À propos
Lovro von Matačić (1899-1985) used a single word to describe his versatile artistic personality: musician. Having acquired the necessary knowledge in Vienna, his broad spirit led him away from Zagreb, Ljubljana and Belgrade to the concert and opera stages of Paris, Florence, Milan, Bayreuth, Berlin, London, Tokyo... He conducted the Philharmonic Orchestras of Berlin, Czech Republic, and Munich, recorded for labels such as Columbia and Supraphon, performed in the Bavarian State Opera, with the Dresden State Chapel, in the Operas of Chicago and Rome, in the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, the Musikverein in Vienna, in the Museum Concerts in Frankfurt, led the National Opera Orchestra of Monte Carlo, and many more. This list also includes the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he launched the Presenting Young Conductors series. In addition to his favorites, Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner, Lovro Matačić’s interests encompassed a vast repertoire, including Croatian music which he always featured in the global orchestral repertoire. Croatian and European music will mainly remember his greatness and significance in the conducting realm, while the young artists will learn about the maestro’s legacy and character mostly through the work of the Lovro and Lilly Matačić Foundation. At the behest of both Lovro Matačić and his wife Lilly, the Foundation was founded in 1987 with the aim of helping and supporting talented young conductors in Croatia and abroad. As a non-profit organization, the Foundation aims to commemorate Lovro Matačić through a wide array of activities: publishing, organizing concerts, cultural events, lectures, masterclasses and seminars, in addition to hosting the international competition of young conductors every four years (since 1995) as an event of global importance worthy of the artist whose name it shares, enabling young generations of musicians to participate on the international conducting stage.