Location: Cathedral of St. Domnius (St. Duje)

Time: April 25, 2026, 8:00 PM

The Lukačić Ensemble opens the 30th edition of the International Choral Festival Cro Patria 2026, marking the beginning of the commemoration of the 440th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Marko Lukačić, one of the most important Croatian Baroque composers, after whom the ensemble is named.

The Lukačić Ensemble is a professional vocal ensemble founded in 2023 through a collaboration of musicians from Split and Zagreb, operating within the Schola cantorum Split association, under the artistic direction of conductor Sara Dodig Baučić. It was established with the aim of researching, performing, and promoting early music of Croatian heritage.

The ensemble’s program brings together prominent 16th- and 17th-century composers from the historical Croatian lands, illustrating the development of musical expression from the “old” practice (prima prattica) to the “new” (seconda prattica). The repertoire includes works by Jelić and Cecchini, Lukačić’s motets, frottolas by Andrija Motovunjanin, and the motet Asperges me, Domine by Jakov Skjavetić, which demonstrates the maturity of Renaissance polyphony.

The concert takes place on Saturday, April 25 at 8:00 PM in the Cathedral of St. Domnius in Split.

Cro Patria Festival, a unique platform for the promotion of choral singing and contemporary choral composition, has been held continuously since 1995, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the Split-Dalmatia County, the City of Split, and the Split Tourist Board. Its programs are often realized in cooperation with the Museum of the City of Split.