ZAGREB, 11 July, 2021 - The 67th Split Summer Festival opens on 14 July with a premiere of Pietro Mascagni's opera "Cavalleria Rusticana", and the festival's programme includes operas, dramas, ballet performances, as well as exhibitions, concerts, book presentations and a chanson cabaret, a press conference heard.

The Split Summer Festival will take place in Peristil Square and several other locations, including Meštrović's Crikvine-Kaštilac complex, the Emanuel Vidović Gallery, Gajo Bulat Square, Sustipan, the City Museum of Split, the Meštrović Gallery, the Česma park in Vrlika, the Marko Marulić City Library and Sveti Filip i Jakov, where the Croatian National Theatre (HNK) Split will perform Ilija Zovko's drama "Francuzica" on the last day of the festival.

The festival closes on 14 August on Sustipan, where Judita awards will be presented.

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August 16, 2020 - The world's most-famous contemporary Sevdalinka outfit, Mostar Sevdah Reunion, hold their first concert of the year in Croatia, as part of the 66th Split Summer Festival

The emotion-wracked melodies of the traditional Sevdalinka (or Sevdah) folk music have rung out across Bosnia for over 500 years. But, for the most famous contemporary band playing this style, the music fell silent on New Year's Eve.

That was the final performance by Mostar Sevdah Reunion, whose return to the live circuit has been halted by COVID-19. But, tonight (Sunday 16 August), at 9pm, they return to the stage.

The band will play a concert at 9pm in Sustipan in Split, the peninsula which lies south-west of the harbour, as part of the 66th Split Summer Festival. There, the emotionally-charged sounds of sevdah, sometimes described as the blues or soul music of the Balkans, will once again be set free.

The Balkan region has the richest and most unique range of folk musics in the whole of Europe; nowhere other than here can you hear styles, scales and rhythms from the near and far east infiltrate into European folk music styles. This melting pot of styles grants the region an exciting and diverse range of authentic folk musics, years ahead, in terms of progression and ambition, to other European styles (indeed, there's a reasonable argument to be made that jazz music emanates from Bulgaria and not America). Sevdah is arguably the most emotive of all the traditional folk musics from the area which encompasses the former Yugoslavia. It has fans across the whole region.


Mostar Sevdah Reunion

Emerging with their debut album in 1999, Mostar Sevdah Reunion have done more than any other contemporary band to place sevdah music on the world stage. They have recorded with true giants of sevdah and Roma music, such as Esma Redzepova, Šaban Bajramović and Ljiljana Buttler. In concert, they have appeared at Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Barbican Center in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Kremlin State Theater in Moscow, the Art Palace in Budapest, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Nice Jazz Festival and WOMAD Festival. Mostar Sevdah Reunion have had several documentaries made about them.

The word sevdah comes from the Turkish word sevda which, in turn, derives from the Arabic sawda, a word often associated with a pining heart or unrequited love. Alongside the sevdah music they take their name and inspiration from, over the band's 25+ year career Mostar Sevdah Reunion have become famous for mixing jazz and even Latin styles into their music. In recent years have opened their repertoire to include a classic catalogue of Romani songs.

July 22, 2020 - Along with Aida, which is the most popular and most performed opera title of the Split Summer Festival, Nabucco will be performed twice by the Croatian National Theater Split opera at the 66th Split Summer Festival. 

Namely, Dalmatinski Portal writes that in addition to this year's premiere performance on Tuesday, July 21, Nabucco will be performed on Thursday, July 23, at the Peristyle. The performances are directed by maestro Jure Bucevic for the first time, and the play is directed by Georgij Par and Jelena Bosancic.

Along with the Orchestra, Choir and Ballet of the Croatian National Theater in Split, the protagonists are singers who have presented themselves to the Split audience since the premiere of this Nabucco production. The title role of the Babylonian king Nabucco is Italian baritone David Cecconi, Boze Juric Pesic plays Ismael in the first performance, and in the second, the role will be sung by Brazilian tenor Max Jota. As Abigaille, we will again watch and listen to soprano Daniela Schillaci, already well known in Split. Ivica Cikes and Bozo Zupic will take turns in the role of Zaccaria, Antonija Teskera will be played by Fenena, and. Mate Akrap, Vinko Maroevic and Branka Plestina Stanic will play the roles of Priests, Abdall and Anna.

The peristyle performance of the Nabucco opera was the first music and stage production made exclusively for the open stage at the Imperial Square in front of the Split Cathedral. Verdi’s masterpiece premiered at the Peristyle a total of six times. This summer, under the musical direction of maestro Jure Bucevic, who is making his debut as the Nabucco conductor, we will watch a production that premiered in 2018 and is directed by Georgij Paro and Jelena Bosancic.

Nabucco is an opera that has permanently established Giuseppe Verdi’s reputation as a great opera composer.

"With this opera, my artistic career really begins," said Verdi himself.

The four-act opera, composed in 1814 on a libretto by Temistocle Soler, is based on the Old Testament books On Kings, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Daniel, and plays by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu. The historical events of the expulsion of the Jews by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar are the backdrop to a romantic and political plot. The choral aria Va pensiero is certainly the most popular in opera and, as such, has become a recognizable and unavoidable part of the general culture as an expression of the general longing of peoples for freedom.

In addition to the conductor and director, the author's team consists of set designer Dinka Jericevic, costume designer Sonja Obradovic (according to the ideas of Irena Susac and Leo Kulas), choreographers Miljenko Vikic and Ljiljana Gvozdenovic, choirmaster Frane Kuss, lighting designer Srdan Barbaric, and stage movement author Ljiljana Gvozdenovic.

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July 15, 2020 - The 66th Split Summer Festival was officially opened on Tuesday evening at Peristyle with Verdi's opera I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata.

This year's edition, respecting all epidemiological measures, brings art back to the ancient stages under the starry night sky. Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara pointed out in his speech that art does not stop at challenges and crises, but is the crown of the crisis and everything that comes with it, giving many artists additional inspiration. Like last year, he called to maintain measures and civic decency and not to surrender to the greed that has disrupted human lives:

"Dear respected citizens of Split, esteemed dignitaries and guests, loyal viewers and listeners of HRT and all friends and admirers of Split, art and our Split Summer!

I am happy that we are here tonight and that this great cultural event, extremely precious and significant to all of us, has not been interrupted, despite the unfavorable circumstances. Yes, health and safety are above everything, but life must go on. And we move on. Without fear.

Art does not stop at challenges and crises, on the contrary, it was the corona crisis and a kind of social alienation caused by the necessary social distance that gave space and time to many artists for additional inspiration and an even stronger impulse of creativity that they can't wait to bring to their audience.

This year's special Split summer opens with I Lombardi. There is a lot of symbolism in this powerful Verdi opera imbued with tenderness, piety, determination and patriotic enthusiasm. From here, from the Imperial Peristyle, we will symbolically pay tribute to the attacked people of Lombardy and send a message of strength and invincibility of art and creation, but also the victory of all of us.

Last year, I invited you to take back public spaces again, when no one even dreamed that the coronavirus and the crisis caused by it would bring us back to the city and nature, which, thank God, has regenerated. Despite the trouble, or rather, precisely because of it, we returned to family and the enjoyment of everyday life that we often took for granted. The epidemic reminded us of true values, we focused on the essentials, and we successfully adapted and learned to tame the virus that we do not allow to take over our lives. I’m sure we learned this lesson.

I wish these circumstances also reminded me of my last year’s thought and plea not to succumb to the greed that has disrupted our lives and distorted natural priorities. I have called and am now calling to maintain the measures, and that we have civic decency and respect for everything around us, and above all, the person next to us. Are we humble enough to accept that lesson? Split recognized that. I am convinced of that.

We live one strong warning. One hundred years ago, during the Spanish flu that plagued our city as well, my predecessors took care of the future of the City. And they endeavored with the citizens, after that terrible warning, altogether turned to creation and beauty which had a healing effect.

In the last century, young people, athletes, and especially artists regenerated our city. Jedinstvo was also founded, and our theater flourished, so, for example, our alleyways and city streets were filled with the music of maestro Tijardovic," Opara said, and continued:

"The art of living with measures and the necessary restraint in the new circumstances was transformed into this year's Split Summer. And it is the fruit of the courage and determination of the people who, despite threats, have returned art to our squares and streets, where it has always belonged and where it will always belong. It is up to us to give art an additional well-deserved place. It is needed for our City and me to recover.

I invite you, dear citizens of Split, to enjoy the diverse and rich program of this year's Split Summer, in compliance with all recommendations and precautions. I once again congratulate the artists, organizers and all participants and thank them for their courage and determination.

In the desire to remember him for his exceptional artistic achievements, and to infect everyone only with the joy of creativity and beauty, I am pleased to declare the 66th Split Summer open."

During the opening ceremony, the Cultural Art Society Jedinstvo and Glazba Split performed the most famous Split dance Monfrinu, and the festival flag was raised by members of KUD Jedinstvo, Paola Demarchi and Drazen Bosnjak. This was followed by the premiere performance of Verdi's opera "I Lombardi" performed by soloists, orchestra, choir and ballet of the Croatian National Theater Split under the direction of maestro Ivo Lipanovic and directed by Robert Boškovic.

This year's Split Summer brings the best Croatian and foreign opera soloists and orchestras led by top conductors, ballet performances and a rich concert and drama program. There will also be four film screenings and two exhibitions. The Split Summer will have a total of 32 titles in 44 performances, so the Festival will turn the city into the summer theater capital of this part of the Mediterranean.

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The 63rd Split Summer Festival traditionally begins on July 14th with the premiere of Barber of Seville, a comic opera by Gioachino Rossini in the Meštrović Kaštilac. The opera will be conducted by Maestro Ivo Lipanović and is directed by Krešimir Dolenčić.

Here we are, finding ourselves at another summer Saturday night in the city of Split. The weather is warm, the energy is high, and there is no lack of things to do. Here are some of the top events happening in Split this evening, August 13.

It might be the Ultra Festival weekend these days. But soon Split will turn the page and become the main cultural spot in Croatia with its 61st Split Summer Festival.

The opening night is planned on Tuesday July 14, 2015 with the premiere of the opera Samson and Dalila by Camille Saint-Saensa at the Croatian National Theatre Split at 21:00. To make the evening even more glamorous an pre-event in front of the Theatre building "Šušur prid Teatron" with various performances by the members of the National Theatre Split will give us a taste of this year‘s festival program.

Within the next 32 days, there will be 52 performances in 19 locations by the members of the Split National Theatre and their guests with various opera, ballet, drama, concerts, exhibitions and musicals.

It is now the 3rd year, that I am following the Split Summer Festival, but sadly only by reading its program. Although the connection from Hvar to the mainland is fairly good during the summer, there is still no way I could visit any of the performances and return home as they all start around 9 pm. And of course they do. It‘s summer. During those long hot days, there is no way anything could start any sooner, especially when there are several outdoor performances planned, like at the Sustipan. I understand that, but still, I wish Split would be closer..

Full program at the Croatian National Theatre Split website and you can buy tickets online here.

Opera:

Ballet:

Drama:

Concerts: