Ozren Bilušić

With the help of her daughter and a mute servant, phony psychic Madame Flora uses her clients' grief to deceive them. But one night, an uncanny encounter leads to murder and madness. Croatian National Theatre Zagreb’s production of The Medium offers enough suspense to rival any thriller in just one hour. Gian Carlo Menotti's musically eclectic English-language opera mixes Italian verismo with musical-like American modernity, as one might expect from a thoroughly American-Italian composer and man of theatre.

On 8 December 1980, a murder stirred the modern world. Britain’s most famous member of The Beatles was gunned down at the entrance to his residence in New York. What turned a fan into the killer of the man he adored? Composer Ivo Josipović - and none other than Croatia’s former President - has had a very rich musical career alongside one in politics. He has written over 50 chamber music pieces for various instruments, chamber orchestra and symphony orchestra as well as serving as director of the contemporary music festival, Music Biennale Zagreb. The fate of John Lennon has intrigued the composer and with librettist Marina Biti, the pair have created an opera built around the last days of the Beatle, the people who were important to him and a psychological profile of his murderer. For the world premiere at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, the conductor is Ivan Josip Skender and director Marina Pejnović.

Suliman the Magnificent and his Ottoman army are on the march to Vienna. Only one fortified town lies in their way, but its Croatian commander and small garrison of men are determined to stand their ground. Ivan Zajc’s patriotic opera retells the story of Nikola Šubić Zrinjski’s daring leadership and heroic sacrifice during the real life Siege of Siget. Packed with powerful music – including the rousing male chorus 'U boj, u boj!' – it has held a treasured place in the Croatian repertoire ever since its wildly successful premiere in 1876.