September 1, 2019 - World-renowned classical pianist Lola Astanova released a new music video called “Inspirit,” which was filmed on Zlatni Rat beach in Bol while she was in town performing during finals weekend at the WTA Croatia Bol Open. The video was released on July 31, 2019 and already has 179,191 views on Youtube. 

Filming on Zlatni Rat was an impromptu idea put together during Astanova’s flight to Croatia. WTA Croatia Bol Open tournament director Feliks Lukas helped Astanova’s management team organize the shoot.

Planning a music video on the of the most beautiful beaches in the world during a prime summer month was not an easy feat. The Municipality of Bol closed part of Zlatni Rat beach to the public during filming. The whole project was filmed in under three hours. 

Astanova performed her new original composition on a grand piano usually housed in the Dominican Monastery in Bol, where she performed at the tournament’s gala dinner for sponsors and VIP guests. Eight men carried the 1,500-kilogram piano onto the beach by hand, careful to not damage the instrument in transit. 

“In Spirit” shows spectacular views of Zlatni Rat both from the beach and from above, proving why the beach is rated the best beach in the world by sites like Big 7 Travel. Astanova was so grateful to film on Zlatni Rat, she even included a special thanks to Croatia Full of Life, the WTA, and Lukas Sport at the end of the video.

Astanova’s time in Bol was highly anticipated and widely followed by her fans. She shared stunning photos and videos from Bol with her 541K Facebook followers and 629K Instagram followers. Her Instagram stories alone from the trip generated 3.6 million views. 

The Uzbek-American started touring as a classical pianist at age eight. Since then, she has played in some of the most prestigious venues in the world like Carnige Hall and the White House. Astanova has also headlines countless high-profile corporate functions and private events for brands including American Express, Bentley Motors, Tiffany & Co., De Beers, Neiman Marcus, Krug Champagnes, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Steinway & Sons. 

In addition to high profile performances, Astanova has collaborated with top names in the music industry including Andrea Bocelli, 2Cellos, David Foster, and Marc Anthony. Such noteworthy performances and collaborations have landed Astanova’s name in the pages of Vogue Magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, CNBC, the New York Post, Haute Living, Sputnik, and the Chicago Tribune. 

This fall Astanova is taking her talent on the road with a solo tour through Europe. The tour will begin with visits to countries in Eastern Europe, including Ljubljana, Slovenia, Zagreb, Croatia, Belgrade, Serbia, Skopje, Macedonia, and Sofia, Bulgaria. She will then perform at Smetana Hall in Prague, the Philharmonie in Berlin, Muskiverien in Vienna, and the Philharmonie im Gasteig in Munich. 

For more information about her upcoming Europen tour, visit her website.

To learn more about Brac, check out the Total Croatia Brac in a Page guide.