Announcement: 10th anniversary BIG - Baška International Guitar Festival

This year, the island of Krk will again host a fantastic music event with performances by exceptional artists in a unique environment! With regard to its programme and organisation, the tenth Baška International Guitar Festival will be one of the most attractive editions of this event, which, in addition to enchanting music performances, includes educational workshops, exhibitions and film screenings! With stunning views of Jurandvor and Baška as a backdrop, this famous festival is set to enchant music enthusiasts, guitar fans, and casual visitors alike from 17 to 19 August. As always, admission is free for everyone!

The tenth Baška International Guitar Festival will be opened by its artistic director Damir Halilić Hal with the premiere of his new double album, which is scheduled to be released at the end of the year. The festival lineup also includes some of the world’s rising guitar talents, as well as impressive Croatian guitarists - from emerging artists whose time is yet to come to some well-known, award-winning stars.

On the festival’s opening evening, the audience will have the opportunity to hear the Croatian debut of one of the most famous rising stars in the guitar world, Samson Schmitt, who has played at some of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, such as the Hollywood Bowl, Newport Jazz Festival and Carnegie Hall, with superstars such as George Benson. His performances are often introduced by Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

The festival’s second day will give us the opportunity to listen to the new hope of classical guitar, Zlatko Josip Grgić, and another talented newcomer, in the gypsy jazz scene, Andreas Varady. This young man, who has appeared on the cover of the Guitar Player Magazine and was only 13 when he performed as a headliner in London’s prestigious Ronnie Scott’s Club, makes records for the well-known label Verve Music and has an exclusive contract with the management of the legendary Quincy Jones, with whom he performs live. He is sure to be a crowd puller for this year’s festival.

To make certain that high standards and expectations are met throughout, the Gismo Graf Trio will accompany Samson Schmitt on the first festival night and Andreas Varady on the second. Gismo Graf is one of the most famous trailblazers in gypsy swing, who in the past decade has performed all over the world, including prestigious festivals such as the Festival Django Reinhardt Samois Sur Seine / Fontainebleau (F), Djangofest Northwest (USA), Djangofest Mill Valley (USA), Gypsysphera Moscow, Djangofestivalen Oslo, Jazz Festival Ascona (CH), Festival Khamoro Prague (CZ), ZMF Freiburg (D), Blue Balls Festival Lucerne (CH), Villa Celimontana Festival Rome (IT), IGGF (UK), and many others.

The final act of the evening will be Damir’s Django Group, the successor to the group founded in 2005 by Damir Kukuruzović, a jazz guitarist, winner of numerous musical awards and the most prominent Croatian ambassador of Django Reinhardt’s music, who left us suddenly in December 2020, leaving behind a rich musical legacy.

After the first two days, during which the programme will take place in the fantastic ambience of the Church of St Lucy in Jurandvor, the festival will move to the Stara Riva waterfront in Baška on day three. The first artists to present themselves in this new setting with a view of the sea and picturesque Baška will be the Zagreb Klezmer Trio, featuring Mario Igrec, one of the most prominent Croatian jazz guitarists, member of the popular band Cubismo and winner of some of the most renowned Croatian music awards. Klezmer is a musical genre recognisable by its characteristic expressive melodies similar to the human voice, the creation of which was influenced by various musical styles (Romanian and Bulgarian traditions, jazz and others).

The finale of this year’s Baška International Guitar Festival belongs to the Mike Sponza Big Band from Italy. Mike Sponza is one of the most famous Italian blues musicians, with a long and varied international career. The fusion of rock & roll, blues and soul is the best description of his musical expression, and his extremely rich discography includes numerous collaborations with famous musicians such as Dan Gillespie, Louisiana Red, Bob Margolin, Georgie Fame, Lucky Peterson, Boško Petrović and Pete Brown, the author of the famous hits ‘Sunshine of Your Love’, ‘I Feel Free’ and ‘White Room’.

In addition to enjoying this impressive list of performers, aspiring musicians and guitar enthusiasts will have the unique opportunity to learn from the best artists during the BIG workshops! Music workshops for gypsy jazz guitar will be led by Gismo Graf, and for classical guitar by Hrvoje Grgić, professor of classical guitar from Zagreb. This rare opportunity to gain an insight into their techniques and creative processes should not be missed!

The musical elements of the festival will be complemented by two excellent cinema screenings. After the sun sets on our picturesque location, in the magical setting of the open-air cinema, with the accompaniment of an excellent selection of wines and cocktails, visitors will have the opportunity to witness the lives and legacies of guitar legends through two educational and entertaining movies. On the first day of the festival, we will watch the music documentary Buena Vista Social Club, a cult film directed by Wim Wenders, which won an Oscar in 2000, and on the second day Crossroads, an American musical drama directed by Walter Hill, inspired by the legend of blues music, Robert Johnson.

Along with music and films, we are pleased to announce two exciting exhibitions that will additionally enrich this musical event. On Thursday, 17 August, in the refectory of St. Lucy’s, a collection of paintings of cult guitarists by the painter Nikša Čorić will be exhibited, which will remain on display after the festival. The next day, 18 August, a unique exhibition of Torres guitars, by the most important Spanish guitar maker, Antonio de Torres Jurado, will be on display in the same space, offering a fascinating insight into the history of guitar making.

Conceived as an unforgettable celebration of music and culture, the BIG Festival is proud to reveal its impressive lineup of performers, lecturers and accompanying programmes. This is the best proof of the quality of the long-term partnership between Baška Tourist Board and the Hal Association, which creates the programme of events with much care and knowledge in order to provide visitors with an exciting, high-quality experience. The goal of the BIG Festival is simple: to inspire audiences to visit the beautiful setting of Jurandvor and Baška on the island of Krk, with its enchanting scenic beauty and rich cultural heritage, to make their visit unforgettable, and to encourage them to return to enjoy the magical atmosphere of the BIG Festival again and again!