Linđo Folklore Ensemble and Dubrovnik Summer Festival - Six Decades of Strategic Partnership

Lecturer: Ivan Viđen, art historian and co-author of the monograph on the history of the Linđo Folklore Ensemble

Today, the opening of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival would be unthinkable without a performance by the Linđo Folklore Ensemble. It is both a symbolic and visible sign of something much deeper and more significant: the relationship between Linđo and the Festival is far from coincidental — it is a true strategic partnership.

Although the Ensemble made its first appearance at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival in August 1967 (less than two years after its founding), it was in fact the Festival's leadership that first proposed, as early as 1957, the idea of establishing a folklore ensemble in the city beneath Mount Srđ. The aim was not merely to reduce the costs of hosting folklore groups from other cities, but also to create an ensemble that would bring together local youth, offering them meaningful engagement, opportunities to learn and perform traditional folklore, while at the same time enriching Dubrovnik's cultural and tourist offerings.

From the outset, the vision was for the ensemble to have a semi-professional character, composed exclusively of young local performers — a concept that proved to be a strong foundation for its future development.

Since 1967, Linđo has not only become the core of the Festival's folklore program but has grown and evolved alongside it, reflecting changes in society and repertoire alike. These two institutions have been intertwined for decades, inspiring and shaping one another through their collaboration.
Let us explore how it all began — and reflect on what Linđo has given to the Festival, and what the Festival has given in return.

This lecture is one of the events through which the Linđo Folklore Ensemble is marking the 60th anniversary of its founding in 2025. Its inclusion in this year's Dubrovnik Summer Festival program is entirely expected and serves as a symbolic homage to the deeply rooted collaboration between these two Dubrovnik institutions.

In the second part of the evening, the Linđo Folklore Ensemble will present a 45-minute vocal-instrumental program titled Ethnophony.

The program will feature selected vocal and instrumental pieces from Linđo's repertoire. They will perform music from all regions of Croatia, showcasing the Ensemble's orchestra, choir, and both male and mixed klapa groups. The audience will have the opportunity to hear nearly the full range of traditional instruments used by the Ensemble.
The orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Siniša Leopold.