New Year's Music Festival (NMF) is loved and anticipated by the Sofia audience. The festival is an integral part of the festive atmosphere in the days leading up to Christmas and New Year. NMF was born in the image and likeness of some of the best festivals in Europe – knowledge brought by the great Emil Chakarov – a student of Herbert von Karajan and Michel Glotz – one of the most famous classical music producers in the world. The National Palace of Culture has preserved the traditions of the New Year's Music Festival for over 30 years. The festival encompasses all musical genres and performance formats, including mainly classical, folk, young and very famous performers, opera, symphony, oratorio, children's, chamber, choral concerts, jazz, and films about opera. The editions cover the period from December to January 1st (traditionally, on the first day of the new year, the Festive New Year's Concert takes place), and musicians from all over the world participate in them.