53rd edition of Trogir Summer Festival opens

Under the starry sky , the 53rd edition of Trogir Summer Festival was ceremoniously opened on Ivana Pavla II Square in Trogir on Wednesday night

This year’s edition of the cultural summer is dedicated to the legendary late Trogir tenor Vinko Coce, and it celebrated 10 years since his passing with the musical spectacle “Dalmacija, more, ja I ti” (Dalmatia, sea, me and you).

The opening ceremony began at with the performance of “Švet Ivane od moga Trogira” by Klapa Trogir, whose first tenor was Vinko until the beginning of his solo career as a tenor soloist. Then, Mayor Ante Bilić officially declared the Trogir Cultural Summer open by lowering the flag in front of the crowded city square.

The grand opening of the 53rd edition of the cultural summer was dedicated to the people of Trogir, the city, and the centuries-old tradition of artistic creation. Vinko Coce devoted his life to music and his love for Trogir, becoming one of the most significant performers of Dalmatian and klapa musical expression. In his honor, the ceremony continued with the beautiful timeless songs and melodies flawlessly performed by Trogir masters.

The folk ensemble and mandolin orchestra of the Cultural Art Society “Kvadrilja” took the stage with a unique dance preserved in its original form only in Trogir, following the official opening of the 53rd Trogir Summer Festival by Mayor Ante Bilić. Then, Klapa Stivanja captivated the audience with songs “Da je meni s tobon kroz Pašike” and “Dalmacijo, sve ti cvitalo,” while Trogir musicians performed the legendary song “Ribari.” The Croatian Singing Society Petar Berislavić emotionally sang “Zlato moje,” and the Trogir Kanti delighted with the song “Dalmacija, more, ja i ti,” which was named in memoriam to Vinko Coce.

Particularly strong emotions overwhelmed over a thousand spectators in the main square when Klapa Trogir sang the well-known “Vilo moja,” and the Trogir Brass Orchestra and soloist Vedran Harašić concluded the concert with the famous “Sićaš li se Lungo Mare?” and “Kada umrem zamotan u bilo” together with Klapa Trogir. The audience was absolutely thrilled when all the musicians and singers came back on stage for a joint performance of the songs “Mirno spavaj ružo moja” and “U zaljevu malom,” which marked the end of this musical spectacle, led by conductor Duško Hrnjak.

Trogir artists truly revived the memories of numerous iconic hits left to us by Vinko Coce as an eternal memory, and the entire program was complemented by highly emotional video reports from Vinko’s life. The details of his musical creation and everyday situations were shared by his closest friends and collaborators, who presented the audience with Vinko Coce’s character and work in a very impressive, personal, and touching way.

A mixture of nostalgia, happiness, and song marked the opening of the 53rd edition of Trogir Summer Festival and introduced us to the most beautiful time of the year when Trogir becomes an open stage, offering a truly high-quality and interesting program that confirms the richness of artistic expression our small town possesses and hosts.