ZAGREB TO HOST 1ST INTERNATIONAL SERIOUS MUSIC FESTIVAL IN APRIL

ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - The first international festival of serious music is to be held in the Croatian capital from 22 to 30 April. Musicians from Ireland, France, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Sweden will take part in this event called "the Festival of St. Marco." The programme of the festival was presented last Thursday by the organiser, "Markofest", in Zagreb. Soloists will be a soprano, Shayron Hobbs of Ireland, a tenor Laurence Dale of France, a bas Ivan Urbas and a horn-player Bostjan Lipovsek of Slovenia. According to the programme, the groups that will participate in the festival are the German Hans Rosbaud-Ensemble, the Swedish Ensemble Villancico, the Czech string quarter Stamic and the Slovenian-Croatian piano trio. Besides foreign musicians, several Croatian artists, the choir of th St. Mark's church in Zagreb, the chamber orchestra of that Church and the Croatian Chamber Orchestra will be included in the festival. The director of the festival, Neven Valent, announced that about 800 minutes of classical music would be performed during nine days of the festival. A British music critique, Gerhard Persche, who is an advisor to the festival, said Croatia was best known by sporting successes of its nationals. However, he added, culture is equally important for the country's standing. The festival, which will take place in the downtown Zagreb, has been organised under the auspices of Msgr. Franjo Prstec, and supported by the embassies of the countries from which the participants come. (hina) ms