CULTURE

Iva Hraste Sočo, PhD : Croatian National Theatre – a house of proven art

December 22, 2022
Boban Spasojević

This year, a record number of subscriptions were sold in the last few years – almost 5,000.

The program, i.e. the repertoire of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb in Drama, Opera and Ballet must be balanced in such a way as to pay attention to the share of classical (so-called chamber repertoire) and contemporary expressions, Mrs Iva Hraste Sočo, Director of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb, tells Diplomacy&Commerce. She announced the investment in ensembles and the relief of the scene, which will facilitate the work of the employees.

  1. As a woman with a rich career and experience in the field of art, what does the job of intendant of the most important cultural institution in the country mean to you? What will you focus on in your work?

The position of the intendant of the greatest theatre institution in Croatia is a responsible job, first of all. Bearing in mind the great artists who performed this duty, I consider it a great honour to be given the opportunity to take this job. My previous experience as an opera soloist who matured artistically at the HNK Opera in Zagreb, then that of a scientist and diplomat, and the management references I gained as an assistant to the Minister of Culture will help me in managing this theatre company.

  1. What are you guided by when making decisions, preparing programs, dealing with finances?

You have listed various areas and tasks that an intendant must perform, of course in cooperation with his closest colleagues. The program, i.e. the repertoire of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb in Drama, Opera and Ballet must be balanced in such a way as to pay attention to the share of classical (so-called chamber repertoire) and contemporary expressions. Also, the program follows a financial as well as a staffing plan, which must be realistic, but also ambitious, in order to follow the mission of the HNK in Zagreb, but also to build on the vision of a modern European theatre.

  1. What are you offering to us this year in the repertoire in all the segments of HNK, drama, opera and ballet?

As I mentioned just now, in this season, which we opened with a festive Opera gala concert with the celebrated opera star Piotr Beczal, we will see canonical works in all three artistic entities, for example an opera such as Verdi’s “Nabucco”, the operetta “The Flittermouse”, the world classic “Don Juan” by Moliere and the Croatian classic “Leda” by M. Krleža, but also the great ballet staging of “Spartacus” by A. Khačaturjan or “Peer Gynt” by E. Grieg. We are grateful to our loyal audience, as well as to our new subscribers, for recognizing the quality of our program because we have achieved a record number of sold subscriptions in the last few years, almost 5,000.

  1. What are the novelties that we can expect in the current season?

We will try to fill ensembles that are great with young artists, which we already did at the Opera in October, and through the interaction of Croatian artists with foreign stars we will achieve relevance in terms of performance, which we hope will attract the audience. Among the new programs, we will stage Opera for Babies, the Zagreb Opera Festival, the program and subscription of Theatre for the Family, the HNK’s Film Vault, etc.

  1. What do you see as the biggest challenges in the business operations and functioning of HNK?

The greatest challenge is certainly the fact that HNK has around 500 employees in Zagreb and the intendant and his associates must ensure a favourable working climate as a predisposition for creating superb works of art. Furthermore, a big challenge is the construction of a new stage in Adžija Street, where the workshops and warehouses of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb are located, after which the theater will organizationally “breathe”, because it is very challenging to perform the repertoire of Opera, Drama and Ballet on one stage, which is the case now.

  1. HNK also cooperates with other theatres in Europe. How and through which projects?

Zagreb is a Central European capital and is naturally focused on cooperation with similar theaters in the surrounding area and beyond. Cooperation takes place through co-production projects, guest appearances and exchanges, as well as international associations in which HNK in Zagreb participates.