Distributed by CroatianWorld

Americans in Zagreb

Americans Mardy Fish (L), James Blake and thecoach Patrick McEnroe (R) follow the draw for their Davis Cup tie againstCroatia in Zagreb, February 6, 2003. In spite of absence of Andy Roddick, theU.S. team is confident it will win the Croatian tie this weekend. REUTERS/NikolaSolic

Veleposlanstvo Republike Hrvatske u Sjedinjenim Američkim Dr~avama Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America

2343 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20008

Press office, Phone: (202) 986 9476 Fax.: (202) 588 8938

E-mail: press@croatiaemb.org www.croatiaemb.org

PRESS RELEASE 06/03

CROATIANGUITARIST PLAYED AT THE KENNEDY CENTER

WashingtonDC, 31. siječnja 2003. Robert Belinic, Croatian classical guitaristplayed on Sunday afternoon February 2, at the Kennedy Center. Belinic, whom isthe first guitarist to join the roster of Young Concert Artists (YCA) was theFirst Prize winner of the 2002 YCA International Audition. Sunday event wassponsored by the Alexander Kasza-Kasser Prize, which is funded by Mary Mochary.

Belinic opened up with JohannSebastian Bach s Sonata No.1 for violin in G minor, BVW 1001 andperformed the immensely technical piece in the key of A minor. The journey wassurreal as Belinic took the audience through his perception of Bach s subtleyet remarkably beautiful piece of work. He captivated the audience by choosingto finish with a faster and more vibrant piece known as Two Dances, byJorge Morel.

Among the 400 plus in attendancewas the Ambassador of Croatia to the United States, Ivan Grdesic and his staff.They all attended to see their fellow countrymen in the spotlight while on hisway up in the musical world.

Young Concert Artists Inc. is anon-profit organization founded in 1961 by Susan Wadsworth. YCA is devoted to discovering such young amazing talent as, Belinic. Even more, YCA dedicates their time and assistance in the preparation andlaunching of their young and extremely gifted musicians careers. The artists arechosen through the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, which areunique in that there are no rankings and any number of winners, or none, can beselected. Belinic was the only onechosen at the audition he attended and understandably so, his talent surpassesthose of most classical guitarists in his age group.

Born in 1981 in Zagreb, CroatiaBelinic s interest in the performing arts began at the age of eight when hestarred in the Tale from Croatia, the first film released in the thennewly-independent Croatia. At the age of 11 his interest began to shift towardsmusical performance. Belinic s first instrument, however, was not the guitar,but rather the drums, which he began to play at, age three. It wasn t until the age of 11 that Belinic began to study the guitar. He first attended music school in Kutina with Zvonko Susnjar andcontinued his studies with Ante Cagalj in Zagreb. Every year since 1995, he has participated in the International SummerSchool for Guitar on the Croatian island of Hvar. Currently he is studying at the Music Conservatory in Augsburg, Germany,with Franz Halasz.

Belinic s talents have certainlynot gone unrecognized. He wasawarded the Fergus new Artist Prize of YCA, The Princeton University ConcertPrize and The Beracasa Foundation Prize for an appearance at the MontpellierRadio France Festival. In 2001,Belininc was the sole winner of the Young Artists European Auditions in Leipzig,Germany hosted by the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.

Belinic will continue his 2002-2003Young Concert Artists Series tour at the beginning of next week. He will firstmake his Debut recital in New York at the 92^nd Street Y, sponsored bythe Claire Tow Debut Prize. Then hewill then make his Boston debut at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Also included in the tour are performances at Mary Baldwin College inStaunton, VA, for the Jewish Community Alliance in Jacksonville, FL, and at theHonest Brook Music Festival in New York.

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For further information, please contact:

AlanVojvodić, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America,

(202)986 9476, press@croatiaemb.org

Distributed by CroatianWorld

Benefit Concert for the Croatian House Project

PRESS RELEASE
CROATIAN MUSICAL HERITAGE SERIES IN WASHINGTON DC

For Immediate Release
Contact: croatianhouse@aol.com
Tel.: 202 588 5899, ext. 116

Natasha Dukan, Pianist, with Ante Jelincic, Clarinetist
Benefit Concert for the Croatian House Project

The Embassy of Croatia, Croatian House and the University of Zagreb Alumni Association (AMAC)- North Capital have the honor to present the distinguished Croatian pianist, Natasha Dukan, with special guest clarinetist, Ante Jelincic, at a Croatian Musical Heritage Series concert to benefit the Croatian House Project. The concert will at The Embassy of Austria, 3524 International Court, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008-3027 on February 21, 2003 at 7:30 P.M..

Of Natasha Dukan, Ronald Broun, critic for the Washington Post, has written: Dukan played with refined touch, reveling in Scriabin's exotic sonority and disquieting harmonic trickery...her rhythmic pulse was pleasurably elastic, and she threaded limpid legato lines through densely scored commotions.
Natasha Dukan began her musical studies under Jelka Bakaaun in her native city of Split, Croatia, where she won numerous national competitions. During her university years, while studying under Jokuthon Kadirova-Mihailovich and the virtuoso Kemal Gekich, she performed frequently with national orchestras and in recital. After appearing at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, she went on to win first prize in Stresa, Italy, and her appearance at the 1995 Chopin Competition in Warsaw led to numerous subsequent concert engagements throughout Poland. Her festival appearances include the Split, Ohrid, Skopje and Hvar summer festivals, and she has given concerts in Germany, Spain, Poland and Russia. She has recorded for radio and television in her native country and Italy.
In 1996, Ms. Dukan received a full scholarship to study with Julian Martin at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. She earned a Graduate Performance Diploma in 1998 and was immediately admitted (on full scholarship) to the prestigious Artist Diploma Program. In the Washington area, Ms. Dukan recently appeared in the Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center Summer Concerts, Fairfax Concert Series and the Church of the Epiphany Tuesday Concert Series. She is currently teaching at the Academy of Music in Gaithersburg.
In the pianist Natasha Dukan, we see a rare combination of passion, intimacy, sensuality, refinement, a powerful differentiated sound and brilliant technique. She has the rare capacity to play with utter abandon yet maintain absolute control over the myriad complex elements of pianistic craft which lie behind a truly mature technique. Critics have praised her from Moscow to Maryland and audiences are unanimous in their warm appreciation of her gifts.

Ante Jelincic is a second-year clarinet student at the Split Academy of Music and first-prize winner of a 1999 national competition of Croatian music students. AMAC is sponsoring his appearance at this concert as part of an initiative to introduce young Croatian artists to America.

Tickets (adults $18; students $8) will be available at the door one hour prior to the concert or may be purchased in advance and picked up at the door. Checks (tax deductible donations) should be payable to AMAC-North Capital and mailed to the following address: c/o Croatian House, P.O. Box 546, West Bethesda, MD 20827.

Program

Five Preludes, op. 16                        Alexander Scriabin
                                                           (1872 1915)

Two Poems, op. 32
        Andante cantabile
        Allegro. Con eleganza. Con fiducia.

Sonate-Fantaisie in G-sharp Minor, op. 19
        Andante
        Presto

Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra     Carl Maria von Weber
        Adagio ma non troppo                    (1786 1826)
        Andante
        Allegro

Ante Jelincic, clarinet
Natasha Dukan, piano

Theme and Variations for Clarinet and Strings Ante Grgin
                                                                       b. 1948
Ante Jelincic, clarinet
Natasha Dukan, piano

Intermission

Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 55, No. 2     Frederic Chopin
                                                                   (1810 1849)
Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, op. 61

Scherzo in E Major, op. 54

Scherzo-Fantastico                                    Boris Papandopulo
                                                                   (1906 1991)
Two Studies
Tempo di Tango
Vivacissimo

Croatia'sProsinecki launches sports magazine

Agence France-Presse

ZAGREB, Croatia (AFP) - Croatian midfielder Robert Prosinecki on Wednesday presented the first issue of his sports weekly Rekord.

The 34-year-old veteran, currently playing for Slovenian first division side Olimpija, said he would focus on journalism after leaving professional soccer.

"Even after I finish my career I would like to stay in touch with sport, but in a different manner as I have no intention of being a coach or a manager," Prosinecki told reporters.

"After the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, I came up with the idea to start a quality sports magazine."

In the first issue, Prosinecki has conducted an interview with Croatia's former coach Miroslav Blazevic.

Croatia, United States sign agreement on preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

ZAGREB, Croatia - A senior U.S. Defense Ministry official on Tuesday described Croatia as a "valued partner" in the war on terror.

Mira Ricardel, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Eurasia, visited Croatia to sign an agreement on cooperation in preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Croatia aspires to join NATO (news - web sites).

The agreement signed Tuesday by Ricardel and Croatia's Defense Minister, Zeljka Antunovic, was the first tangible sign that the Croatian pro-Western government is siding with the United States in its war on terror.

The deal, which still has to be ratified by the U.S. Congress and the Croatian parliament, would provide Croatia with knowledge and equipment needed to fight the spread of weapons of mass destruction, Antunovic said.

The agreement was not linked to the possible war in Iraq, she said, adding it covered a period of seven years. She offered no other details.

Ricardel said the deal would deepen partnership between the two countries.

"Croatia is a valued partner of the United States, a valued partner in the war on terror," she said.

Ricardel also said Croatia was "a serious candidate" for NATO membership because "its leadership is taking very decisive and difficult steps in reforming" its armed forces.

Croatia, a nation of 4.5 million that gained independence in 1992 and ended a war with Serb rebels in 1995, is reforming its military to conform to NATO standards, hoping to become an alliance member.

The country has been a member of NATO's auxiliary program Partnership for Peace since 1997, but it is not among the front-runners for alliance

Hy-wire & HydroGen3 Receive Prestigious Awards in Croatia

The Croatian Association of Automotive Journalists recently presented two Golden Steering Wheel awards to GM and Opel for their fuel cell innovations. The 31-member jury recognized GM's Hy-Wire as the "most refined and advanced technical innovation in 2002," and the Opel HydroGen3 as "the most ecological vehicle."

Bozo Kovacevic, Croatian minister of Environment, (shown left in the photo), presented Andy Dunstan, operations manager for Opel Southeast Europe, with one of the two Golden Steering Wheel awards presented to GM and Opel at an awards ceremony on January 31, 2003.

The Croatian Association of Automotive Journalists said they appreciated that GM provided the media with a chance to drive these vehicles, while gaining first hand experience both on the vehicles capabilities and the technologies behind them. Five journalists from Croatia attended the Monaco Ride and Drive featuring the Hy-wire and Hydrogen 3 in early December.

HOCE LI HRVATSKU GLAGOLJICU STITITI I UNESCO

Pismo nase posebnosti

ZAGREB - Premda je rana hrvatska pismenost i srednjovjekovnaknjizevnost trojezicna (latinska, staroslavenska, starohrvatska) itropismena (latinica, glagoljica, cirilica), najva nija sastavnicapisane kulture toga doba medu Hrvatima upravo je ona glagoljicna. Iakonije pismo samo Hrvata, glagoljica je jedino u hrvatskome narodu opstalavise od pola tisucljeca, postav1i jednom od bitnih oznaka hrvatskoga nesamo kulturnoga nego i nacionalnoga identiteta. Nije stoga neocekivanoda je ovih dana Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova, uz istarsku ljestvicu,predlozilo i hrvatsko glagoljicno naslijedje za Unescov popisnematerijalne svjetske kulturne bastine.

Predstojnika Katedre za staroslavenski jezik i hrvatsko glagoljastvona Odsjeku kroatistike zagrebackoga Filozofskoga fakulteta prof. dr.Stjepana Damjanovica pitamo sto bi uvrstavanje na Unescov popis (akonacna se odluka ocekuje u drugoj polovici ove godine) znacilo zaafirmaciju hrvatske glagoljicne bastine.

- Svjetska verifikacija kulturnih dobara pojedinih naroda krozUnesco ima - veli nam prof. Damjanovic - dvije osobine: prvo, pomazeindividualizaciji naroda i njegove kulture i, drugo, veze taj narod sdrugim sredinama. Glagoljica je dobar primjer za obje dimenzije. Ona je,kako je nedavno ustvrdio pooznati poljski slavist Leszek Moszynski,simbolicki samo hrvatsko pismo, jer se jedino Hrvati potpuno s njomidentificiraju. No, glagoljica nas veze i s drugim narodima koji su senjome sluzili u proslosti (Bugari, Makedonci, Cesi itd.), a djela pisananjome s ranom knji evnoscu zapadnoeuropskoga kruga s kojom dijeli i temei zanrove. Cinjenica je da je na tom pismu stoljecima nastajao dobar dionase knjizevnosti i to je vec verificirano, primjerice, u najboljimsvjetskim knjiznicama koje imaju barem jednu ako ne i vise hrvatskihglagoljicnih knjiga. Nova medjunarodna potvrda kroz UNESCO osnazila biobjektivno vrednovanje hrvatskoga glagoljastva kao vrijednosti svjetske

Zora Andrich?

Nenad:

I have a quick question so I will keep this e-mail short and sweet. There is a show called 'Joe Millionare' on Fox TV in the United States that is currently being watched by millions of people every Monday night in the US and Canada. Apparently, there is a 30 year old woman by the name of Zora Andrich who supposedly ends up with this Joe. Being that our whole household watches this, we were wondering (as well as probably tens of thousands of American & Canadian Croatians) whether or not she is Croatian. I don't know whether you are the right person to ask, but you just might be. Thanks.

Marinko
marinko3@sympatico.ca

CroatiaWorld Handball Champions 2003

From correspondents in Lisbon
03feb03

CROATIA have won their first men's handball worldchampionship, beating Germany 34-31 in the final. Croatia, Olympic champions in1996 and silver medallists at the 1995 worlds, advanced to the final by beatingSpain. France, who won the world championship in2001, finished third, beating Spain 27-22. Olympicchampions Russia took fifth after beating Hungary 30-25 and Iceland toppedYugoslavia 32-27 for seventh place and a spot in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Only the top seven teams at the worlds qualify for the Olympics.

Kroatienist Weltmeister!

Clickhere: MDR Multimedia Konsole

http://www.mdr.de/MMC/538706--''-d-RealG2Video.html

Nenad,

Technology is amazing! I just watched over a German website a two minutevideo clip about the victory of Croatia over Germany. As they put itin the end:

Kroatien ist Weltmeister!

laku noc,

Michael Spudic