66th Dubrovnik Summer Festival Officially Opened

One of the biggest cultural events in Croatia, the 66th Dubrovnik Summer Festival, was officially opened on Friday night with raising the Libertas flag on Orlando’s Column in Dubrovnik…

More than 2,000 artists from all over the world will take part this year over 47 festival days (10 July – 25 August) in more than 70 theatrical, musical, operatic, ballet and folklore events in around twenty Dubrovnik site-specific venues. Over 60,000 local and international guests are expected to watch performances this year.

This year’s programme features a number of prominent international artists. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival’s Music Programme opens on Saturday with a VIP concert in front of St Blaise’s Church featuring one of Croatia’s finest young tenors Domagoj Dorotić, baritone Leon Košavić and the Slovenian Philharmonic under the baton the composing legend Uroš Lajovic.

Numerous chamber and symphonic concerts and recitals will be held in July and August, including Maestro Ivo Pogorelich performing at the Rector’s Palace Atrium with the Chamber Studio of the Zagreb Philharmonic conducted by the renowned Hungarian conductor Zoltán Kocsis and young Russian pianist Alexander Kutuzov, the first prize winner in the International Tchaikovsky Competition at the age of 16, will also give a recital during the festival.

The Festival audience will also have the opportunity to listen to another well-known jazz singer Gregory Porter, last year’s Grammy winner in the Best Vocal Jazz Album Category, young American pianist Andrew Tyson, the Croatian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra with the Croatian Baroque Ensemble; and many other outstanding musicians will also perform.

The extensive Off Programme of the 66th Dubrovnik Summer Festival includes exhibitions by the painter Matko Trebotić, the French photographer Marc Riboudnik and the Dubrovnik painter Josip Škerlj; as well as a presentation of the book Handwriting of the Eye by one of Croatia’s most distinguished art historians Igor Zidić, published by Matica Hrvatska. The film programme presented in Dubrovnik’s open-air cinemas comprises cult films theme-wise connected with this year’s programme, as well as a selection of best national and international films from the Pula Film Festival.

The Linđo Folklore Ensemble will give a series of performances presenting dances and songs from all parts of Croatia. Public discussions on actual themes between the artists and audiences will also be part of this year’s programme.

The idea of founding the Dubrovnik Summer Festival in 1950 was to harmonize the renaissance and baroque atmosphere of Dubrovnik and the living spirit of drama and music.

Check out the full programme here.

(photos / dubrovnik summer festival)