50 years of Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb
- by croatiaweek
- in Entertainment
Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb (Photo: Suradnik13/CC BY-SA 3.0)
ZAGREB, 3 Dec (Hina) – The Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a three-day programme taking place from 28 to 30 December.
The main event of the celebration will be a concert on Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall Day, 29 December, featuring a special joint performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 by the Croatian Radio-Television (HRT) Symphony Orchestra and Choir, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, the Croatian National Theatre Opera Choir, and the Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir in Zagreb, under the direction of maestro Dawid Runtz.
The three-day programme includes performances by numerous musicians, performances and plays for children, as well as guided tours.
The concert hall, named after the composer of the first Croatian opera, “Love and Malice”, officially opened on 29 and 30 December 1973.
In 1957, the decision was made to construct a new versatile hall in Zagreb, and a design contest led by architect Marijan Haberle resulted in the selection of a team for the project.
Construction began in 1961 but faced delays due to flooding and financial challenges, leading to its completion in 1973. Since its opening, the hall has hosted various concerts, including classical music, opera, ballet, theatre performances, and international congresses.
(Photo: Roberta F./CC BY-SA 3.0)
Over the first thirty years, it attracted 10 million visitors, and in 2007 alone, it presented 450 shows with over 760,000 attendees. The Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, venue for the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest, underwent significant renovations in 1989 and had its copper roof replaced in 1992. Additional reconstruction and redecoration occurred in 1999 and 2009.
The celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall is held under the auspices of the Croatian president, the Ministry of Culture and Media, the City of Zagreb, as well as the Zagreb Tourist Board.
