3. CROATIAN BAGPIPE FESTIVAL

Because of the exceptional interest, the Croatian Bagpipe Festival were held on two occasions in 2009, in the spring in Bjelovar and Đurđevac and in the autumn in Zagreb and Mihovljan.

Festival evenings were held in Bjelovar and Đurđevac on June 12 and 13, 2009. The concert in Bjelovar was held as part of a large-scale music and stage event called Terezijana.

The spring edition of the festival included musicians from Croatia and guests from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The fall edition of the festival will be held in Zagreb and Mihovljan between September 24 and 27, 2009.

As on previous occasions, the programs of the festival will be diverse and interesting. Besides instrumentalists on the bagpipes, duda and other traditional instruments from Croatia, there will be also be performers from Belarus, Poland, Bulgaria and Colombia.

The 3^nd Croatian Bagpipe Festival was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zagreb, the Tourist Board of the Krapina-Zagorje County, the municipality Mihovljan, Krapina-Zagorje County and Zagreb holding d.o.o.

About the Bagpipe Festival: 

The Croatian Bagpipe Festival is an international festival for traditional instruments organized by the Center for Croatian Traditional Instruments. It was first held on October 20, 2007 in Mihovljan in Croatian Zagorje. At the first festival there were 29 participants, musicians of different traditional instruments from Croatia and guests from abroad. The program was rich and diverse. In addition to bagpipes, visitors were able to listen to instruments like the duda, ljerica, samica, Slovakian bagpipes, fujara, Bulgarian bagpipes, Istrian mih and šurli, didgeridoo, cymbal, jedinka, okarina, and singing accompanied by traditional instruments and some very interesting bands. The most famous Croatian ethno singer, Lidija Bajuk, also appeared in program.

1. The Croatian bagpipe festival has been staged with substantial assistance of the Tourist Board of the Krapina-Zagorje County, the municipality of Mihovljan, the primary school Ljudevit Gaj of Mihovljan and Radio KAJ

2. The Croatian Bagpipe Festival was also staged between May 29 and May 31, 2008 in Zagreb, Garešnica and Mihovljan. The program was very rich and diverse.

Musicians of different traditional instruments from almost all of Croatia and guests from abroad (Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Japan, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina) participated in the festival.

The 2^nd Croatian Bagpipe Festival was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Ministry of Tourism, the City of Zagreb, the Tourist Board of the Krapina-Zagorje County, the municipality Mihovljan, Krapina-Zagorje County, the International Center for Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Center in Garešnica and Radio Kaj.

A DVD of both festivals is available.