If we are to talk about Ohrid Summer Festival at the encounter of this year festival edition, it is certain that its existence of many years indicates to an awareness that the festival leans on something that indeed represents a great tradition. This tradition originates from the place which is given from God, from the city of Ohrid – the spiritual capital of North Macedonia, the antique city with its magically blue lake, a city with a cultural history marked with values of the ancient civilization, the city of the first Slavic university in Europe, the city of Samuil’s kingdom and finally –the city that represents the whole Macedonian cultural and spiritual history.
That first concert on the 4th of August in St. Sophia, where the magical voice of the leader of the Macedonian opera was as sent for in that setting with amazing acoustics, definitely acknowledged the justification of all the strivings and wishes of that time to get to the thing which Ohrid had to have.
This act of concert christening of St. Sophia made in a moment of visionary illumination of Ana Lipsha Tofovic and her companion on piano Ladislav Perldic, with great enthusiasm supported by Ohrid citizens and Macedonian culture activists, showed that the seed is sown on a fertile soil and a manifestation of global importance is born.
Performing the works of Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Gluck, worked impressively since the beginning and showed that St. Sophia is made for that. And so the story called Ohrid Summer began.
The cathedral St. Sophia, the old lady of the Ohrid patriarch, demonstrates itself as an irreplaceable location for chamber music; becoming more and more attractive for artists and assembles of all over the world. The Festival grew to be an eye – catching destination for renown artists, among them: Vladimir Ruzgak (Croatian baritone), Martina Arroyo (USA soprano), Slovenian octet, musicians of Prague, the famous quartet Julliard and especially Golden Gate quartet, also John Malkovich performances, Their performances provoked amazement, at the same time challenged other artists of the world who had the desire to see this miracle called St. Sophia.
Today, Ohrid Summer Festival presents a great dignity and an exceptional cultural gain for Ohrid and the Republic of North Macedonia; a manifestation with which Ohrid and North Macedonia can be represented with dignity in the world.
With this long tradition, on welcoming this year festival edition of the Ohrid Summer realizes a universal noble mission of a competition of high artistic values with intentions of realizing the new visions with even higher aims in the European and global cultural space.
It is certain that in this year the 64 th festival edition of Ohrid Summer, in its traditional term 12th July – 20th August, we will have another shining edition with all its peculiar characteristics that make the festival special, recognizable and unique in our area.
Information for the program of the festival please visit web site www.ohridskoleto.com.mk, https://www.facebook.com/ohridsummerfestival