Lovro von Matačić International Conducting Competition

The Lovro von Matačić International Competition of Young Conductors has been held in Zagreb since 1995. Organised by the Lovro and Lilly Matačić Foundation, it forms part of a wider programme of scholarships, awards and training for emerging conductors. The competition follows a four-year cycle and brings participants from different countries to work on international and Croatian orchestral repertoire. Its eighth edition took place at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in September 2023. The foundation also supports practical study through conducting seminars, including work with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. The Lovro and Lilly Matačić Fund, constituted in Zagreb in 1987 under the wills of the conductor and his wife, runs the competition alongside a scholarship scheme that has supported Croatian conductors from Tonči Bilić to Ivan Repušić and Mladen Tarbuk. Editions fall several years apart in Zagreb; the competition council has drawn in Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Kent Nagano and Milan Horvat. Jakub Hrůša is among the prizewinners.