Didactic concerts in the magical setting of Gothic churches

Within the INTERREG project Terra Gothica Incognita, three didactic concerts will take place between 26 September and 10 October in three fresco-painted churches, paying tribute to the Kastav Painting School and its masters. Dario Marušić, Marino Kranjac and Edna Strenja will bring to life, through storytelling, song and music, the sounds of instruments and voices “captured” in 15th-century paintings.

The first encounter with the Minnesingers will take place in Oprtalj, in the Church of St Mary, whose walls are painted by four leading masters, on Friday, 26 September at 7:00 p.m. The second performance will be in Hrastovlje, in the fresco-filled Church of the Holy Trinity, painted by Ivan of Kastav, on 4 October at 6:00 p.m. The third will take place in Kastav, where new frescoes of the Kastav Painting School were discovered last year, in the charming Church of St Fabian and Sebastian, on 10 October at 6:00 p.m. Music and stories from the past are combined into an unforgettable cultural experience.

About the performers and lecturers:
Ethnomusicological research is the primary field of work of Dario Marušić, who revives traditional and historical music and instruments of Istria through composition, performance and singing. He performs both solo and in ensembles across Europe and worldwide, and is also active in educational work and major national projects. He has released around twenty albums, with another one currently in preparation.

Marušić is joined in the preservation of Istrian musical heritage by multi-instrumentalist Marino Kranjac from Koper, while the concerts will be further enriched by vocalist Edna Strenja – architect, teacher, photographer and leader of the Pula-based choir Praksa.

Source and photo: PPMI