Ohrid, 24 April 2026 (MIA) — The 66th Ohrid Summer festival will begin July 12 with a gala concert titled "Love," featuring Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho and American tenor Charles Castronovo accompanied by the Macedonian Opera and Ballet orchestra under the baton of Italian conductor Marco Boemi.

The opening concert aims to celebrate art as a universal language, organizers told a press conference Friday announcing the program for the 40-day festival.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov said this year’s lineup was a "carefully selected blend of tradition and contemporary artistic trends." He said the festival continues to reaffirm the country’s reputation as a major destination on the global cultural map.

"Ohrid Summer is not just a stage; it is a testimony to our dedication to culture as a driver of social development and as a value that unites us," Ljutkov said, noting the diverse repertoire of the festival based on "quality, innovation and a carefully conceived programming."

This year's festival events will again take place at some of Ohrid’s historic landmarks, including the Ancient Theater and the Church of Saint Sophia.

"It is this very synergy between art and the ambiance that makes Ohrid Summer a unique experience," the culture and tourism minister said. 

"Where stone remembers centuries and art speaks without translation, the new festival chapter will be marked by the gala concert 'Love,'" Ljutkov said.

Gjorgji Cuckovski, the festival's director, described the event as a bridge between generations and cultures. He, too, noted that Ohrid plays a vital role in how the audience experiences the performances.

"Art gains its essential meaning only if it manages to touch a person, transform them and create space for new experiences," Cuckovski said. 

"It is precisely that depth of artistic expression that lives and breathes here, on the stages of Ohrid, a city where the silence of the lake and the echo of the centuries create a special magic that is felt with the heart."

This year’s festival will offer 48 events featuring more than 700 artists from 24 countries. 

Performers include pianists Alexander Melnikov, Isata Kanneh-Mason and Vadim Kholodenko as well as violinist Stefan Milenkovich; the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, performing with 70 musicians under the baton of Dawid Runtz; and the Chinese Ningbo Symphony Orchestra.

The festival will also present the premiere of Florian Zeller’s "The Father" directed by Ivan Popovski, William Shakespeare’s "Coriolanus" directed by John Blondell and Dejan Dukovski’s "The Powder Keg" directed by Dejan Projkovski.

Ohrid Summer is also expanding its jazz offerings with the "OH JAZZ (Ohrid Jazz)" program at Dolni Saraj. The lineup features four nights of performances, including prominent jazz figures Nubya Garcia and Peter Somuah as well as the National Jazz Orchestra.

Festival organizers will honor the birth centenary of opera prima donna Ana Lipsha Tofovikj with a book launch for a monograph dedicated to her life and legacy. 

To support new generations of talented artists, the festival will continue its "Rising Stars" and "Podium of Youth" programs, organizers said. mr/