Niksa Bareza was a distinguished conductor born on March 31, 1936, in Split. He pursued classical grammar and piano studies before advancing to conducting at the Zagreb Academy of Music. His education continued in Salzburg under the guidance of Hermann Scherchen and Milan Sachs. Bareza's career included significant roles as an assistant and conductor at the Zagreb Opera and the Zürich Opera. His exceptional talent was celebrated across numerous European cities, including Nuremberg, Leningrad, Moscow, Riga, Minsk, Vienna, Paris, Athens, Bordeaux, Geneva, Turin, and Venice. He was a prominent figure at festivals in Athens, Vienna, Bordeaux, Bergamo, Graz, Dubrovnik, and Split. Throughout his career, Bareza received numerous accolades, such as the Johann Fux prize, the City of Graz prize, and several major Croatian awards, including the Vladimir Nazor Award, Milka Trnina Award, Judita Award, Josip Stolcer Slavenski Award, and the prestigious Porin. Niksa Bareza passed away at the age of 85.