Golden Orpheus

The Golden Orpheus (Златният Орфей, Zlatniyat Orfey) was an international song contest, held annually from 1965 to 1999 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Alongside its Bulgarian pop song competition, the festival’s rules and regulations included an international singing contest. The event quickly grew to be one of the most prestigious Eastern European festivals during socialism. The event has been broadcast on the International Radio and Television Organisation - Intervision network since 1967 with a viewership of nearly 200 million viewers.

Selected winners of the Grand Prix

 * 1966: Yordanka Hristova (Bulgaria)
 * 1971: Maria Pakhomenko (USSR)
 * 1974: Lili Ivanova (Bulgaria)
 * 1975: Alla Pugachova (USSR)
 * 1976: Farah Maria (CUBA)
 * 1977: Roza Rymbayeva (USSR)
 * 1981: Dagmar Frederic (GDR)
 * 1984: Debbie Campbell (USA)
 * 1988:Tamara Gverdtsiteli (USSR)
 * 1990: Etta Scollo (Austria)
 * 1992: Henry Winter (Ireland)

Selected first prize winners

 * 1968: Marion Rung (Finland)
 * 1970: Biser Kirov (Bulgaria)
 * 1971: Omara Portuondo (Cuba) and Ben Cramer (The Netherlands), (shared)
 * 1973: Sofia Rotaru (USSR)
 * 1974: Sergei Zakharov (USSR)
 * 1974:Nereyda Naranjo (Cuba)
 * 1975: Lee Towers (Netherlands)
 * 1976: Enzo Gusman (Malta)
 * 1979: Albert Asadullin (USSR)
 * 1980: Valery Leontiev (USSR)
 * 1981:Argelia Fragoso (Cuba)
 * 1986: Albita Rodriguez (Cuba)
 * 1988:Marusha (Cuba)
 * 1992: Henry Winter (Ireland)

Selected second prize winners

 * 1969: Yuri Bogatikov (USSR)
 * 1975:Elizabeth de Gracia (Cuba)
 * 1976: Eugene Martynov (USSR)
 * 1992: Philipp Kirkorov (Russia)

Selected third prize winners

 * 1968: Joseph Kobzon (USSR)
 * 1972: Lev Leshchenko (USSR)
 * 1982:Miguel Chávez (Cuba)
 * 1984:María de Jesus (Cuba)

Notable interval act performers

 * Ornella Vanoni – 1969
 * Josephine Baker – 1970
 * Gilbert Bécaud – 1971
 * Salvatore Adamo - 1972
 * Rosita Fornes -1972
 * Gianni Morandi - 1973
 * Ricchi e Poveri - 1973
 * Julio Iglesias - 1973
 * Karel Gott – 1974, 1986
 * Al Bano and Romina Power – 1975, 1984
 * Iva Zanicchi-1976
 * Alla Pugacheva - 1976, 1982, 1986, 1995
 * Grupo Irakere - 1976.
 * Eruption - 1979
 * Farah Maria -1981
 * Tina Turner - 1982
 * Mungo Jerry - 1987
 * Paco de Lucía - 1988
 * Boney M. - 1990
 * Toto Cutugno - 1993
 * Boy George - 1994
 * La Toya Jackson - 1994
 * Demis Roussos - 1995
 * The Temptations - 1995
 * Paul Rodgers - 1995
 * Alannah Myles - 1996
 * 2 Unlimited - 1996
 * Philipp Kirkorov - 1998