Zagreb selected to host 20th Eurovision Young Musicians contest

Zagreb

13 July 2019 – Zagreb has been selected to host the 20th edition of Eurovision Young Musicians. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that the Croatian capital and public broadcaster HRT will host the contest on June 21, 2020.

Young musicians from around Europe will perform on an open-air stage in King Tomislav Square in Zagreb.

The Eurovision Young Musicians contest has been held every two years since 1982. It is an international classical music event aimed at offering the broadest possible stage to talented young classical musicians from all over the globe and helping them embark on an international career. 

Previous winners of the Eurovision Young Musicians competition have gone on to enjoy huge success on the world-stage, and include Julian Rachlin (violin), Natalie Clein (cello) and Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad (viola).

“We are delighted to bring the 20th Eurovision Young Musicians competition to Croatia in 2020,” said the EBU’s Executive Supervisor of Eurovision Live Events, Jon Ola Sand. “HRT have been closely involved with this format for over 20 years and are very much a part of its heritage. We know that HRT will produce a fantastic event for the best young classical musicians to shine. This competition has launched some of the biggest stars of the classical world and we’re looking forward to giving the big names of the future an international stage next summer.”

The venue for the contest (Photo: M. Mihaljević/Zagreb Tourist Board)

Kazimir Bačić, director general of HRT, added: “We are exceptionally honoured to host Eurovision Young Musicians in 2020 in Zagreb. We will stage the competition for the very first time and this being the 20th edition makes us even more proud. We are pleased to partner with the Croatian Ministry of Culture and the City of Zagreb for the event. As a country that is known around the world for its hard-working musical talent as well as its great cultural heritage, Croatia, Zagreb and HRT are ready for this wonderful experience. We’d like to thank the EBU for giving HRT this opportunity.”

At the 2018 contest, which was held at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, 16-year-old Russian pianist Ivan Bessonov won the 19th edition of the competition with his performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1, 3rd movement.

Zagreb hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990.