Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk and his Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipovic on Sunday evening attended an open-air concert of 1,100 musicians from the two countries who performed Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8, as part of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of independence of Slovenia and Croatia.
The concert was held in Ljubljana by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, 21 choruses and eight soloists.
The identical concert will also be given in Zagreb's Arena hall on Monday evening with both Josipovic and Tuerk attending it.
The Ljubljana event ushered in this year's international summer festival in the Slovenian capital under the auspices of President Tuerk.
Addressing the present at the Ljubljana concert, Mayor Zoran Jankovic described that spectacular concert as a sign of friendship and independence of Slovenia and Croatia adding that the event was of exceptional importance for Ljubljana.
The concert opened with the performance of the anthems of the two neighbouring countries and with Beethoven's Ode to Joy, a melody used to symbolize the European Union.
Apart from celebrating the two countries' independence, the concerts in Ljubljana and Zagreb have also been organised in tribute to 310th anniversary of the Slovenian institution called "Academia Philharmonicorum", the 140th anniversary of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and the 100th anniversary of the death of Gustav Mahler, a famous Austrian composer.
