The 64th Ohrid Summer Festival commenced on Friday with a performance by Lithuanian-born composer and violinist Julian Rachlin, accompanied by the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova inaugurated the festival, emphasizing that the event once again faces the significant challenge of demonstrating, for the sixty-fourth time, Nietzsche’s assertion that life without music would be a mistake.

Siljanovska Davkova reflected on the festival’s origins over sixty years ago, during the height of the Cold War, in the lakeside city of Ohrid, surrounded by mountains and protected by Samuel’s Fortress. She remarked that this natural monument also became a cultural monument.

“Artists from across the globe, from East and West, North and South, sent the message from Ohrid: ‘Beauty will save the world.’ Art transforms, reconciles, and fosters hope for a shared future. We have witnessed a rich history of programs, top artists, numerous awards for understanding and cooperation, and fellowship with devoted cultural missionaries. Art bridges differences and erases borders. I deeply believe that cultural diplomacy is far more powerful than traditional diplomacy, as it heals and nurtures with notes and words rather than seeking victory,” the President stated.

She described art as the twin of spiritual freedom, encapsulating personal and collective sorrow, joy, aspiration, and hope in music and dance. Art is a repository of individual and collective memory, relevant both in the present and the future.

“I feel that tonight, Julian Rachlin and the Macedonian Philharmonic will open Ohrid’s heavenly musical gate, allowing us to step towards beauty, goodness, and the sublime,” she said.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov remarked that the Ohrid Summer Festival embodies a timeline of high artistic values, created uniquely in ancient Ohrid.

“No other place can gather the celestial ambrosia of human thought, reviving centuries and leading us along paths that reveal the essence of eternal art. I am convinced that this year, too, we will witness events bringing the most valuable gifts to the Macedonian audience: the ability to craft immortality from words, capture timelessness through music, and perform the eternal dance of life on stage,” he stated.

Violinist Vladimir Kostov conveyed the festival’s artistic message, highlighting art’s power to transcend language and cultural barriers, inspire creativity, and bring about social change. He emphasized the need for values and the role of art in integrating these values, insisting that art does not lie and that music cannot falsely preach. High artistic expression should anchor us and propel us forward to new challenges and victories.

The 64th Ohrid Summer Festival runs from July 12 to August 20, featuring over 500 artists from 24 countries performing at venues such as the Ancient Theater, Dolni Saraj, the Church of Saint Sophia, and the Cultural Center. The program includes 27 concerts, six theater performances, and three additional events. Maestro Bisera Chadlovska, the festival’s music program selector, expressed satisfaction that the Macedonian Philharmonic, celebrating its 80th anniversary, would perform with maestro Rachlin at the festival’s opening.

The festival features a variety of local performers, such as the piano duo Marija Gjoshevska and Slavica Micovska, guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski celebrating 50 years of his solo career, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Music Youth. There are concerts dedicated to Macedonian composers Tomislav Zografski and Stojche Toshevski, as well as Goce Kolarovski.

International artists include guitar virtuoso Gerhard Reichenbach, pianist Gary Douglas, cellist Dragan Đorđević Suzuki with pianist Andrey Gugnin, and double bass player Dominik Wagner. The festival will also feature performances by the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, the Adriatic Piano Quintet, the Halir Trio, and others. Belgian cellist Camille Thomas, accompanied by pianist Julien Brocal, will perform on the last day of the music program, while salsa band “Mercado Negro” will play at the festival’s birthday concert.

Sanja Arsovska, the drama program selector, announced a diverse theatrical lineup, including three premieres: “Racin” and “The Seagull” by local theaters in Veles and Bitola, and “King Lear” by the Lit Moon Theater Company from Santa Barbara, California.

Additional theater performances will include a play by director Tomaž Pandur and his sister, a stand-up show by Serbian actor Nikola Djuricko, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by the Drama Theater from Belgrade, and “Alice in Fearland” by the Yugoslav Drama Theater, Belgrade.

The press conference concluded by affirming that the Ohrid Summer Festival, as part of the European Festivals Association, will continue to uphold cultural values, maintaining its reputation as a highly esteemed European festival.