We are announcing another exceptional event in the co-operation with the ECoC 2020, our closest partner in the following two years, as well as under the auspices and in a long-standing partnership with INA, that is, «A View to 2020: ECoC and CNT Gala Concert», which brings onto the Rijeka stage real opera stars famous worldwide at 19:30 hours on Monday 5th March!
The Opera Orchestra is under the baton of two conductors, Marco Boemi and Ville Matvejeff, while the soloists are Yusif Eyvazov, Kristina Kolar, Lucio Gallo, Rossana Rinaldi and the special guest Maria Guleghina, with the participation of Anamarija Knego, Vanja Zelčić, Ivana Srbljan, Aljaž Farasin, Robert Kolar, Marko Fortunato, Sergej Kiselev and Dario Bercich.
«We are extremely delighted, proud and excited because on Monday we are giving the most significant concert in the history of the Rijeka Opera. Numerous opera stars came to Rijeka in the past, such as Gigli and Caruso, not long ago we welcomed Sumi Jo, Lucio Gallo, Marjukka Tepponen, Diana Haller and Dunja Vejzović. However, we have never had such a number of top-grade international opera soloists on our stage in one evening», said the general manager Marin Blažević. He pointed out that it is along the lines of this concert that the objectives and the standard aspire to in the year 2020, this concert being a prelude or a prologue – a view to 2020. The ECC and CNT Gala Concert introduce one of the best tenors of today, Yusif Eyvazov, who is now performing at the Bolshoi Theatre, while before that he had opened the season at La Scala as Andrea Chénier, having performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Berlin State Opera, etc. «It’s a singer of such a calibre that we could only have dreamt about», said Blažević presenting the soloists of the evening. «Rossana Rinaldi is a great Italian mezzosoprano, in Rijeka for the first time as Eyvazov. Lucio Gallo, already known to the Rijeka audience, is a regular guest of opera houses and concert halls worldwide. As the special guest of Yusif Eyvazov and surprise for the Rijeka audience is the famous opera diva, dramatic soprano Maria Guleghina. An equal role at the Concert has been assigned to our unavoidable and incomparable soloist of the Rijeka CNT Kristina Kolar, as well as other members of our excellent soloists ensemble, performing in the well-known fugue from Verdi’s Falsataff. The objective is to create a co-operation of great names of European and international opera scene and national artists. The concert is under the baton of two conductors, Marco Boemi and Ville Matvejeff, while the programme is divided in two parts; the first part featuring arias from Verdi’s operas, while the second part features Puccini and composers associated with verismo. Both parts bring arias and duets that will be found on the two CDs of the Rijeka Opera recorded for renowned international publishing houses Universal Music and DECCA».
One of the conductors, Marco Boemi, a frequent collaborator of Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov, addressed journalists: «I’ve always had trust in special projects, special concerts and special places. I’ve been delighted with the high-grade professionalism here, with the enthusiasm and youthful energy that can rarely be found. As I often work together with Yusif Eyvazov, I told him he should experience this, that he should come to Rijeka. We’ve prepared a programme of beautiful music, which is far above that which is commonly performed and heard at concerts. I’m certain that this is going to be an unforgettable experience for all of us, on stage as well as in the audience.»
The Rijeka 2020 – ECoC development and strategic partnerships director Irena Kregar Šegota said she was proud that it is the Rijeka theatre that announces what will be happening in the year 2020. »This Gala Concert is not the only event created in our co-operation, but never have we had such names famous worldwide. Apart from this concert, we have also initiated the Fifth Ensemble project and realised the programme of (Re)discovering Europe and the play «Mountain Giants». Besides its partnership co-operation, this project positions Rijeka as a significant cultural and tourist place, which also bears an outright economic effect», said Ms Kregar Šegota. She continued by presenting the initiative of setting up a Business Club, conceived as a community of donators gathering economic subjects round the project of the European Capital of Culture Rijeka 2020, primarily those from the Gorski-Kotar County. «The Business Club will be contributing to the development of culture in the county by financing chosen ECoC programmes, its long-term objective being to encourage philanthropic investment into the projects in culture that we find are not developed enough in the city, county, but also the country itself”, concluded Kregar Šegota. Mr Ivan Krešić spoke on behalf of INA that is again the general sponsor: “It is our greatest pleasure that INA is the general sponsor of such a wonderful event. INA has traditionally and constantly been present in the cultural life of the city of Rijeka, thus we are happy to be able to support the development of valuable contents, thereby increase the quality of life of its population, also the variety of the city musical scene, enriching the cultural and tourist offer of the Rijeka area and of the whole country as well. I hope that INA’s socially responsible behaviour will prove to be an example to follow for other economic subjects in Rijeka, its surroundings and the rest of Croatia, encouraging them to support common projects of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc and the European Capital of Culture 2020. We are looking forward to Monday expecting a great gala evening!”
In the end, the theatre general manager expressed gratitude to the MBM Garden Centre for exceptionally rich flower arrangements that will embellish the stage, atrium and foyer, as well as to the CARPET CENTRE (Tepih CR) that provided a new red carpet for the audience to walk on arriving to the concert, to the CARMOTO that provided the vehicle for the guests, as well as to the BONAVIA HOTEL in which the guests will be staying.
GALA CONCERT GENERAL SPONSOR
We express our gratitude to:
