Susan Blood, Banner Correspondent
Every year on the first Sunday of March, a traditional festival attracts thousands of people to the Bulgarian village of Shiroka Laka, home of the National School of Folklore Art. In 2020 John Thomas was there, on a Fulbright grant to research, study, learn, and perform the music of Bulgaria.
“That was the last time I was with a big group of people,” Thomas said. A week later, Bulgaria reported its first two cases of the coronavirus, and Thomas’ stay in Bulgaria was cut short.
“There were three of us that had tried to see if we could work it out, but the schools were shutting down. My whole focus was to be in a room with a piano coach or a composer and to perform. We couldn t do that.”