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At the press conference held in the theatre foyer, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb announced the third edition of the Zagreb Opera Festival – an international event dedicated to the art of opera, which will be held from September 9 to 20, 2025. This Festival brings a new dynamic to the cultural offer of Zagreb, with the ambition to attract the attention of domestic and international audiences. The Zagreb Opera Festival, through the cooperation of local and international opera artists and a diverse and high-quality program, confirms the role of the Zagreb Croatian National Theatre as a relevant centre of opera events on the European theatre scene. Thus, this year too, the festival will be a place of meeting, exchange of experiences and a deeper understanding of the world of opera.

The Zagreb Opera Festival is conceived as a long-term platform that makes Zagreb an important European opera centre. Our mission is to open up space for new artistic dialogues, strengthen the international visibility of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, and offer the audience opera titles and performances that go beyond the standard framework of the repertoire. The Zagreb Opera Festival is created with the support of its audience, and we believe that in return it will offer them an unforgettable artistic experience and confirm the importance of such cultural initiatives, emphasized Iva Hraste Sočo, the general manager of the CNT in Zagreb.

The 3rd Zagreb Opera Festival offers the audience a rich main and accompanying program. The festival will be opened by the Opera of the CNT in Zagreb and its successful production of Werther by Jules Massenet under the music direction of the Opera's chief conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi and in co-production with the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. Werther was also included in the list of unmissable productions according to the prestigious world magazine Gramophone, and as many as 14,000 viewers around the world have watched the opera via the Operavision platform in the last three months. Along Werther, the audience will be able to watch operas that have shaped the history of opera, as well as works that open up space for contemporary voices. Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini of the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre Ljubljana, Die Walküre by Richard Wagner brought to us by the Sofia Opera and Ballet, Verdi's Otello of the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor and the concert-stage performance of Ariadne Lives by the Dialogos Ensemble under the artistic direction of Katarina Livljanić. The one-act opera Human Voice by Francis Poulenc will be premiered in the foyer of the Croatian National Theatre, as well as the second part of the best-selling children's work Gita and the Hidden World: A Story of Sorrow and Love by Borna Erceg, explained Željka Barišić Pulig, the director of the Opera of the CNT in Zagreb.

This year's Zagreb Opera Festival also offers accompanying events that expand the festival experience and deepen the audience's connection with opera art. Before each performance, short introductory talks will be held in front of the theatre building in which the visiting opera production will be introduced. An open-air listening room will also be set up, and visitors and passers-by will be able to watch the festival performances live. As last year, the opera audience will have the opportunity to participate in an opera quiz that will be held during the breaks between individual performances.

The Chief Conductor of the Opera of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Pier Giorgio Morandi, expressed his great pleasure that the Zagreb Opera Festival is opening with opera Werther, one of the most emotional works of opera literature directed by the Oscar-winner Dante Ferretti. Werther is a demanding musical work that requires exceptional sensitivity and interpretative depth. The soloists, the ensemble of the Opera of the CNT and the CNT Orchestra approached this project with extraordinary dedication and passion. The company's desire for progress - for growth, challenges and inspiration - is clearly felt. I believe that festivals like this are not only cultural events, but also spaces that enable personal and artistic transformation, both for performers and for the audience, concluded maestro Pier Giorgio Morandi, inviting all opera lovers to join the Zagreb Opera Festival and enjoy excellent performances by renowned artists.