago back when Bulgaria was under Ottoman power (and churches were not allowed to be higher than a horse so people built them half underground). Also a very specific feeling.
Singing in a choir is completely different than singing alone! There it’s about tuning in with the others, being part of the whole, feeling the harmony, the energy you create when singing together. I love Nusha choir with all my heart and would invite everyone who still hasn’t heard Bulgarian polyphonic singing to do so – it’s very unique. In fact, so unique that NASA sent it to space. (You can check “Malka Moma” by Neli Andreeva for polyphonic singing and “Izlel e delyo haidutin” by Valya Balkanska, the song included in the Voyager Golden Record).
Lastly, another favourite quote of mine is “Your purpose is not the thing you do. It is the thing that happens in others when you do what you do.” And that’s my mission in life – to make people emotional and vulnerable through art, perhaps helping them turn inwards, and to bring value to the ones around me.
One last thing I would like to leave as a message here to all the parents reading the article – Please, always, always, always support your kids and tell them you believe in them!
If it wasn’t for the support of my parents and sister and the unconditional love and stable belief they had no matter the direction I take, I would have never achieved all of those personal “mountain peaks”.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
That’s also an interesting question. Here in Bulgaria we have a Multisport card – a monthly subscription of €50 that allows you to go to one free sport a day. There are more than 1000 vendors all around the country and you can do everything from swimming and yoga to horse riding and rowing. I believe a similar concept is needed in the creative world, a subscription that allows people to go to theatre plays, galleries, opera and ballet, concerts and other performances with a significant discount. That would surely boost the attendance rate.
Other than that I believe the best thing society can do to support artists is to go as often as possible to cultural events.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I believe not many people are aware what NFTs really are, including myself. I mean having a deeper understanding of the matter. And that’s why in the current decade it seems to me that NFTs won’t have a significant impact on the creative industry.
However, with the Metaverse moving closer to our day to day lives, although it is still just a concept in the minds of the majority, it might become highly relevant to produce your art as an NFT, or to give discounts to those following your concert in the Metaverse, for example. Imagine people from Australia and Asia being at a concert together with thousands other people while… sitting in their own comfortable room. A crazy idea, isn’t it? But it might be the future. I am certain about one thing – that innovations are good and move humankind forward, however, it is crucial how they are being used. Same as when people were progressing in chemistry and invented the atomic bomb. Great minds, big step for researchers, new knowledge but the outcome is something that kills.
So back to the NFTs – if you’re interested in that field, go and make one today. Who knows, may be in 10 years it will make you a millionaire.
Contact Info:
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- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/zhaklin-karnalova-8175731a0
Image Credits
Liubov Dimitrova