OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 31st MBZ FESTIVAL

The opening ceremonies of prestigious music festivals always carry a certain weight: they are held in the grandest of venues, with a multitude of guests, and often present lavish productions. However, given the pandemic and the post-earthquake situation in Zagreb, it is no wonder that the opening ceremony of the jubilee 31st MBZ is smaller than usual. It will take place at the Croatian Music Institute and will feature The Zagreb Soloists, a chamber string ensemble whose activities are inextricably linked to the HGZ and the Music Biennale Zagreb.

 

In a way, this opening ceremony also has a strong symbolic dimension: the building of the HGZ, owned by the music lover association of the same name since 1876, was severely damaged in last-year’s Zagreb earthquake and was restored to a certain extent thanks to donations. The ceremony will focus deserved attention on the hall that many consider the concert venue with the best acoustics in the city.

 

At the concert we will hear music by Croatian composers: Concertante Improvisations (1955) by the MBZ’s founder Milko Kelemen (1924 – 2018), Lyrical Variations (1962) by Ruben Radica (1931), Perpetuum mobile (1970) by Stanko Horvat (1930 – 2006) and Two Movements for strings (2019) by Frano Parać (1948). The concert program also includes a first performance: we will hear the concerto scosso by Gordan Tudor (1982) written after the devastating earthquake in the Sisak-Moslavina County