Plitvice Lakes, the most beautiful National Park in Europe, contains a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls. The 157 bird species recorded on the Plitvice Lakes so far is the third largest population of birds among the national parks of Croatia. Particularly interesting is the white-throated dipper – a rare bird dependent on clean aquatic habitats. We invite you to listen to the sounds of water, birds and 2CELLOS. The Plitvice Lakes music video by 2CELLOS had nearly 4 million views.
Sandra Perkovic discus throwing star of Croatia dominating the world scene from NY to Doha in 2015
Sandra Perković is the the European Champion in discus throwing, the Olympic champion and the World champion. She is also dominating the Diamond League meetings. “Three Diamond League meetings in 10 days – this is exhausting. But it’s still fun, I love my job,” said the world champion. She has already thrown beyond 70 metres this season, reaching 70.08 m at the Croatian winter championships, a throw exactly one metre shy of her career best.
Giorgio Surian distinguished Croatian opera singer of worldwide reputation
Giorgio Surian is the most famous opera singer that Croatia ever had. He is the internationally acclaimed bass-baritone of worldwide reputation. Thanks to the incredible vocal capabilities, he has made more than 160 appearances in his career so far. He sings in different languages that, alongside Croatian, include Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Czech, English… He performed in the Scala of Milan, the Metropolitan Opera, Staatsoper in Wien, Opera de Lyon, Arena di Verona, Opera national de Paris, Royal Opera House in London, El Liceo in Barcelona, Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Teatro Real in Madrid, Salzburg Festival, etc.
Nenad Bach with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra on June 28th at the Dubuque Arboretum, Iowa, June 28 2015
Nenad will be performing with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra on June 28th at the Dubuque Arboretum, located on 3800 Arboretum Drive in Dubuque, Iowa. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. People are welcome to bring a picnic and chairs and enjoy themselves before the concert. Admission is free! The Nenad Bach Band is: Nenad Bach : lead vocal, piano, acoustic guitar, Joe DeSanctis : keyboards, backing vocal, melodica, Richard Lindsey : bass, backing vocal, Michael O’Keef e: drums, backing vocal, and Al Orlo : guitar.
Pope Francis in Sarajevo in 2015 meeting his old friend f. Petar Galauner, SJ Zagreb
Petar Nodilo, SJ Zagreb: We all were indeed happy to see how the Pope embraced our f. Petar Galauner, SJ, and how he was sincerely delighted to see him again. Our dear father Galauner, we wish you God’s blessing so that you spend many years to come with us, with your confreres and with numerous flock which loves you. Petar Galauner, SJ, is distinguished educator, living in Croatia’s capital Zagreb. His last encounter with Pope Francis was about thirty years ago. They first met in the Vatican in 1974.
Lovro Pogorelic Croatian pianist founder and art director of the PagArtFestival on the island of Pag
PagArtFestival was founded in 1999 and it has already become a tradition to have it opened by Lovro’s recital. Lovro traces his origin to Pag, and the Festival originated out of his wish to help and dignify life of the town of Pag by meaningful companionship of quality through various projects. The town of Pag is a small renaissance town made of stone, a zoning unicum well known not only by the famous lace and cheese, but also by the tradition of cultural events.
Nenad Bach: "Branding Croatia in the World" seminar July 21, 2015
For the last 30 years Nenad Bach (left) has been working and living in New York City, where he created Croatian World Network (CROWN), which is one of the first influential Croatian web portals and which deals with the best among us and has been systematically promoting Croatia for the past 15 years. On July 21, 2015 Nenad will be holding a seminar titled “Branding Croatia in the World”, which will be a day long hands on seminar, for 18 selected candidates to be held in Pula. Want in? Read on! (In Croatian).
Artur Bagdasarov and Vinicije Lupis promoting their joint book about Dubrovnik in Moscow on 14 June 2015
Dr. Artur Bagdasarov and Dr. Vinicije Lupis are promoting their joint book about Dubrovnik in Moscow. The book deals with Armenian and Croatian ties via St. Vlaho who is an Armenian saint and patron of the city of Dubrovnik. The presentation is organized by (R)am journal on 14 June 2015 at 19:00 at Pokrovka 27, str. 1, cultural center Pokrovskie vorota, m. Kitaj-gorod, Eistye prudy, Moscow. The admission is free.
Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic president of the Republic of Croatia visited pope Francis on 28 May 2015
Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, president of the Republic of Croatia, had a friendly meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican on 28 May 2015. They communicated in Castillano language. Besides her native language, Mrs. Grabar Kitarovic is fluent in several other languages. They were discussing, among others, the collaboration between the Church and the State for the common good of Croatian society, especially the support of families and the young.
Trillenium is developing the next phase of online fashion retailing
Trillenium is developing a proprietary platform. It’s a key enabler of the next phase of online fashion retailing. Trillenium intends to bring virtual reality, 3D, gaming and mobile technologies together with an interactive and social shopping adventure. They have the experience of doing this before: their founder, Hrvoje Prpic (left), is one of Europe’s most successful retail entrepreneurs. His previous exit was one of the biggest domestic IPOs in Croatia and the Central Europe region. Shares in Trillenium are available via Seedrs.
Ante Glibota elected vicepresident of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Paris since 2015!
Ante Glibota, distinguished Croatian historian of art and architecture, has been elected in June 2015 in Paris, in the Senat of the Republic of France, as the vice-president of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, L’Academie Europeenne des Sciences des Arts et des Lettres; L’AESAL). To be a leading person of this prestigious international institution, which gathers as many as 65 Nobel Prize winners, as well as several hundred outstanding experts in different fields, is not only a great honour for Mr. Ante Glibota, but for Croatia as well. We express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Ante Glibota for his achievements, wishing him good health and fruitful guidance of the Academy.
Miro Gavran’s play All About Women to be shown in Avignon France 4-26 July 2015
Miro Gavran’s play “All About Women” that had its premiere in production of “Compagnie du soir” in Le Funambule Theatre Montmartre in Paris in June of last year and was a great success will be performed on renowned international theatre festival “OFF AVIGNON” that will be held from July 4th to 26th. Play was translated into French by Anica Falamic-Brochoire and Tsolinee Vacher. Director is Etienne Chevrel while main roles are performed by Fanny Honore, Friedrique Renda and Tsolinee Vacher. The play takes place in today’s Zagreb and all of the three actresses play five roles in five stories full of emotions and humour giving audience insight into intimate life of contemporary women. This Gavran’s play so far had forty one performances around the world and was translated into fifteen languages.
Astrid Kuljanic to perform a series of concerts in New York City May-June 2015
Originally from Rijeka, Astrid Kuljanic (left) is graduating from the Master of Music program as the first Croatian jazz musician that has ever attended Manhattan School of Music. She will be performing a series of concerts in celebration of graduation and the beginning of her American life outside of school with her family and friends. The repertoire will cover Astrid’s originals, experimental and world music (Croatian, Brazilian) arranged for voice with live electronics and performed with Mat Muntz (double bass) and Jasmin Vrban (contemporary dance).
Violet Grgich: Following Your Own Path While Keeping the Legacy
To every immigrant (and every winemaker) Mike Grgich’s journey is tremendously inspiring and empowering. He arrived in America poor but hopeful, and eventually achieved a level of success that placed him on the menus of famous restaurants, the White House wine cellar, in history books and the Smithsonian Museum. Mike Grgich is a giant, but Violet Grgich (left), the proprietor and vice president of Grgich Hills Estates, is clearly not overshadowed by his success; she lets her own soul shine through with much genuine love and gratitude.
Warren Mason – Kurt Cobain’s Music Teacher Shares His Great Musical Gift
In a neat little house in Aberdeen, surrounded by well-cared-for shrubs and trees, lives Warren Mason (left), the man who taught Kurt Cobain to play guitar and to write music. The veteran all-round musician, guitarist, fiddler and violinist plays and teaches all styles of music from folk, rock and jazz to classical on every major string instrument except harp. Warren Mason was born into the Croatian immigrant community in Raymond. His mother was Bonita Medak whose parents Joe and Yerka Medak had come over from the old country.
Gladne uši is a finalist at the New York Festival's International Radio Program Awards
Gladne uši (Hungry Ears) is a weekly radio talk show on Croatian Radiotelevision HRT 2, hosted by Ljudevit Grgurić-Grga (left). The show Gladne uši, has been nominated for an award and is a finalist in the category of Best Regularly Scheduled Talk Program at the New York Festival’s International Radio Program Awards to be held on June 22, 2015 in New York City. The show chosen is titled Music and Tears and features an interview with sevdah singer Amira Medunjanin and is the only non-English speaking show nominated in its category.
The story of the film Zvizdan (The High Sun), the first Croatian Cannes Laureate
Croatian film managed to achieve great success in Cannes. “Zvizdan” (The High Sun) directed by Dalibor Matanic (left) won the Jury Prize for Best Film in the “Un Certain Regard”. It was screened on May 17 and immediately impressed the audience, and then, obviously, the jury. Croatia has also won its first Cannes laureate. This award gives a strong wind into the sails to all Croatian filmmakers wanting a breakthrough onto the international market.
Oliver Dragojević to perform in Las Vegas on September 26, 2015
There will be a world music takeover of The Pearl at the Palms when Croatian pop star Oliver Dragojević (left) performs with the UNLV Symphony Orchestra and special guests on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015. After sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, L’Olympia in Paris, Royal Albert Hall, London and Sydney Opera House, Dragojevic performs for the first time in Las Vegas. His style blends traditional melodies of Dalmatia, a coastal region in his native Croatia, with jazz motifs wrapped up in a modern production.
Srđan Bulat continues to play contemporary Croatian composers
One of the best Croatian musicians of the his generation, guitarist Srdjan Bulat does not give up in his commendable effort to perform contemporary Croatian composers in numerous international performances. This unknown music amazes the audience, as evidenced by the critics from the Italian town of Lodi where Bulat appeared a week ago.
U boj, u boj! sung by Kwansei Gakuin University Choir from Japan in Croatia's capital Zagreb 2014
Connection between Croatian arias and Japanese students is already well known. Male choir of one of the most prestigious Japanese universities – Kwansei Gakuin University, Kobe – for its anthem chose “U boj, u boj “, the famous air from the Croatian opera “Nikola Subic Zrinski”. Japanese choirs are singing this air exclusively in the Croatian language for the last 90 years, and it is believed that the persona and life of Nikola Zrinski of Siget found its admirers in distant Japan because of his courage and honourable samurai death in 1566. The opera was composed by Ivan pl. Zajc 1832-1914, distinguished Croatian composer, on the photo.