A rising star with roots in Pampanga and a heart in Croatia is set to captivate Manila this October.
On October 12, the Special Exhibition Hall of the Mind Museum will resonate with the soaring voice of Chriztel Renae Aceveda, a Filipino-Croatian soprano who has been making waves in Europe’s music scene.
The concert, aptly titled “Echoes of Croatia in Philippines,” is part of the official visit of Gordan Grlić Radman, Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, according to the Embassy of Croatia in the . More than a diplomatic gesture, it is a celebration of friendship between the Philippines and Croatia, told through the universal language of music.
Born and raised in Pampanga, Aceveda moved to the Croatian town of Sveti Martin na Muri in 2020, where she has since embraced her second homeland without losing her Filipino soul. Now a gifted second-year preparatory student at the prestigious Varaždin Music School, she has stunned audiences across Croatia with her crystalline soprano voice.
Her breakthrough came in 2023, when she won the country’s popular talent show Supertalent. On stage, Aceveda didn’t just showcase her skill, she championed Croatian heritage by performing traditional Međimurje folk songs, endearing her to audiences nationwide.
Earlier this year, she performed at the inauguration of Croatian President Zoran Milanović—an extraordinary feat for a teenager who began her musical journey in Pampanga.
For her Manila concert, Aceveda will be joined by her mentors—renowned mezzo-soprano Blanka Tkalčić and pianist Danijel Oto—in a program that promises to blend Croatian musical traditions with the warmth of Filipino artistry.
Through her singing, Aceveda says she honors her dual identity: celebrating Croatia as her new home while proudly carrying the colors of her Filipino heritage.
“Echoes of Croatia in Philippines” takes place on Sunday, October 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mind Museum’s Special Exhibition Hall. It will be a night where music transcends borders, echoing the shared stories of two nations through the voice of one remarkable young artist.