News

On Wednesday, October 1 at 6 p.m., the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb opened a new exhibition dedicated to the 130th birth anniversary of two great Croatian composers, Jakov Gotovac and Ivo Tijardović.

This cultural project offers an innovative combination of theatre art and museum presentation, creating a space in which the audience can experience theatre in a new, interactive and dynamic manner. After the first exhibition dedicated to the ballet Giselle and the 30th anniversary of the bombing of Zagreb, the new exhibition brings interesting facts about the composers’ lives and work, multimedia exhibits and interactive elements.

The author of the exhibition, Zrinka Matić, points out: “The story of Jakov Gotovac and Ivo Tijardović began in the same place, twice: the first time in Split, where they were born a month and a half apart and about two hundred meters apart, and the second time in Zagreb, when their names appeared together on the program of an operetta evening in 1925 at the Croatian National Theatre. It was Pierrot Ilo, Gotovac’s second Zagreb premiere as a conductor, and Tijardović’s Zagreb operetta debut.”

The General Manager of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Dr. Iva Hraste Sočo, highlighted: “The Theatre Pop-up Museum of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is a unique cultural format that connects performative and museological practices. In this way, we offer our visitors additional value and experience, expanding the experience of theatre beyond the performance itself. Exhibitions like this one allow us to simultaneously nurture cultural heritage and encourage contemporary dialogue with the audience.”

The exhibition will remain open until February 15, 2026.

Opening hours:
Every day 1.5 hours before curtain-up (with a presentation of a ticket for that day's performance)
Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (free admission)