Miro Gavran is the greatest contemporary Croatian playwright, translated to as many as 40 languages worldwide. Miro Gavran: ‘The Paris edition of my drama is a continuation of my rich cooperation with French translators, I had five premiers in Paris, and I also had seven books published in that extraordinary city. Regarding the Chinese publication of my comedy The Doll , I see it as a great acknowledgement to my theatre writing. So far only my novel How We Broke Our Legs was published in Beijing, and now they can finally get to know me as a dramatist.”
Author: Nenad N. Bach and Darko Žubrinić
Yoko Nishii between the Dobro Restaurant in Tokyo and Tokamachi
By the end of 2019, distinguished Japanese pianist Yoko Nishii has visited the city of Tokamachi, which is the seat of “Croatia – Japan Friendship House”, completed in 2012. Except for having the purpose of cultural center, it also serves for preparations of Croatian sportsmen for the forthcoming 2020 Summer Olympic Games to be organized in Tokyo. Yoko Nishii has visited Tokamach for completing the material for her newest CD, which will contain pianistic works of Rachmaninov. She was surround by a small team of professionals, because everything had to be registered under the best acoustic conditions.
Kresimir Cosic 1948-1995 the first European basketball player with major career in the USA
Krešmir Ćosić (1948-1995) is one of the greatest Croatian basketball players in history. As a player of height 211 cm, he was equally successful on any of the five postitions in a team, a rare quality in 1970s. He has won gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, for the then ex-Yu (of which Croatia was one of six constituent republics). He also has gold medals from the 1970 and 1978 Basketball World Championships and many other trophies. Krešo always carried a bag of books with him… In 1990s, he worked in the United States as a diplomat (deputy ambassador) at the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington, D.C. In 1996, he was posthumously inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Mirko Novosel Croatian basketball trainer inducted to the Hall of Fame in the USA in 2007
Mirko Novosel, the greates Croatian basketball trainer in history, was inducted to the Hall of Fame in the USA in 2007. He had tremendous successes during the period of ex-Yu in establishing a very strong representation of the former state, which stopped the dominance of the Soviet basketball players, and was the only team that was able to cope with USA basketball teams at the Olympics and World championships. Among his pupils were such celebrities as Croatian players Dražen Petrović and Toni Kukoč. Under his guidance, Croatian national team won silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, in the finals against the USA Dream Team, led by Michael Jordan.
Cross-cultural negotiations course in Croatia initiated by the University of Michigan and ZSEM
Includes many cultural and educational activities in Croatia Apply here Contact: Josipa Šegota, program coordinator, jsegota@student.zsem.hrOur mailing address is: info@zsem.hr Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape) on the island of Brač, Croatia, close to…
Ivanka Bubalo i njezina bijela kosuljica jos bdiju nad Bosnom
Ivanka Bubalo je poput ostalih Plehančana protjerana s Plehana, ali se ona nikad nije rastala, ni svojim umom ni srcem odvojila ni od Plehana, ni od Plehančana. Susreti s Ivankom bili su bogatstvo. Opredijeljena za trajne vrijednosti, bila je pravi prijatelj, u svakom, baš svakom našla je bar zrnce dobra. Krhka izgledom, snažna duha, spremna svakom i uvijek pomoći… Provela je i pomagala mnoge humanitarne aktivnosti, poticala na povratak prognanika kućama, tješila, hrabrila, pa je nisu bez razloga zvali Majkom Terezom Posavljaka. Mario Essert nam je poslao svoj članak objavljen u časopisu Prsten.
Kristian Krekovic connecting India and Croatia via his 1936 portrait of Mahatma Gandhi
Distinguished Croatian painter Kristian Kreković (1901-1985) portrayed Mahatma Gandhi in his atelier in Paris in 1936, while Gandhi was meditating there. The portrait is kept in the Gallery of Kreković ( Museu Kreković ) in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Two panneaus containing Ghandi’s portrait have been presented in Dec 2019 to the Embassy of India in Zagreb and to the Croatian – Indian Society. This was a gift of the Society of the Friends of the Glagolitic Script, and the solemn event took place in the Napredak hall in Zagreb, during the intercofessional Christmas meeting organized by the Croatian – Indian Society, directed by Mr Joginder Singh Nijjar.
Nikola Tesla's autobiography "My Inventions" published by Electrical Experimenter in 1919
With this article, we mark the centennial of Nikola Tesla’s autobiography “My Inventions” in the USA. Nikola Tesla wrote that at the age of 14, ” My studies were continued at the Higher Real Gymnasium in Carlstadt, Croatia ,… I had become intensely interested in electricity under the stimulating influence of my Professor of Physics , who was an ingenious man and often demonstrated the principles by apparatus of his own invention . ” The name of his professor was Martin Sekulić, who was not only a high school teacher, but also an active scientist. During Tesla’s schooling in Carlstadt (now Karlovac), Sekulić became an associate memeber of JAZU in Zagreb (now Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts), in the department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
Ivana Marija Vidovic member of the jury of the International Music Competition in Kaunas, Lithuania 2019
It was a great honour for the Dubrovnik pianist and poet Ivana Marija Vidovic to be in the jury presidency for all five categories in the piano section from age 5 to 23. The jury of the Piano section was composed by maestra Ivana Marija Vidovic (on the photo with H.E. Mr. Krešimir Kedmenec, ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Lithuania), professor Otto Niederdorfer, Austria, and director of the Kaunas Philharmonic Orchestra, maestro Justinas Kre—pšta. Ivana Marija Vidović also had the additional honour of addressing on behalf of the jury the numerous audience of the crowded Kaunas Philhramonic Hall during the final concert, awarding of all this year’s awards and this year’s Grand prix.
Klasya Modrusan and Eva Kirchmayer Bilic Croatian musicians performing in Yerevan Armenia in 2019
Klasja Modrušan (voice) and Eva Kirchmayer Bilić (piano and organ), Croatian classical musicians, had two concerts in Yerevan, capital of Armenia, in December 2019. They performed the works of Croatian composers for voice, piano and organ, and delivered a short lecture dealing with Croatian history, art and music, with emphasis on vocal music. The concerts took place in the Hall of Conservatorium Komitas (for piano) and in the Chamber Hall (for organ).
Sandra Wigh Hrascanec reviving Croatian composer and benefactor Luisa Erdoedy Lios born in Vienna
U Velikoj koncertnoj dvorani Hrvatskog narodnog kazališta u Varaždinu, 30. studenoga 2019. održala se grandiozna Glazbeno-dramska večer “Lujzina košarica”, posvećena životu i stvaralaštvu Luise Erdoedy-Lios, na kojoj je nastupila mezzosopranistica Sandra Wigh Hrašćanec, koja živi i djeluje u Beču. Grofica Lujza, naime Luisa Erdoedy Lios (1853-1924), rođena je u Beču i nakon smrti svog prvog supruga, udala se za hrvatskog grofa Rudolfa Erdoedya, gdje je provela dio svog života u njegovom dvorcu u Novom Marofu blizu Zagreba (na slici).
Mary's Meals – a fruit of Medjugorje initated by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow of Scotland
In 1992, the MacFarlane-Barrow family from Scotland, launched an appeal to help the people of war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mary’s Meals is today reaching more than one million children across four continents. Those involved in the first Mary’s Meals projects were all people whose lives had been changed by pilgrimages to Medjugorje. They chose, therefore, to name the organisation in honour of Mary, the mother of Jesus. They consist of, respect and reach out to people of all faiths and none. Mary’s Meals are celebrating its 10th anniversary in Croatia, 2009-2019.
Ivana Marija Vidovic, Vesna Miletic and Diana Hilje honoring August Senoa
Ivana Marija Vidović, Vesna Miletić (on the photo, right and left) and Diana Hilje, Dubrovnik ladies – musicians, honored Croatian writer August Šenoa (19th ct), by organizing a very interesting program dedicated to Cvijeta Zuzoric, a famous Dubrovnik beauty and poetesse (16/17th ct). The program took place in the Šenoa House in Zagreb. August Šenoa wrote a beautiful article about Cvijeta Zuzorić. The program included classical music, as well as poetry of Ivana Marija Vidović, which she recited in Croatian and Italian languages.
Ode to Joy – Wilco’s studio album directed, edited and filmed by Zoran Orlic
The trek will kick off March 9th at the Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin, with the rest of the dates scheduled up and down the West Coast. The run wraps April 5th with a gig at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Along with announcing the North American tour, Wilco shared a new video for Ode to Joy track Before Us. The black-and-white clip was directed by Zoran Orlic at the Loft in Chicago and filmed during the sessions for the band’s most recent album. Zoran Orlic is a Croatian-born photographer whose connection to music has fueled a keen ability to capture emotion. His photos have appeared in numerous magazines, articles, books, and albums.
Daniel Gajski electronic design automation scientist earns Test-of-Time Recognition 2019
Daniel Gajski is an influential electronic design automation scientist with more than 40 years of intensive engagement in industry and academia. He is considered among the founding fathers of new electronic design methods that reach toward higher levels of abstractions and their relationship to system architectures, and is a leader in establishing the fields of silicon compilation, high-level synthesis and system-level design. Gajski is originally from Croatia where he earned his undergraduate and master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Zagreb. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania for his doctorate in computer and information sciences.
Ivana Marija Vidovic and Vesna Miletic had a piano concert in Krakow, Poland, 2019
The Piano duo Fantasia, Vidović and Miletić performed at the XIth International Royal Piano Festival in Krakow in the Hall of the Cultural Centrum Dworek Bialopradnicki . The piano duo Fantasy performed splendidly works by Mendelssohn, Schubert and Debussy. The evening began with Andante from Luka Sorkočević’s 3rd symphony. Croatian most famous woman composer Dora Pejačević, whose piano works were arranged exclusively for this duo by Dubrovnik musician Nena Ćorak, shone in the end.
Vladimir Novak: Croatians in America, fascinating photomonograph published in 2018
 Vladimir Novak (1928-2016)
Professor Davor Pavuna, distinguished Croatian physicist, speaks about Artificial Intelligence
In his very interesting lecture delivered at the University of Osijek, professor Davor Pavuna, Croatian physicist living in Switzerland, describes global trends in the development of Artifical Intelligence. We also provide an interview with Professor Pavuna, published in Croatia by Matematieko-fizieki list . Born in 1952 in the city of Koprivnica, he studied Physics at the University of Zagreb, and is since 1988 employed at the presitigious Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL), where now he holds the position of Professor Emeritus.
Yoko Nishii's concert in Porec promoting Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Croatian Olympic Committee
Poreč je 13. i 14. rujna 2019. ugostio kampanju Hrvatskog olimpijskog odbora i zemlju domaćina idućih ljetnih Olimpijskih igara – Japan, odnosno glavnog grada domaćina Tokija u cilju da širu javnost upozna s hrvatskim natjecateljima kao i gradom domaćinom na Olimpijadi. U petak 13. rujna 2019. u kazališnoj dvorani Pučkog otvorenog učilišta Poreč japanska pijanistica Yoko Niishi održala je koncert, u kojem izvela odabrana djela hrvatske skladateljice Dore Pejačević, Franza Liszta i Sergeia Rachmaninoffa.
Epidaurus Festival in Cavtat directed by Ivana Marija Vidovic 10th – 22nd September 2019
Programme: Clara Schumann / A life for the music (on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of her birth), Magics of the Italian Opera, Let’s meet Wagner, Norah Wanton – piano, guitar and voice (Spain), The Magic Fiddle – Miron Peku (Albania), Piano duo Fantasia – Ivana Marija Vidović (on the photo) & Vesna Miletić (Croatia), Rembrandt the great – Lecture by Marijke Brekelmans (Holland),… closing gala concert CAMERATA EPIDAURUS Croazzolla Concertante (Croatia) Ferdinando Redavid clarinet (Italy) & Frano Kakarigi kontrabas double bass (Spain) & Ivana Marija Vidović piano (Croatia).