Early music will once again fill the churches and palaces in the famous Croatian Baroque city
Varaždin Baroque Evenings, one of the most distinguished festivals of classical music in Croatia, will take place from September 21 to October 3 this year. As the festival has a different partner country each year, Varaždin partnered up with Japan for the 48th edition of the reputable manifestation. A delegation from the Croatian baroque city thus travelled all the way to Japan to present the festival at the Croatian Embassy in Tokyo, reported Lokalni on May 4, 2018.
Visitors of Varaždin Baroque Evenings will have a unique opportunity to see some of the best Japanese musicians perform live. According to Raymond Rojnik, the lead organiser of the festival, the audience will truly be spoilt for choice this year, with more than 30 concerts at their disposal, featuring over 100 international classical musicians. “This year, we’re especially proud to have a chance to host the acclaimed Japanese musician Hidemi Suzuki and his orchestra Libera Classica, who will perform on the opening night in September. The vocal ensemble Le Fonteverde will present their work at our wonderful theatre”, said Rojnik, adding the festival will coincide with the 25th anniversary of successful diplomatic relations of Croatia and Japan.
The director of Varaždin Baroque Evenings Davor Bobić said the delegation had been cordially welcomed by the hosts. They are proud to have presented the festival in the faraway Japan, he said, adding that Varaždin is looking forward to hosting the Japanese guests in return. The sentiment is shared by Varaždin Mayor Ivan Čehok, who said Croatia and Japan have many shared interests despite the geographical distance between them. “One of those interests is music, a universal language of art and culture connecting people on different sides of the world”, said Čehok.
A lovely way to put it, and the Croatian audience will surely enjoy the musical treats prepared by the foreign guests and local musicians alike. After all, there’s a reason Varaždin Baroque Evenings are known as one of the 30 most significant festivals in Europe and one of the world’s biggest when it comes to early music. You can find the full list of events here, and as we’re waiting for the 48th edition of the beloved manifestation, have a taste of the splendid atmosphere with a video filmed at one of the past Varaždin Baroque Evenings:
Photo credit: Varaždin Baroque Evenings
