Birthday cake and concert of “Sintezis” for the 61st birthday of “Ohrid Summer”

With a birthday cake that was solemnly cut by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of North Macedonia, Irena Stefoska, NI “Ohrid Summer” today marked its 61st birthday.

The director of the Ohrid Summer Festival, Natasa Popovic, said at today’s press conference that the rich history of the festival is a proof of the contribution of many generations and their efforts to weave a success story on the top cultural scene.

– Every year the 40 days of the festival are a holiday of art. “Ohrid Summer” brings about 1000 artists, actors, theater workers, soloists, choristers, musicians … from all over the world. And during the pandemic we managed to continue the tradition, to maintain the quality and to bring the best domestic and world artists. I am especially proud that despite the health crisis with covid-19, we managed to keep this event from losing its quality. On the contrary, we continued and upgraded the quality for which we received numerous praises from both our loyal audience and the artists who are part of the program, said director Popovic, who announced that the tradition will continue, but, as she said, in the future the festival will steps towards modern, richer and more diverse artistic achievements.

Today, on the day when the opera diva Ana Lipsa Tofovic in 1961 marked the beginning of the international festival “Ohrid Summer”, the NI Macedonian National Theater handed over the bust of the great Ana Lipsa Tofovic, a work of academician Dimo ​​Todorovski, dated 1970, to the festival. entitled “Anne’s Orpheus”. The bust is cast in bronze, with dimensions 99x55x32 centimeters.


– In agreement with the son of Ana Lipsa Tofovic, who unfortunately could not attend this press conference for justified reasons, MNT poured, according to the original plaster bust, three signed bronze copies, one of which is owned by Dr. Stefan Tofovic , one is part of the museum exhibition of MNT and one, here today, is taught at the NI “Ohrid Summer”. The character of Orpheus in “Orpheus and Eurydice” by Christoph Willibald Gluck is a wish of Ana Lipsa-Tofovic, who premiered it in 1950 at the MNT Opera. The sculptor Todorovski transforms exactly that passion and size of the character into an elegant and subtle form, with restrained lyricism, strict poetics of feelings and great symbolism in translating the character of Orpheus and the possibility of Ana Lipsa Tofovic,, said Ivana Jarcevska, Head of MNT .

According to the director Popovic, the bronze bust for the festival is a valuable memory that will always remind of her work and the words “may our Ohrid summer be eternal”.

– Her noble mission is a testament to all of us to nurture and maintain the shine of this stage. Eternally grateful for her character and work, we wish this day to be celebrated for many more years. We wish many more bright moments at the next festival editions, added Popovic.

The celebration of the 61st birthday will continue tonight with a big concert of the ethno-group “Sintezis” at the Ancient Theater.

Fans of traditional sounds with modern arrangements, our faithful friends, tonight starting at 9 pm at the Ancient Theater will have the opportunity to enjoy music that combines the roots of the Macedonian folk music heritage, using a full range of original Macedonian instruments: kaval, bagpipe, drum, tarabuka and tambura. In that way, the lasting values ​​of the Macedonian culture and tradition are preserved and promoted. The most famous Macedonian ethno-group with more than 500 concerts on all continents and performances at the most famous world halls and festivals are among the greatest ambassadors of Macedonian music in the region and around the world. Their performances are constantly followed by admiration from audiences and critics around the world. “Ohrid Summer” is a festival of the largest of all cultural events that spiritually enriches Ohrid. “Ohrid Summer” is a recognizable sign of our country and the largest cultural ambassador anywhere in the world. He is our spiritual capital, said at today’s birthday press conference, the selector of the music program of “Ohrid Summer”, Danica Stojanova.

The representative of the group “Sintezis” Vancho Jovchev said that it is a great honor to perform on the festival stage where over the years top artists from around the world have performed.

– On behalf of the group, I congratulate the 61st birthday of “Ohrid Summer” and wish many more such birthdays. It is a great honor and pleasure to perform at this huge festival in our opinion, where top artists from the field of classical, but also from the field of genre music perform. “Ohrid Summer” has so far allowed us to present all our releases and it is a great honor for us to present our expression of Macedonian music and what we carry in our roots in front of the local audience which has numerous foreign visitors, said Jovcev.

At today’s press conference, the director of “Ohrid Summer” thanked all those who contributed to the great