Ohrid, 6 June 2023 (MIA) - Ohrid Summer Festival director Natasha Popovikj and the festival's program selectors, conductor Bisera Chadlovska and actress Sanja Arsovska, announced Tuesday that the 63rd edition of the Ohrid Summer Festival will take place from 12 July until 20 August, where art-lovers will indulge in 34 concerts, 7 theatre performances, ballet, a photo exhibition, and book promotions. The stages of the Ancient Theater, Dolni Saraj, the Church of Saint Sophia, and the Cultural Center will welcome more than 1,000 artists from Serbia, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia, Poland, France, Turkey, Israel, USA, Ukraine, Spain, Montenegro, Greece, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Egypt, Russia and North Macedonia.

Every successful edition of the festival, according to Popovikj, begins with the greatest, most famous and grand artists, and this year will not be an exception with the performance of the opera diva Angela Gheorghiu, accompanied by the orchestra of the National Opera and Ballet, conducted by Teodorescu Artamanov from Romania, on 12 July at the Ancient Theatre, Ohrid.

Among the world-famous names, violinist Nemanja Radulović, Double Sense orchestra, jazz trio and dance recital by Frank Dupree, violinist Irina Muresanu with FAMES orchestra, Niš chamber orchestra Concertante, clarinetist Pablo Barragán along with pianist Eloïse Bella Kohn, ensamble La Spagna, ensamble Camerata Academica from Slovenia, violinist Roman Simovic, pianist Alexey Botvinov, concert by Joseph Tawadros, and many others will take the stage.

"Among local artists we will have the opportunity to listen to pianists Dino Imeri, Mimoza Kjekja with individual recitals, the piano duo Gelebeshevi, trio Aura, a traditional concert by the Macedonian Musical Youth, a wind trio with flutist Ilija Zimbo, and on the last day, the Pro Ars choir with Sasho Tatarchevski as conductor they will perform a newly created piece by professor Zhivojin Glishikj titled '12 Months'. On 4 August, Joana Amendoeira, Pedro Amendoeira, and João Felipe will perform fado music for the festival's birthday celebration," Chadlovska informed.

The theatre program singles out the world-famous actor, producer, and director John Malkovich as a big name.

"The most exclusive guests will be the American film star with a project directed by Michael Struminger 'An Evening of John Malkovich', accompanied by sopranos Chen Reiss and Susanne Langbein, and the Vienna Academy Orchestra, who will go down as the biggest artists to have ever performed at the Ohrid Summer Festival," Popovikj noted.

Arsovska, the festival's drama program selector, called this year's theatre program 'Edition of the Greatest' and announced that it will open with Stephen Friedman and Off-Broadway play ‘Phalaris’s Bull.' The Ohrid Summer Festival will bring one of the greatest acting names of all time John Malkovich, on 26 July, with the play 'The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer' directed by Michael Struminger, while 'Anna Karenina' will be performed on 29 July, by Újvidéki Színház Novi Sad theater, directed by Dejan Pojkovski.

The festival program also includes premiere of Christopher Marlowe's 'Edward II' performed by the Jordan Hadzi Konstantinov- Dzinot theatre, directed by the Ukrainian director Andriy Zholdak. The Ohrid National Theatre will perform Dimitri Danailov's 'Serjozha e tup,' with Dajana Nikolovska as director. The Vojdan Chernodrinski Prilep Theatre will perform Giovanni Boccaccio’s greatest literary works The Decameron, dramatized by Lidija Mitoska-Gjorgjievska, directed by Martin Kochovski.

"For the closing of the festival we have the biggest regional stars, actor Miloš Biković with Florian Zeller's play The Lie, along with Tamara Krcunović, Miodrag Radonjić, and Jelisaveta Teodosić, directed by Nikola Ljuca, and produced by the Belgrade Drama Theater," Arsovska added.

At the press conference, Popovikj mentioned the success of the Ohrid Summer Festival that was rated among the top five, of 140 festivals, by members of the European Festival Association, which is proof that the Festival is on the way to international affirmation, serving as confirmation that culture, art, and tradition that the festival and people embody is proof of its existence through the centuries, its uniqueness, and specificity. ssh/ik/