Zagreb Classic: Excellent Music Experience Under the Stars
A sign that summer has arrived in Zagreb, among other things, is the start of the Zagreb Classic, a festival of excellent classical music under the stars at one of the most beautiful city squares.
Zagreb Classic, the most popular cultural event in Zagreb during summer, will this year take place from 22 June to 2 July. Concerts which have welcomed summer in the best possible ways since 2016 are held at the historical King Tomislav Square, in the very city centre. Some of the best foreign and Croatian classical musicians will perform at this festival which is organised again this year by the Zagreb Tourist Board in cooperation with the City of Zagreb and partners.
The first evening of Zagreb Classic is dedicated to classical music used in films which gave them a special dimension and created a wonderful synergy. On 24 June the Croatian Radiotelevision Jazz Orchestra will perform on the stage of Zagreb Classic, bringing the power and ease of Basic Beat in the programme the Swinging Count. A day later, the ballet troupe of the Croatian National Theatre will present three blended ballets from the current theatre repertoire. On Wednesday 26 June, the centre of musicals in Zagreb, the Zagreb Komedija Theatre, will dedicate its programme to two doyens of Croatian musical who passed away last year, Sanda Lagerholz-Miladinov and Branko Blaće nicknamed Bleki. This is also a tribute to Croatian musical.
On 27 and 29 June we are virtually participating in the Vienna festival of music and film, whose 33rd edition is taking place this year. Owing to the screening we will be able to enjoy excellent performances of masterpieces of opera and operetta productions of leading Austrian and world labels. Visitors will be able to watch one of the most popular operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The Magic Flute in the production by the Salsburg festival that took place in 2022. Two days later, equally popular operetta Bats by Johann Straus Jr in the production of Bavarian state opera from 2023 will be shown.
On Friday, 28 June, the performance entitled Cine y Tango will take place, performed by excellent musicians, soprano Caterine Iora and Italian bandoneon (a rectangle accordion with a bigger number of tones) virtuoso Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, accompanied by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra.
On Monday 1 July, there is a performance of the most versatile and creative musicians of Croatian scene. Urban and its band Četvorka, consisting of Luka Toman, Marko Bradaschia, Sandi Bratonja and Saša Markovski will again meet the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphonic Orchestra at this year’s Zagreb Classic to give audience a concert to remember at King Tomislav Square.
This year’s last concert of Zagreb Classic will be performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Hyung-ki Joo, whose approach to music is innovative making it more accessible to all generations.
In addition to an excellent music programme, citizens and visitors also enjoy Zagreb Classic due to the ambience of the historical King Tomislav Square and its unique atmosphere. After all, “the tickets” to Zagreb Classic this year again are love for music, casual clothes and a mat to sit on the grass as well as a good mood which certainly increases when shared.