The 68th Dubrovnik Summer Festival has been closed with the Gala concert and the Orlando Award giving ceremony for the best performances in the drama and music programme, last night, 25 August in front of St Blaise's Church. The Croatian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alberto Veronesi, featuring last year's Orlando Award winner, the young Ukrainian violinist Aleksey Semenenko performed for the festival audience.
The Orlando Award for best music performance at this year’s Festival was awarded to 4 guitars, a quartet including Zoran Dukić, Petrit Çeku, Tvrtko Sarić and Maroje Brčić, for the concert held on 30 July in the Rector’s Palace, - it was decided by the jury including Dubravka Tomšič, Marija Grazio and Frano Đurović. The jury explained how the four musicians showed not only great technique but also the ability to perform together while also giving a part of their own personality. The award was presented by Kazimir Bačić, executive director of the Croatian Radiotelevision, to Maroje Brčić who thanked the jury for acknowledging the love and emotion they put into the performance. The Orlando Award for the best performance in the drama programme at this year’s Festival was awarded to Ozren Grabarić for his acting creations in the play Marin Držić – Victory over the Enemies directed by Ivica Boban, which premiered 20 August in the Music School Park. The jury, including Željka Turčinović, Petra Jelača and Davor Mojaš, pointed out how Grabarć, like a virtuoso, played multiple roles and managed excellently with the difficult language of Dubrovnik. Grabarić was also awarded by a big applause and he thanked the people of Dubrovnik for excepting him, his interpretations and the whole play.