ZAGREB OPERA FESTIVAL
Zagreb Opera Festival's second edition is organized in a central theatre institution in Croatia. The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is a theatre with a long-standing opera tradition with artists who have confirmed their artistic reputation not only on their's home stage in Zagreb, but also on foreign opera stages in Europe and elsewhere. Therefore, Zagreb and it's Opera deserves its own opera festival. The concept of the festival is to present the best opera productions of other Croatian national theatres as well as European ones.
This festival means a lot to the CNT Opera. In addition to the fact that this is a serious step forward in our artstic offer to the wide audience, this Festival will be a meeting point of international opera artists and theatres who will gather in Zagreb and present some of their best opera productions. The festival will take place in Zagreb, in the CNT building in September 2024, with the focus on the international opera productions. During the festival a lot of side programs will be available for the audience. Each day, at 18,45 infront of the CNT a meeting with the protagonists of the evening opera production will be organized. During the intermission in the theatre foyer on the first floor an opera-quiz will take place. Beside these events, the audience can go before and after each performance to the Theatre Caffe, in vicinity of the CNT building where they could get drinks and food with special prices.
Briefly, Zagreb Opera Festival will host the best national and international opera productions enabling the audience to enjoy the opera, as well as to meet the protagonists of the productions, together with different events organized in and around the CNT in Zagreb.
The fact that our great opera singer Dunja Vejzović (80) was on the stage, not only as a singer, but also as a codirector promised an unsual and brilliant performance. She was a Countess, a small but very important role in the Tchaikovsky's famous opera The Queen of Spades. The Rijeka CNT production was a lavishing one, with some brilliant scenes. Our diva Duna Vejzović sang a rather small role, a countess who is hiding secrets in cards. Her two scenes were memorable and that was an emotional farwell to the opera stage after decades of great national and international career. The orchestra was excellent with young and immensly talented conductor Valentin Egel who has achieved an outstanding performance in this opera evening to remember.— Jagoda Martinčević, Jutranji list, Zagreb
Croatia finally has got a new festival named Zagreb Opera Festival which will help to poromote the national opera art in Europe. This new festival hosted some of the best national opera productions and a guest performance of the National Opera Ljubljana.— Siniša Vuković, Slobodna Dalmacija, Split
This festival was a real sensation. It enchanted the audience as well as numerous guests and journalists. One can say that the Croatian opera is at the high artistic level. The orchestras and the choirs are good and we could see many young opera singers on the stage. It will be excellent to have them in some other opera productions as well.— Davor Schopf, Vijenac, Zagreb
