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Macedonia organizes and hosts several important cultural
events which enjoy high esteem in the world.
The Ohrid Summer Festival was established as an
expression of the growing potential in the fields of music and drama in
Macedonia. The first concert took place in 1961 in the 20th century church of
St. Sophia, with its exceptional acoustics.
The main feature of the Festival is its international
character. It has confirmed its status as a representative stage for the highest
achievements for Macedonian and world culture. There have been participants from
44 countries from all continents, among whom there have been many celebrated
world musicians who have left their artistic mark on the second half of the 20th
century.
The Festival is held each year from July 12 to August 20.
The number of performances is about 40 music events and 12 plays. In the last 35
years there have been about 1,150 performances in which 30,000 local and foreign
artists and performers have taken part. The average annual number of visitors is
about 20,000.
The Struga Poetry Evenings, which started in 1961, is a
major poetic event in the world. So far more than 5,000 poets, writers and
literary critics from over 50 countries have taken part. The highest
acknowledgement of the Struga Poetry Evenings is the Golden Wreath international
award, which each year is granted to one prominent poet of the world.
The Balkan Festival of Folk Song and Dance in Ohrid has
presented numerous original songs and dances from folk culture for more than 30
years. The links between the cultures of the Balkan peoples and those of Europe
have greatly affirmed the important role of this festival in the building of
bridges of cultural cooperation. About 1,200 ensembles with 42,000 members have
so far taken part in the festival.
Besides ensembles from all the Balkan countries and the
former Yugoslav republics, a large number of European and non-European countries
have participated in it. The Balkan Festival has for more than 20 years been a
member of CIOFF and other cultural educational associations of UNESCO.
The Skopje International Jazz Festival has become a
highly prestigious music event. Many of the most renowned jazz groups and names
in the world of jazz have taken part in the festival, and in concept and
atmosphere, participants and critics consider it one of the most successful jazz
festivals around the world.
The World Cartoon Gallery is the only event of this kind
in the world. In addition to its permanent exhibition, each year it organizes an
exhibition of cartoons on a specific subject. It has played a major role in the
recognition of Macedonian cartoonists who have earned important awards at
competitions and shows throughout the world. |
