First ever concert hall in Osijek nears completion

(Photo: Osijek.hr)

The work on the development and equipping of the concert hall, the first in the history of the city of Osijek, is nearing completion.

The grand opening of the hall, featuring a concert by the HRT Symphony Orchestra, is scheduled for 27th September, Osijek’s Mayor, Ivan Radić, announced during a site visit on Monday.

“The concert hall will be named after our fellow Osijek native, Franjo Krežma, who was born in 1862 and was respected throughout Europe at the time. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 19, but he left behind over 100 works. Even Giuseppe Verdi referred to him as the new Paganini. After a primary school and a monument, Franjo Krežma will now have a concert hall in Osijek,” said Mayor Radić.

(Photo: Osijek.hr)

The project is valued at 1.7 million euros, of which 930,000 euros were provided by the Ministry of Culture and Media, and 770,000 euros by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them, as this concert hall will not cost the citizens of Osijek a single euro cent,” the Mayor emphasised.

He added that with a floor area of approximately 1,000 square metres and just over 400 seats, it will be the second-largest concert hall in Croatia, after Zagreb’s Vatroslav Lisinski Hall, but it will be the most modern.

(Photo: Osijek.hr)

“Final works are underway, the steel overhead structure has been installed, chairs have been placed, the parquet flooring in the auditorium has been laid and varnished, and the parquet is now being installed on the stage. The only task remaining is the assembly of the orchestral shell,” Mayor Radić reported.

He also highlighted that in 2024, the City of Osijek is allocating record funds for culture, with 5.8 million euros set aside after the budget revision. This is 1.3 million euros more than the previous year and 2.3 million euros more than in 2021, when he became mayor.

“We’ve also purchased a concert piano worth nearly 200,000 euros, which will be placed in this concert hall. We are planning a thorough renovation of the Croatian National Theatre. The energy renovation of the Branko Mihaljević Children’s Theatre and the City and University Library will commence soon. In addition to infrastructure, we are also investing in content. The second Pannonian Book Festival recently concluded, attracting 17,000 visitors, which pleasantly surprised both us and the organisers,” said Mayor Radić.

(Photo: Osijek.hr)

The Mayor also mentioned that the Osijek Summer of Culture, which lasted for two months with 66 programmes, is coming to an end. He praised the programme, noting its high quality given the large number of attendees, and announced that it will conclude with a concert by the Orchestra of 100 Violins from Budapest.

Ivan Kristijan Majić, Director of the Osijek Cultural Centre, added that the opening programme for the new hall will take place on 27th and 28th September. On the first day, the HRT Symphony Orchestra will perform alongside Osijek pianist Konstantin Krasnicki, while on the second day, the enhanced Brevis Vocal Ensemble will take the stage.

Speaking about the 2024/2025 concert season, Majić announced that 10 concerts will be held from October to June, beginning with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and concluding with Slovenia’s Perpetuum Jazzile. Additionally, he introduced the Sunday Cycle, which will feature top Osijek performers.

Svetozar Sarkanjac, Chairman of the Cultural Centre’s Management Board, remarked that in some systems, culture is often treated as an afterthought, but this is not the case in Osijek.

“It is a pleasure to be the Chairman of the Management Board, where on one side you have a small, highly ambitious team at the Cultural Centre who manage the entire project, and on the other, you have the city administration and the Mayor, who have shown great interest and provided very concrete support in bringing this project to fruition. Of course, I must also acknowledge the Ministry of Culture, as much of this would not have been possible without their support,” Sarkanjac said.