Opera of the CNT in Zagreb at the Sofia Opera and BalletOpera — 27. August 2025.
The Opera of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb has given a guest performance in the capital of Bulgaria – Sofia for the first time. Opera Lennon composed by Ivo Josipović to the libretto of Marina Biti was performed before the audience of the Sofia Opera and Ballet theatre on September 5, 2025. This opened a new chapter in the international cooperation between the two cultural institutions – the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and the Sofia Opera and Ballet. In the upcoming theater season, the repertoire of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb includes as many as six Croatian opera titles, and this visit represents both an international promotion of Croatian contemporary opera as well as a form of cultural exchange and confirmation of the excellence of Croatian opera production.
Opera Lennon premiered on April 22, 2023, at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb in collaboration with the Zagreb Music Biennale and is inspired by the life and legacy of John Lennon, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. It was directed by Marina Pejnović, and the performance is conducted by maestro Ivan Josip Skender. The main roles are played by Domagoj Dorotić as John Lennon, Marija Kuhar Šoša as Yoko Ono, Ozren Bilušić sings Mark Chapman, and May Fung Yee Pang is sung by Dubravka Šeparović Mušović. Iva Hraste Sočo, the artistic director of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, said on the occasion of the guest performance: We are pleased to have the opportunity to present Croatian opera to the audience at the Sofia Opera and Ballet for the first time. Such guest performances enable the creation of stronger cultural bridges between European institutions. We are especially pleased that in just a few days, on September 15th, as part of the Zagreb Opera Festival, we will have the opportunity to return the hospitality when the Sofia Opera and Ballet will perform Richard Wagner's Die Walküre on our stage. The Zagreb Opera Festival will be held from September 9th to September 20th, 2025, at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
