Split Summer Festival features opera gala and LADO folk dance concert

The 72nd edition of the Split Summer Festival hosted an opera gala under the night sky of Peristil. Maestro Ivan Repušić returned to the historic Split stage after 18 years, conducting the HRT Symphony Orchestra and the Opera Choir of the Croatian National Theatre. The program included arias by Verdi, Bellini, Leoncavallo, Giordano, Puccini, Bizet and Gounod, with soloists Adela Zaharia, tenor Tomislav Mužek and baritone George Petean drawing enthusiastic applause.

On the same festival, the national folk ensemble LADO presented a dance concert on Marjan. Directed by artistic director Zrinka Posavec, the group performed traditional Croatian music, songs and dances in authentic folk costumes, emphasizing the cultural heritage of Dalmatia. The concert highlighted LADO's role as a guardian of Croatia’s folk traditions and attracted a lively audience from across the region.