After more than 20 years in the making, DRACONIA is finally coming to life as one of the most ambitious and visionary symphonic rock operas of the modern era. Created by Nikolo Kotzev, the mastermind behind the acclaimed rock opera Nostradamus, the project is conceived not as a traditional album but as a fully immersive artistic experience, a true movie in music.

Dark, dramatic, romantic and powerful, Draconia tells a story of condemned love and the eternal battle between good and evil, moving seamlessly between heavy rock, symphonic arrangements, progressive elements and orchestral depth. Structured as a four-act rock opera spanning over 120 minutes of music across 22 songs, the work is composed by real orchestra, choir, rock band and an exceptional international cast of 8 vocalists, bringing together legendary names and outstanding performers.

Among the singers confirmed in the project are Joe Lynn Turner as the Wiseman, Dino Jelusick in the lead role of Freedom, Stefan Nykvist as Mohdrai, Göran Edman as the Storyteller, Ronnie Grace as Gamohra, Veronica “The V” Freeman as Reptilah, and Nikola Zdravkov as the Crow. Each voice has a key character within complex narrative rich in emotional tension and transformation. The female leading role “Hope” has already been cast with a well-known singer and will be officially announced soon.

Recording sessions are currently underway, and early work has already revealed the extraordinary scope and demanding nature of the material. Speaking from the studio after completing his vocal sessions, Dino Jelusick described the experience as something truly unique: “The tracks are amazing, very out of the box, very challenging: singing-wise, melody-wise, harmony-wise, chord-wise, musically in general. I enjoyed these six days.”

He also emphasized the scale and ambition of the project, adding “I cannot wait to hear what the other singers will do… there will be some pretty cool legendary names and some pretty cool up-and-coming names in the rock world.” Reflecting on the overall vision, he concluded with confidence: “Once everything is done, I’m sure it’s going to kick everyone’s ass.

At the same time, Nikolo Kotzev will be hitting the stage alongside Joe Lynn Turner for a series of Scandinavian live dates:

April 23 at Valand in Göteborg (Sweden)

April 25 at Wings Of AOR in Norrköping (Sweden)

April 26 at John Dee in Oslo (Norway)

With Draconia, Kotzev once again pushes the boundaries of the genre, shaping a work that merges classical composition, cinematic storytelling and the raw power of rock into a single, cohesive artistic statement.

More news and updates will be out soon.

DRACONIA ON THE WEB:

https://draconia.nostramusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nikolokotzev1

https://www.instagram.com/nikolo_kotzev/