On the final evening of August, as summer began its slow retreat, the UNESCO-protected Stari Grad plain transformed into a stage unlike any other. Beneath the vast Hvar sky, among vineyards rooted for over 2000 years, the very first Asti Faros concert unfolded. At this event, heritage, nature and music became one in the most beautiful way.
The soul of Hvar in song
The concert’s name carries the weight of history: Asti Faros, a phrase that honours light, the island’s eternal motif. That light was present not only in the golden dusk that fell upon the fields, but in the voices, strings and melodies that drifted into the night.
Photo by Nikola Radovani
Soprano Antonella Malis led the evening, joined by the Hvar String Quartet, the local voices of the Faroski Kantaduri and students of the Josip Hatze Music School. Pianist Davorka Čović, young virtuoso Filip Martinčević and flautist Grace Conklin added to the programme. Together, they created a mosaic of sound — evergreens, chansons, Mediterranean canzonas and classical works from Vivaldi to Ravel, each note resonating with the spirit of the plain.
Photo by Nikola Radovani
Light as legacy
At the heart of the concert lay a single, unifying symbol: light. Light that nourishes the vines, reflects on the sea and guides the island’s history from antiquity to today. In Asti Faros, light became sound, with each performance illuminating not only the field but the shared heritage of a community that has thrived here for millennia. It was an evening that invited both locals and visitors to feel part of something timeless and connect with Hvar through music.
Photo by Nikola Radovani
A cultural bridge
For Antonella Malis, the artistic mind behind the festival, Asti Faros was a bridge uniting local identity with international art, creating an event that gave as much to the community as it did to the audience.
Photo by Nikola Radovani
Asti Faros marked more than the beginning of a new festival on Hvar. It signalled a way of celebrating culture that goes beyond the stage, drawing the audience into the very landscape that has formed it for generations. Guests didn’t simply attend a concert but became part of a story written in stone walls, vineyards and ancient light.
Photo by Nikola Radovani
Villas Hvar and the spirit of connection
Villas Hvar believes that true luxury lies in these moments of connection: where a guest feels the rhythm of island life, not just as an observer, but as a participant. Events like Asti Faros embody what makes Hvar so extraordinary. They invite us all to pause, listen and let the island reveal its soul through art, heritage and nature.
Photo by Nikola Radovani
The light that endures
As the final notes of the evening dissolved into the night air, the Stari Grad plain stood quietly as it has for 2000 years. Asti Faros is a promise that Hvar’s story, light and music will continue to inspire, season after season.
