The seventeenth International Festival of Opera and Ballet Stars “Maria Biesu Invites” will take place in Chisinau during September 11-19. Famous singers and conductors from ten countries will participate in the festival, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to a communique from the National Opera House, this year the festival will bring together Evgheni Akimov (Saint-Petersburg, Russia), Maria Lobanova (Moscow, Russia), Peter Danailov (Sofia, Bulgaria), Alicja Wegoryewsca (Warsaw, Poland), Felicia Filip (Bucharest, Romania), Oleg Ionese (Bucharest, Romania), Dagmar Zaludkova (Prague, Czech Republic), Tatiana Vladimirova (Krasnodar, Russia), Denis Vladimirov (Krasnodar, Russia) and Michal Lehotsky (Bratislava, Slovenia). Such well-known conductors as Marco Boemi (Rome, Italy), Alexandru Samoila (Antalya, Turkey), Vladimir Garcusha (Kiev, Ukraine) and Nicolai Koleadko (Minsk, Belarus) are also expected to Chisinau. The largest part of the performances will take place at the National Opera House. A benefit concert will be given at the Organ Hall on September 13. The National Palace in Chisinau will host the final gala concert. The festival has a budget of about 75,000 lei. It is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Moldova, the Musicians’ Union and the National Opera House and is held under the aegis of the Moldovan Government.