Daily reports by Kevin Friedrich (CIA Ambassador). Pictures provided by Kevin Friedrich and Harley Jones

 
Daily Schedule
 all day    Arrival of CIA Organizing Committee
 17:00 - 19.00  CIA Executive Committee Meeting - Preliminary (Hotel Turist)
 21:00 - 22.30  CIA Executive Committee Meeting (Hotel Turist)
   
 

Walking Tour of Varaždin
Varaždin is a city that lives several different lives at the same time. It tells a story of the glory of its past , celebrates the beauty of the countless faces of art and bears witness to the dynamism of its daily life. Indeed, at all times Varaždin offers a chance for a pleasant break, but also the opportunity to all who wish to abandon themselves to an intensive enjoyment of the joys of life. To put it in a nutshell, Varaždin is a place where discovery is ongoing- which is the best kind of invitation to a city where in few steps one walks through centuries.
 
Numerous cultural and historical sights of Varaždin are testimony to its rich history, spanning a period of over eight centuries. The name Varaždin was first mentioned in 1181, and the status of free royal borough was granted to the citizens of Varaždin by the Hungarian-Croatian King Andrew II in his charter of 1209. During the period of its greatest prosperity, at the end of the eighteenth century, when many Croatian nobles, landholders, and even craftsman and artists lived here in luxury, Varaždin was also the capital city of triune Croatia.
 
In the historical chain of Central European cities, Varaždin uncovers itself to its guests and chance visitors as a rare urban jewel - a city of harmony and intimacy, a city that displays its specific urban identity not only through the perpetual beauty of its old Baroque architecture, but also through the warmth of its lovely squares, streets and parks, and above all through the wealth of its preserved museum collections and the diversity of its cuisine.
 
Varaždin is the city of festivals and the common thread bonding them all is music. The music life of the city is enriched with festivals as International festival of traditional jazz, Blues festival, Varaždin Baroque Evenings, then the International school of baroque music and dance Aestas music and Špancirfest. Špancirfest turns this city into the Capital of Music, the Kingdom of Theatre and the Empire of Beauty created by the hand of the artist.
 
The sounds of classical music can be heard from one of Varaždin's churches, from the acclaimed School of Music, one of the oldest in this part of Europe, and even from the homes of many residents. This is because Varaždin is the traditional center of the musical life of northwestern Croatia. Due to this rich musical heritage, the Varaždin Baroque Evenings, an acclaimed international Baroque music festival, have been held every autmn since 1971.
 
Today one of the most accomplished European makers of musical instruments, the master Vladimir Proskurnjak, lives and works in Varaždin. To the present many hundreds of violins, violas, guitars and tamburitza, which are noted for their exceptionally beautiful and majestic sounds,were crafted in the workshop of this unique "Stardivarius of Varaždin", who like the famed master from Cremona specializes in the construction of the highest quality string instruments. The authenticity of Proskurnjak's violins lies in the fact that this master constructs them from a combination of special types of wood: these are specific high- quality species of maple and spruce which grow only in the high mountains of Croatia and Bosnia. Visitors to this master 's Varaždin workshop can personally experience the fascinating sounds of his brilliant musical instruments. Also, Varaždin has a young master Arian Šabic who manufactures brilliant bass-guitars- Aries basses. Also, people of Varaždin are proud of the fact that in year 1800. Ivan Padovec, self- taught guitar player, virtuoso, composer and inventor of a ten- stringed guitar, was born here. Since 1963. harmonics was introduced in the regular classes of the Music School, and Department of harmonic development of quantitative and qualitative improvement of teachers, participation in various events and meetings accordionists in Pula. Thanks to the great enthusiasm and initiative of teachers Stefanija Tkalcec-Cikac 1970/71. school year harmonics is introduced into the secondary school of music, thereby making the students given the opportunity for continuing education and orientation to the study, which until then had been exclusively abroad.
 
Slavko Magdic was the first student who headed the study of harmonics in Moscow and whose return to begin a new period of successful training in this instrument, the new generations of young people who move the footsteps of his professors, which are: Zeljko Škoic, Valentina Lokaj, Drazen Košmeri, Senka Bašek , Lidija Maksic and Davor Bobic, who has graduated in composition, music theory and accordion concert at the famous State Conservatory "PI Tchaikovsky in Kiev. Davor Bobic is one of the most frequently and most prominent Croatian composer, recipient of numerous professional and national awards and distinguished director of Varazdin Baroque Evenings. Krznar Nada is a part of the younger generation. She is one of the most successful students by the number of prizes won, and later at the studio her success continued, just like while participating in world competitions, where she managed to win the favorable results.
 
As a distinct combination of city and museum, but also as the modern headquarters of the County of Varaždin and a crossroads for routes from Central Europe across Zagreb to the Adriatic Sea, Varaždin is an attractive and almost unavoidable tourist destination. It is in the heart of its old town center that every visitor can feel both the spirit of past centuries and the beauty of living in our times.
 
As attendees for the 63rd Coupe Mondiale arrived in Varaždin, they took the opportunity to take a walking tour. Below are some pictures from the beautiful buildings of Varaždin.
 
The Varaždin Music School, one of the CIA Competition Venues
 
Above left: CIA Ambassador Kevin Friedrich and Public Relations Manager Harley Jones both originally from New Zealand next to a Coupe Mondiale Poster
Above right: The Main Town Square of Varaždin
 
Above left: Town Square
Above right: Harley Jones (CIA Public Relations Manager) Raymond Bodell (President) and Kevin Friedrich (CIA Ambassador)
 
Pictures from Varaždin
 
Pictures from Varaždin
 
Pictures from Varaždin
 
Pictures from Varaždin and Zagreb Bank, one of the official sponsors of the 63rd Coupe Mondiale
 
CIA Executive Committee Meeting
Members of the CIA Executive Committee held their first meetings to discuss business of the CIA as outlined on the Agenda, in preparation for the 124th General Assembly of Delegates.

Recommendations from the Executive Committee are subsequently presented to the General Assembly of Delegates for final discussions and decisions. Members of the Executive Committee include:
 
CIA Executive Committee Members
United Kingdom - Raymond Bodell (President)
Austria - Herbert Scheibenreif (Vice President)
Slovakia - Tibor Racz (Vice President)
Finland - Kimmo Mattila (General Secretary)
New Zealand - Harley Jones (Public Relations Manager)
France - Frédéric Deschamps (Music Committee Chairperson)
USA - Kevin Friedrich (CIA Ambassador - Non Voting)
Above left to right: Frédéric Deschamps - France (Music Committee Chairperson), Tibor Racz - Slovakia (Vice President),
Kimmo Mattila - Finland (General Secretary), Raymond Bodell - United Kingdom (President), Herbert Scheibenreif - Austria (Vice President),
Harley Jones - New Zealand (Public Relations Manager), Kevin Friedrich - USA (CIA Ambassador - Non Voting)
 
Above right: Tibor Racz (Slovakia) and Kimmo Mattila (Finland)
Above left: Herbert Scheibenreif (Austria), Harley Jones (New Zealand)
 
Above left: Tibor Racz (Slovakia) and Kimmo Mattila (Finland), Raymond Bodell (United Kingdom), Herbert Scheibenreif (Austria), Harley Jones (New Zealand)
Above right: Raymond Bodell (United Kingdom)

 
Above left to right: Frédéric Deschamps - France (Music Committee Chairperson), Tibor Racz - Slovakia (Vice President),
Kimmo Mattila - Finland (General Secretary), Raymond Bodell - United Kingdom (President), Kevin Friedrich - USA (CIA Ambassador - Non Voting)
Herbert Scheibenreif - Austria (Vice President), Harley Jones - New Zealand (Public Relations Manager)