Ohrid Summer Festival opens with spectacular opera gala
With a spectacular opera gala, a packed Ancient Theatre, and more than 4,000 visitors, the 66th edition of the Ohrid Summer Festival in North Macedonia was officially opened last night.
The concert, whose tickets had sold out completely two weeks in advance, attracted record public interest and reaffirmed the festival's reputation among lovers of world-class art, CE Report informs via the Ohrid Summer Festival's official website.
The unforgettable opening night, filled with emotion, applause, and outstanding musical performances, once again demonstrated that the Ohrid Summer Festival remains one of the region's most important cultural events.
The stage of the Ancient Theatre welcomed internationally acclaimed soprano Ermonela Jaho and renowned American tenor Charles Castronovo, whose masterful performances captivated the audience. Accompanied by the National Opera and Ballet Orchestra under the baton of Italian maestro Marco Boemi, they delivered a memorable evening featuring some of the most beautiful arias and duets from the rich operatic repertoire.
With exceptional vocal technique, emotional depth, and remarkable stage presence, the artists received prolonged standing ovations and enthusiastic applause, with the delighted audience repeatedly calling them back for encores, turning the festival's opening ceremony into a musical spectacle that will be remembered for years to come.
"This was a night that will be remembered. A packed Ancient Theatre, more than 4,000 visitors, and tickets sold out two weeks in advance are the best confirmation that the Ohrid Summer Festival enjoys the trust of its audience. We are proud to have opened the festival with world-class artists and a spectacular opera gala that brought unforgettable emotions and a powerful beginning to the 66th festival edition," said Gjorgji Cuckovski, Director of the Ohrid Summer National Institution.
The festival was officially declared open by its patron, President of the Republic of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, who recalled that 66 years ago, beneath the arches of the Church of Saint Sophia, opera diva Ana Lipsha-Tofović performed the festival's first notes, marking the beginning of the Ohrid Summer Festival, which continues to thrive today.
"From then until today, generations have enjoyed the privilege of meeting outstanding musical and theatrical artists—celebrated and admired performers from the world's most prestigious stages. Ohrid Summer preserves, symbolizes, and records a long and rich history and memory, an educational and enlightening mission, newly opened musical and theatrical horizons, cosmopolitanism, interstate, interethnic, intercultural, and interpersonal understanding, broken prejudices and learned lessons, cultural diplomacy, and the universal language of art," President Siljanovska-Davkova said.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov emphasized that in Ohrid, history, nature, and spirit exist in quiet, elevated harmony. According to him, every stone, every wave of the lake, and every note heard during the festival testifies that civilizations are remembered not for their power, but for the beauty they leave behind.
"Ohrid Summer has never been just an ordinary festival. It is living proof that Macedonia has always understood that culture is not a luxury reserved for good times, but a prerequisite for a dignified existence—not to isolate us within ourselves, but to open us to others without ceasing to be who we are," Ljutkov said.
This year's artistic message of the Ohrid Summer Festival was delivered by distinguished Macedonian opera singer Igor Durlovski, celebrated for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. According to him, small countries have a unique role in the world's cultural landscape. Their strength, he said, comes not from the size of their territory or population, but from the stories they preserve, the experiences they have lived through, and the way they contribute to humanity's broader dialogue.
"Macedonia is a country with a profound historical memory, a land through which different cultures, languages, and civilizations have passed. The greatest value of this heritage lies in the past we remember, the present we live, and the future we can create. Our task is to tell the world who we are and to offer something we can share with everyone: a new perspective, a new question, a new space for encounter. Here in Ohrid, a city where centuries speak to one another, I hope that art will continue to be our most beautiful message to the world—a message that humanity still needs beauty, meaning, and hope," Durlovski said.
Behind the festival's continued success stands the strong support of its patron, the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as the Government through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Municipality of Ohrid, the festival's general sponsor A1 Macedonia, its partners, and all those who believe that art has the power to connect, inspire, and transform.
Photo Ohrid Summer Festival
