36th Samobor Music Autumn

A visit to Zagreb’s surroundings does not necessarily entail the mere characteristics of an excursion. If you like classical music and you will be in Zagreb during late September, make sure to head to Samobor, the tourism jewel of Zagreb County, where the 36th Samobor Music Autumn and the 8th International Competition of Young Musicians “Ferdo Livadić” will be taking place between September 24th and October 8th.

Aficionados of classical music who will be spending time in Zagreb during late September and early October should dedicate at least one day to visit Samobor, a picturesque town in the vicinity of Zagreb’s capital. There are numerous reasons: the town itself is a tourism jewel, and its music events make it even more appealing. Between September 24th and October 8th, the Public Open University will be the venue for the 36th Samobor Music Autumn Festival.

In past decades, this festival has improved the level of music making in Samobor, which both the audience and performers prove with their loyalty to this festival. This year, the festival will once again feature concerts by an array of renowned performers such as the Zagreb Philharmonic, the HRT Symphony Orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists, the Varaždin Chamber Orchestra and many others. It is also important to note that, over the years, this festival was responsible for numerous subsequently awarded works by Croatian composers such as Srećko Bradić, Mladen Tarbuk, Ivana Kiš, Berislav Šipuš...

Between the 25th and the 28th of September, as part of the festival, there will be an International Competition of Young Musicians “Ferdo Livadić”, which will feature nine previously selected musicians aged up to 26 years old. These young and talented musicians include: Ana Batinica on the flute, Ivan Ðuzel on the trumpet, Ivan Horvatić, Ante Sladoljev and Aljoša Jurinić on the piano, the Leggero guitar quartet, Jasna Simonović on the viola, Aleksandra Šuklar on percussion and Ivan Šverko on the accordion.

Aside from monetary prizes for the winner of the “Ferdo Livadić” award, the festival is also awarding a new composition for a solo instrument and chamber orchestra by composer Mladen Tarbuk, as well as a concert with the Cantus ensemble to be held at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb as part of the Cantus ensemble & Lisinski programme. The world premiere of this piece will take place in October 2012 during the 37th Samobor Music Autumn.

Sponsors of the competition are the Town of Samobor and the Hypo Alpe Adria bank.