Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School in Rijeka opens its doors to future students: concerts, instruments, classes and a simulation of the entrance exam
Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School Rijeka is organizing an Open Day on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in the school premises at Laginjina 1. The program will last from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is conceived as a direct encounter between visitors and the students, teachers, instruments and teaching content that form the everyday life of one of the most recognizable music-educational institutions in Rijeka. According to the published announcement, visitors will be able to attend concerts, become acquainted with different instruments, take a look inside classes, ask professors questions and receive practical information about enrollment. A special part of the program is intended for future students, who will be offered a simulation of the entrance exam, while future secondary-school students will be able to become more closely acquainted with the work of the secondary music school, theoretical subjects and the general-education part of the program.
The Open Day is also important for those who are only encountering the idea of formal music education for the first time. Instead of searching for information exclusively through documents, enrollment deadlines and lists of instruments, visitors will be able to enter the school space, hear how different departments sound and see what classes look like in practice. Such a format is especially useful for children who are not yet sure which instrument they want to learn, for parents who want to understand the obligations brought by music school, but also for students who are considering continuing their education in a secondary-school music program. For visitors coming to Rijeka from other places, a timely check of the
accommodation offer in Rijeka may also be useful, especially if they want to combine their arrival with a tour of the school and other cultural content in the city.
A program that brings the school closer from the inside
The central idea of the program is that the music school should not be presented only administratively, but experientially. The possibility of attending concerts and presentations of instruments in the form of a kind of “buffet” of musical instruments has been announced, which means that visitors will be able to see, hear and compare different instruments in one place. Such an approach makes it easier to make a decision about enrollment because children and young people often recognize what attracts them most only after direct contact with an instrument. Wind and string instruments, keyboard instruments, plucked instruments, percussion and other departments in such a program are not presented only as names in an enrollment form, but as concrete sound, movement, way of working and relationship between student and teacher.
According to available announcements, visitors will also be able to take a look inside instrument and solfeggio classes, which is an important part of understanding music education. In public, music school is often equated with learning an instrument, but classes also include theoretical subjects, aural recognition, rhythmic and intonation exercises, group music-making, choirs and orchestras. That is precisely why the Open Day can help create a more realistic understanding of the obligations and opportunities brought by enrollment. Students who already show an interest in music can see what work in the classroom looks like, while parents can receive answers about the rhythm of classes, practicing at home, expectations at the entrance exam and opportunities for further schooling.
A simulation of the entrance exam as an important part of preparation
One of the most important parts of this year’s Open Day will be the simulation of the entrance exam for future students. Such a check does not serve only to acquaint candidates with the formal procedure, but also to reduce the discomfort that children may feel before the actual exam. Entrance exams in music schools usually include an assessment of musical abilities, hearing, rhythm and potential for further work, and for many candidates this is the first encounter with an assessment of this kind. When the procedure is presented in advance, children more easily understand what awaits them, and parents can get a clearer picture of how the school recognizes readiness for music education.
According to published information, the entrance exam for the primary music school has been announced for Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., and applications are planned through the school’s website. The Open Day therefore comes at a time when the enrollment decision is increasingly approaching a concrete deadline. For future students, it is an opportunity to meet teachers who may also welcome them at the entrance exam, and for the school an opportunity to show that the enrollment process is not only an administrative selection, but also the beginning of a long-term educational relationship. In this sense, the simulation of the entrance exam has both an informative and a pedagogical function: it helps candidates relax, and teachers explain what is being assessed and why it matters.
Open doors also for future secondary-school students
The program is not aimed only at children who are considering enrollment in the primary music school. Future secondary-school students who want to become acquainted with the work and activity of Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School Rijeka are also specially invited. This is an important element of the announcement because secondary-school music education represents a significantly different level of obligation, focus and planning. Future students of the secondary music school must think about core professional subjects, theoretical education, opportunities for parallel schooling and continuing education at arts academies or other studies. The announcement especially emphasizes that the general-education subjects of the secondary music school and theoretical subjects will also be presented, which can help future candidates better understand the entirety of the program.
According to information from the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, students who have completed the appropriate primary or preparatory artistic education and have met the prescribed criteria and passed the entrance exam have the right to enroll in the first grade of a secondary art school. This means that secondary music school is not only a continuation of interest in music, but a structured educational path with clear rules and assessments. In this context, the Open Day has additional value because candidates can receive information before they face deadlines, forms and formal enrollment procedures. For those planning to arrive from outside Rijeka, timely information about the program and
accommodation near the school in Rijeka can make it easier to organize their arrival for the open day or a later entrance exam.
The school in Laginjina as a cultural-educational center
Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School Rijeka operates at the address Laginjina 1, in a central city area well known to students, parents and the cultural public. According to the school’s official contacts, the institution also has regional departments on Rab and Krk, which speaks of the broader regional reach of its work. The Rijeka main school meanwhile remains the central place for numerous concert, educational and enrollment activities, and the Open Day is one of the events through which the school’s work opens to the public. In such programs, the audience does not come only to listen to a finished concert, but enters the learning process: into classrooms, practice rooms, halls and conversations with teachers.
The school bears the name of Ivan Matetić Ronjgov, a composer and melographer connected with the musical heritage of Istria and the Croatian Littoral. Although the Open Day primarily has an enrollment and informational function, such events also remind us of the broader role of music schools in preserving musical culture, developing young performers and creating audiences. Music education does not end in individual instrument practice: it includes public performances, chamber music-making, orchestras, choirs, theoretical understanding of music and the habit of listening. That is precisely why the open format in which visitors can “hear and see” the school from the inside has value for the local cultural scene as well.
What visitors can expect during the program
The announced program includes several levels: concerts, presentation of instruments, a tour of classes, the possibility of trying out instruments and conversation with teachers. Such a structure enables different groups of visitors to focus on what interests them most. Children who are just choosing an instrument can stay at the presentation of musical instruments, parents can talk with professors about enrollment and obligations, and future secondary-school students can ask more specific questions about theoretical subjects, teaching load and application conditions. The announcement also mentions concerts of various instruments, orchestras and choirs, which means that visitors will get an opportunity to hear both individual and group work by students.
Unlike a classic informational meeting, the Open Day enables a direct comparison of different experiences. A future student can hear what a violin sounds like in the classroom, what piano or guitar lessons look like, what is done in solfeggio and what joint music-making looks like. Such an encounter is often decisive because music school requires long-term motivation, regularity and readiness to practice. Teachers can also explain that the choice of instrument does not depend only on the first wish, but also on inclinations, listening, physical readiness, available enrollment places and recommendations from professionals. An open conversation before application can reduce wrong expectations and help candidates enter the enrollment process more confidently.
Enrollments, deadlines and the importance of timely information
The school’s official website already highlights enrollments for the 2026/2027 school year, and the announcement of the Open Day comes at a time when future candidates and their families are informing themselves more intensively about the possibilities of music education. For the primary music school, the application and entrance exam are key, while for the secondary music school the procedures are also connected with the national system of applications and enrollments in secondary schools. According to information from the state portal, candidates apply for enrollment in secondary school through the National Information System for Applications and Enrollment in Secondary Schools, known as NISpuSŠ. Therefore, it is especially important for future secondary-school students to follow the official announcements of the school and competent institutions, because deadlines for artistic programs may include additional checks and specific steps.
The available instructions from the school for secondary-school programs list steps that include pre-application into the system by the music school, application for educational programs, entrance exams and enrollment. Although individual deadlines change from school year to school year, the structure of the procedure shows that the enrollment decision should not be left to the last moment. The Open Day is therefore a practical opportunity to collect information before final decisions. Candidates can ask which abilities are checked, how to prepare for the entrance exam, what a basic or parallel program means and how music education is coordinated with other school obligations.
Rijeka as an environment for music education
Rijeka has a strong cultural identity, and music education in such an environment is not separated from broader city life. Music school students participate in concerts, school productions, competitions and public performances, through which education gains a visible social dimension. The Open Day at Laginjina 1 is therefore not only an enrollment announcement, but also a small presentation of the way in which the school participates in the cultural rhythm of the city. Visitors who come to the school that day will be able to experience a combination of teaching work and public presentation, which is especially important for artistic education because learning music always develops between personal discipline and public performance.
No special ticket or formal obstacle has been announced for coming to the event; the emphasis is on the school’s openness toward everyone who wants to learn more. Since the program is held in a late-afternoon time slot, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., it is suitable for coming after classes or the workday. Visitors who are planning a longer stay in the city can consider
accommodation for visitors in Rijeka, especially if they are coming with children and want to tour the school without haste, talk with teachers and get to know the city’s cultural offer. Such an arrival can also help candidates from outside Rijeka assess the everyday logistics of future schooling more realistically.
An encounter that can decide the future musical path
For a child considering enrollment in music school, the first encounter with an instrument, teacher or school concert can be more important than any leaflet or form. The Open Day relies precisely on that direct experience. Music is learned by listening, repetition, work and communication, and the open program enables that process to be seen up close. Parents can thereby get a more realistic picture of how important regular practice is, how musical hearing develops and how the school monitors student progress. Future secondary-school students, meanwhile, can get a clearer insight into the seriousness of artistic education and the role of theoretical, professional and general-education subjects.
With this event, Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School Rijeka opens space for questions that often appear only after the beginning of the enrollment procedure: which instrument to choose, what the entrance exam looks like, how long classes last, what the difference is between primary and secondary music education, whether obligations can be coordinated with regular school and what awaits the student after enrollment. Answers to those questions are most useful when they come directly from teachers and students who live the school rhythm every day. That is why Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at Laginjina 1 will be more than an informational appointment: it will be an opportunity to get to know the music school as a space of work, performance, discipline and creativity.
Sources:- Visit Rijeka – announcement of the Open Day of Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School Rijeka, with date, time, location and program description (link)- Fiuman.hr – publication about the Open Day program, presentation of instruments, concerts, classes, secondary-school programs and entrance exam (link)- Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School Rijeka – official school website with information about enrollments for 2026/2027 and basic information about the institution (link)- Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Music School Rijeka – official contacts, the school address at Laginjina 1 and information about the regional departments Rab and Krk (link)- Ministry of Science, Education and Youth – information about the enrollment of students in art schools and conditions for secondary artistic education (link)- Gov.hr – information about the procedures for applications and enrollment of candidates in secondary schools through the National Information System for Applications and Enrollment in Secondary Schools (link)
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