Zagreb Opera Festival
Presentation of Davor Schopf's monograph: Vitomir Marof, from a pharmacist to a national principal soloist
National principal soloist Vitomir Marof continues the long and famous tradition of great Croatian baritones, from Josip Kašman, through Marko Vušković, to Marko Rothmüller and Vladimir Ruždjak. He is the third Croatian opera artist and the first baritone with the title of national principal soloist.
Born in 1950 in Zagreb, he decided relatively late to become a singer. He made his debut in 1987 at the age of 37. As a pharmaceutical engineer he worked in the pharmaceutical industry. He graduated from the Academy of Music in Zagreb in 1988. He began his operatic career as a tenor in the Maribor and Zagreb Operas. At the same time, he developed a notable and well-rounded career as an operetta tenor, primarily at the Komedija Theater in Zagreb. He moved from tenor opera to baritone and achieved full affirmation. He performed 771 stage performances in opera and operetta, five concert performances of operas and 185 concert performances. In addition to the Croatian opera houses in Zagreb, Rijeka, Osijek and Split and the Komedija Theater, he performed in a wider area of Central and Southeastern Europe: in Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As a regular guest, he often returned to certain opera houses, primarily the Ljubljana Opera, the National Opera in Vienna and the Opera in Bartislava. He sang 30 tenor roles and 32 baritone roles and parts in 25 major vocal-instrumental works. The gallery of his Verdi roles is particularly noteworthy. He systematically studies the development of vocal technique and has profiled himself as a prominent and respected vocal pedagogue, from whom many singers seek advice and are happy to collaborate with him. In addition to singing, which is his immense love, he is a lover of precise mechanics, a passionate collector of fountain pens and watches that he knows how to repair and restore.
He has recieved a number of the most important Croatian awards in culture and music.
The monograph of the author Davor Schopf, in large format in hardcover, brings to 320 pages extensive theatrical material about his career. 293 photos from opera and concert performances, 122 opera and concert programs and 86 other graphic contributions were published. The book contains a list of all Vitomir Marof's opera and concert performances, as well as overviews of performances in individual opera houses. This material is both an attachment and a document of the history of the Zagreb Opera in the period from 1991 to 2018.
The publisher is the Hilarion Society for the Promotion of Music, Dance and Music and Performing Arts.
