Ivana Marija Vidović, artistic director of Epidaurus Festival: My wish is that every sound produced at Epidaurus Festival would merge with Cavtat’s magical hug, and that every word, every verse, whether sung or spoken, would, for centuries to come, continue to echo throughout its old streets, the very same ones that – within and of themselves – had been a stage for centuries already. BREVIS Ensemble from Kaliningrad, composed of children, will have a concert at the Epidaurus Festival on 4th July 2014, at 9 pm, marking the birth of distinguished Croatian painter Vlaho Bukovac.
Author: Nenad N. Bach and Darko Žubrinić
1135 years since the first international recognition of Croatia, more than 600 years before the discovery of America
The Croatian Prince Branimir, 9th century, made important steps in strengthening the relations with Rome. During the solemn divine service in St. Peter’s church in Rome in 879, Pope John VIII gave his blessing to the prince and the whole Croatian people, about which he informed Branimir in his letters, the first one dated on May 21, 879. This was the first time that the Croatian state was officially recognized (at that time the international legitimacy was given by the Pope), which, as we see, happened more than eleven centuries ago!
Gavran's premiere of "All About Women" in Paris and hundredth performance of "Creon's Antigone" in Avignon
Miro Gavran will have the premiere of his drama “All About Women” in Paris on July 6th. The premiere will happen in LA FUNAMBLE THEATRE MONTMARTRE in the production of “Compagnie du soir”, and the show will play every day until July 29th. As luck would have it, on that same July 6th at the Theater Festival in Avignon, the formal 100th performance of Gavran’s drama “Creon’s Antigone” is to be performed by the ROSEAU Theater, which will then in Avignon be played 20 times in a row for the duration of the festival.
Joso's Croatian Seafood Restaurant in Toronto in Stephen Holt's interview with Leo Spralia
Stephen Holt interviews Leo Spralia at Joso’s, one of Toronto’s top Seafood restaurants, during the Toronto International Film Festival as broadcast on the Stephen Holt Show. Sept.’02. The restaurant serves food prepared in Dalmatian way from Croatian coast. Owned and operated by Leo and Shirley Špralja and founded by Joso Špralja in the 1960′s, Joso’s restaurant has achieved continuous success of over 36 years in business and is considered a landmark of the Toronto hospitality scene. It has been visited by numerous celebrities, like Mike Jagger, Paul Newman, Jose Feliciano etc.
Nikola Tesla Electric Vehicles Rally Croatia 2014 directed by Igor Kolovrat
Nikola Tesla Electric Vehicles Rally Croatia 2014 was the first international electric vehicle rally in Croatia. It was held from May 27 till May 31 2014, covering approximately 150 -200 km per day and accompanied by entertainment programs. Croatian engineers have designed and produced a considerable number of electric car models (for example, Rimac, Dok-ing) which were be showcased during the event. The director of the EV Rally in Croatia is Igor Kolovrat.
Memorial plaque to three Croatians from the 17th century in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem
On March, 29 2014 the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims from Croatia. The reason for this great gathering was the ceremony of putting up a memorial plaque to the Croatians, brothers Pavao, Antun and Jakov in this biblical place on the slopes of the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed the night before his crucifixion. In 1681 these knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem bought the Garden of Gethsemane and donated it to the Custody of the Holy Land. On the photo Cardinal Vinko Puljić, the Sarajevo Archbishop, who unveiled the memorial plaque.
The Baron family's Croatian tamburitza band in the USA in 1930s
By age 12, the Baron kids were proficient on traditional Croatian tamburitza instruments such as the prim, tambura and bas-prim, and were put to work playing at weddings, apartments or wherever my great-grandfather could hire them out (places where shots of whiskey apparently flowed during breaks). Their parents are from Zagreb, Croatia, who carved out a life in Braddock, in a rented flat near Pittsburgh’s burgeoning steel mills.
Ljubo Krasic director of Croatian Ethnic Institute in Chicago, USA
The Franciscans established the Croatian Ethnic Institute in 1975, with headquarters in Chicago, for the purpose of preserving and promoting the Croatian heritage in the United States and Canada. This foundation was established with one far-sighted goal, namely, that all which is valuable and in any way related to the Croatians could be found in one place and used for various kinds of research. An additional goal of the Institute was to promote Croatian history, culture, literature, and heritage. The current director of the Croatian Ethnic Institute is fra Ljubo Krasić.
Diljem Hrvatske prikuplja se pomoć stradalima od poplava
Caritas Zagrebačke nadbiskupije poziva ljude dobre volje na solidarnost i djelotvornu ljubav prema stradalima u poplavama. Svi koji žele pomoći mogu to učiniti na dva načina: uplatom na račun Caritasa Zagrebačke nadbiskupije: IBAN HR1823600001101340277, poziv na broj 05400; donacijom hrane koja može duže stajati, vode, odjeće i higijenskih potrepština, koje su sada najpotrebnije. Donacije je moguće predati sljedećih dana od 8 do 18 sati na ovim adresama: Gajnice (Crnojezerska 20), Trešnjevka (Selska cesta 165), Dubrava (Avenija Dubrava 220) i Rakitje (Ribička 4).
Glasovanje u Generalnom konzulatu Republike Hrvatske u New Yorku
Podsjećamo hrvatske državljane koji su se do 14. svibnja 2014. pismeno prijavili Generalnom konzulatu Republike Hrvatske u New Yorku za glasovanje u izboru članova iz Republike Hrvatske u Europski parlament, da mogu u isti Konzulat na adresi: 369 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017, 11 kat pristupiti glasovanju u nedjelju, 25. svibnja 2014. od 7 do 19 sati.
Ivan Hrvoic Croatian scientist, inventor, entrepreneur and benefactor in Canada
Ivan Hrvoić completed his studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Zagreb, and earned his PhD in the field of Experimental Physics from the same university. In 1972 he immigrated to Canada, where in 1982 he founded Geo Systems, Inc., which is today the leading producer of magnetometers in the world, exporting its product to numerous countries, including Israel. In the late 1980’s he participated in founding the Alumni Society of former students of Croatian Universities (AMCA Toronto), and from 1990-1995 was the president of this organization. His humanitarian and media activities in Canada were extremely important during the 1990-1995 aggression on Croatia.
Loreta Kovacic Croatian pianist-composer, singer and Boom Boom Room performer in Houston
Kovacic had a bright future as a classical pianist; she gave two solo performances at Carnegie Hall, the latest in 2008. “The New York critics said there was hope for me with 20th Century music,” she says. Now she composes and directs children’s musicals, and plays around town at venues like the Mucky Duck, the Contemporary Arts Museum, and, this Saturday night, at the Boom Boom Room. sings. Her show includes songs from countries that she likes – Brazil, Cuba, Italy and her own compositions.
Latica Anić won 1st Prize at Liezen International Cello Competition in Austria
Latica Anić (19), cello student at the Zagreb Academy of Music, in the class of prof. Valter Despalj, won 1st Prize at the Liezen (Austria) International Cello Competition. There were over 40 students from Europe, Asia and America competing in her age category of 19 to 23. The panel of judges was composed of distinguished professors from music academies in Vienna, Cologne, Ljubljana, Prague and Salzburg. Her interpretations of demanding works by Boccherini, Beethoven, Elgar and Ligeti were also met with very enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Happy Easter – Sretan Uskrs 2014 through art of Jozo Kljakovic
Wishing a Happy Easter to all readers of the CROWN, we touch a part of the work of art of distinguished Croatian painter Jozo Kljaković (1889-1969). In Zagreb there is a Memorial Museum of Jozo Kljaković, dedicated to his life and work. He is well known for his frescos in the Pontifical Croatian St. Jerome Institute in Rome and in the church of St. Mark in Zagreb.
Ignacio Frezik Croatian that flooded Colombia and half of the world with his strawberries
For half a century, The Frezik-Rozman Family is reputed to sell the most delicious strawberries in EL FRESAL (The Strawberry Place) located at Saucio neighborhood, Choconta Municipality of Colombia. Ignacio Frezik came to Colombia in 1954 as a refugee from World War II after escaping from four concentration camps. With his wife Elizabeth Rozman (on the photo) and their children also from Croatia, he began less than zero: Bricklayer, domestic service, foreman, farmer, cook and micro-entrepreneur.
Branko Istvancic Croatian filmmaker recipient of the Liliane Stewart Award for Design Arts in Montreal Canada
Branko Ištvančić is recipient of a highly praised award at the The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) 2014 in Montreal, Canada, for his very beautiful and poetic documentary film “Straw-Girls.” The “straw girls” are anonymous Croatian artists of Bunjevci ethnicity who live in the province of Bačka. They found straw to be the “green” medium of choice for creating paintings, sculptures and applied art objects as an antidote to their difficult life on the vast Pannonian plain. In 2013 Mr Branko IIštvančić already won the Gold Camera Award for best documentary in Los Angeles, USA.
Quietest road race ever? Croatia hosts electric vehicle rally in May 2014
Nikola Tesla would be proud. In May, Croatia will host its first electric car rally that winds from the northern coast to the capital Zagreb through some of the country’s most scenic spots. The route includes a visit to electricity pioneer Tesla’s hometown too. Over five days, electric car and motorcycle drivers will pass through three national parks – Paklenica, Plitvice Lakes and Krka – as well as resort towns like Opatija and Rovinj.
Ukrainian – Croatian friendship
Croatian-Ukrainian ties are very old. The so called White Croatians originate from the western part of Ukraine. It is no surprise that, for example, the Ukrainian traditional art and the architecture of wooden churches are close to that of the north of Croatia. In 2010 a nice monument was erected in honor of distinguished Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko in Croatian town of Lipik, who spent a few years in Croatia. Ukraine was the first country which, as a member of the UN, recognized the Republic of Croatia. On the photo one can see Croatian and Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated by Annette Hricko Czupylo, an Ukrainian living in the USA.
Professor Suncica Canic Croatian-American mathematician uses math to build better stents
University of Houston mathematician Sunica Canic and her colleagues build computer models to study stents. Their simulations could lead to better designs and also help doctors select the right stents for specific procedures. Computer scientists usually model stents in three dimensions, keeping track of about 200,000 mesh points points Together with her collaborator Josip Tambaca of the University of Zagreb in Croatia, and her Ph. D. student Mate Kosor, Canic wrote a much simpler program that approximates stents with only 400 mesh points.
Croatian Fraternal Union CFU founded in 1894 in the USA celebrates 120 years of existence
From a membership of less than 300 in 1894, the Croatian Fraternal Union, or in Croatian – Hrvatska bratska zajednica, has grown into an organization with approximately 60,000 members worldwide. The history of the Croatian Fraternal Union actually coincides with the history of the Croatian people in North America. From the beginning, when an itinerant young newspaperman came to Pittsburgh from Chicago in the late fall of 1893, Zdravko V. Mužina attracted more than 300 people to a meeting on Jan. 14, 1894, to organize a mutual benefit society for all Croatians. On the photo Mr. Bernard Luketich, president of CFU.