Zagreb Classic: Excellent Classical Music Out in the Open

Summer is traditionally welcomed in the wonderful ambience of the historical King Tomislav Square in Zagreb with a string of concerts brought by the Zagreb Classic Open-air Festival. Lovers of classical music will enjoy a series of concerts out in the open from 19 June to 2 July. Renowned artist who stood on many world stages will perform Croatian and foreign pieces, from symphonic music, jazz and opera to ballets. In collaboration with the Vienna Music Film Festival, recent opera and operetta productions coming from world stages will again be screened during the festival.

The Zagreb Classic Festival, which has been held since 2016, owing to an excellent repertoire and performances as well as outstanding surroundings of one of the most beautiful squares in Zagreb, has gained a cult status among musicians and lovers of classical music. Citizens and visitors of Zagreb will be able to enjoy an excellent programme in a relaxed atmosphere, on lawns surrounded by flower beds. Instead of tickets, the only thing they need in order to attend is love for music and a matt to sit on the grass.

This year’s edition of Zagreb Classic starts with the Evening with Francesco Meli. The programme consists of most famous Italian arias by Donizetti, Puccini and Leoncavallo and popular songs from Italy, Mexico and Eastern Europe. In the second part of the concert, the audience in Zagreb will hear a piece composed by Nino Rota for Fellini’s film Amarcord. The concert finishes with a famous drinking song from Verdi’s Traviata. On this occasion, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, which has 150 years of tradition, will be joined by a renowned opera tenor Francesco Meli, soprano Serena Gambroni, mezzosoprano Floriana Cicio and baritone Nicola Zambon, while Carlo Bernini will be the conductor.

Three evenings of Zagreb Classic will be marked by the Vienna Music Film Festival, bringing the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, Cervantes by Johann Strauss Jr and Fantasy by Walt Disney. The latter piece merges timeless classical music with fascinating animation into a masterpiece which attracts both the youngest spectators and adults.

Spectators will also be able to enjoy the concert entitled the Splendour of the Mediterranean, performed by the Symphonic Orchestra and Choir of the Croatian Radiotelevision. Sara Domjanić will play the violine, tenor Tomislav Jukić and bass-baritone Benjamin Šuran will sing and the conductor at the concert will be Gergely Duboczky.

The Croatian Radiotelevision jazz orchestra will perform a programme entitled Lost in the Stars, and the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra will be responsible for another excellent musical evening entitled Growing up with Music. This evening consists of two parts, the first of which is a symphonic fairy tale Peter and the Wolf by Sergej Prokofiev, designed for young spectators. The second part of the programme on the same evening will bring the Symphony in C major by Georges Bizet.

The ensemble of the Zagreb City Theatre "Komedija" will perform a premiere of the Broadway Dance Show on this unique stage.

Julian Rachlin, a conductor, a violinist, a chamber musician, a teacher with a thirty-year long successful career will create an excellent evening filled with music with the help of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. They will perform pieces by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Glinka.

This year’s Zagreb Classic Open Air Festival will end with a premiere of the homage oratorio Anno Domini 925 - King Tomislav. The oratorio is dedicated to 1100^th anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom, marked in Croatia this year. The protagonist of this piece is the first Croatian king, King Tomislav.

In addition to the Zagreb Croatian National Theatre Orchestra and Choir and conductor Johathan Griffith, pianist Matej Meštrović, the author of libretto and music, will also perform. The fact that the music premiere is to take place in the beautiful ambiance of the historical King Tomislav Square will make it even more beautiful.