The second Festival of Ballads opens on October 22. It will bring together more than 80 competitors. According to the organizers, the participants include artists from the Transnistrian region and from another six districts that weren’t represented last year. The youngest competitor is 14, while the eldest is 84, IPN reports.

In the first stage of the festival on October 22-23, there will be selected the best ballad singers. The contest will be held within the second stage on October 24 – 25. Managing folk music coordinator at Radio Moldova Veta Ghimpu-Munteanu said the Festival of Ballads develops and may become international next year. “We are glad that more areas of the country will be represented at the festival. We will discover more talents,” she stated.

According to deputy head of Radio Moldova’s Musical Programs Department Nina Jovmir, the jury will consist of 12 experts in musicology and ethnology. “We will have a competent and objective jury, as last year,” she said, adding that the participants must impress with their ballads, authentic costumes and presentation. They will not be accompanied and will sing a cappella.

Those who want to take part in the festival must bring the copy of the identity card, the CV and a description of the two ballads that they will sing. The winners will receive money awards and diplomas. The top prize is 10,000 lei, while the first, second and third prizes range between 3,000 and 8,000 lei.

The festival will include a symposium themed “Ballad: Identity, destiny, development” that will center on the history of ballads.