32. Music biennale Zagreb

26. April 2023.

32. Music biennale Zagreb

Music biennale Zagreb was held from 13. until 22. of April 2023. It is the biggest Croatian festival dedicated to the adventure of contemporary music. Since its founding in 1961, the MBZ program has been unburdened by genre limitations and accompanied by discussions, exchanges of knowledge, experimenting and games. Every two years, a number of venues in Zagreb are transformed into meeting places colored in every shade of contemporary music—from symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and contemporary opera to jazz, improvised, electronic and alternative music as well as sound experiments, multimedia installations and contemporary dance.

Firstly, the festival is not made up solely of the final product, the program and the performances presented to the audience and critics. That is to say, rich and layered programs, classical concerts, music-stage pieces and alternative (and) electronic music works are preceded by intense curatorial work which often directly affects the accessibility and interpretation of contemporary musical heritage. As part of the MBZ initiative, some of the previously lost or forgotten pieces have been meticulously studied, digitalized and their restaging encouraged, which in fact fills historical gaps and re-evaluates the discussion about contemporary music from past historical periods. At the same time, the MBZ encourages the creation and publication of new works in order to provide a solid foundation for some future generations.

For the MBZ, the festival concept is thus much more than a series of performances within a defined timeframe. It is the place where new views of art and the world emerge, an incubator of musical poetics, attempts and excesses. It is a laboratory that affirms the “borderline” by respecting its borderliness and upholding the tradition by questioning its established concepts. Lastly, it is a platform that brings people together to discuss the meaning of music in the context of society in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, or their personal impressions, associations and inspirations that might incite them to create or act in a socially conscious way.

More importantly, it is a celebration, a microcosm of an extraordinary atmosphere that encourages togetherness in sound and music – togetherness that will also change the world outside the setting of a music festival. In the crisis that is clearly slowly engulfing the world and disrupting the opportunities for artistic expression as such, it is most certainly valuable and necessary.

Euro-Unit and Yamaha Music Europe were once again music sponsors of the festival, while the Yamaha CFX rand piano was part of the festival’s performances at Pogon Jedinstvo.