Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 8:00 PM
 Balagovi Dvori, Centar Lug (Lug Samoborski)

This year, Youngmasters takes on an entirely new theatrical dimension with the Side Project “Interpretation of the Musical Theatre Song”, led by acclaimed artist Renata Sabljak, with the support of Stjepan Vuger and Sofija Cingula. The project is a five-day masterclass for young singers and actors, culminating in the concert Musical Theatre Songs.

Young singers will perform songs from various musicals, with a focus on Broadway works created in the 1920s. The program takes the audience into the world of early Broadway musicals – back to the time when the very foundations of the genre were being laid.

The concert will be held at Balagovi Dvori in Lug Samoborski, whose historic charm and natural surroundings provide a unique setting for this music-theatre performance. The venue is part of the Centar za odgoj i obrazovanje Lug (Center for Education and Care Lug), a social welfare institution that provides social services as well as primary and secondary education for children and young people with developmental disabilities. By choosing this location, the Festival organizers wish to highlight the important social role of the Center and contribute to the visibility of this valuable institution.

Admission is free. Reserve your free tickets at the following link: https://youngmasters.com.hr/en/ticket-reservation/

Objava Musical Theatre Songs pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

The only Zagreb evening in the Concerts of Excellence series brings three piano concertos on two concert grand pianos – performances that simply must be heard and a scene worth capturing!

Piano concertos by Mozart, Chopin and Rachmaninoff – works that demand virtuosity and musical maturity – will be performed by Mara Spitz, Josip Nikola Galić and Marija Topić, this year’s participants in Aljoša Jurinić’s masterclass. A shorter solo programme will also introduce the audience to three excellent young pianists coming from Denmark.

Programme

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756. – 1791.): Sonata in C Minor, KV 457
I. Molto allegro
III. Allegro assai

Sophus Elmark

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849): Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
I. Allegro maestoso

Josip Nikola Garić

Frédéric Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2, op. 35
III. Marche funèbre
IV. Finale. Presto

Sophus Elmark

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Piano Concerto in A Major, KV 414
–Allegro
–Andante
–Allegretto

Marija Topić

Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne u B Major, op. 62, br. 1

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770. – 1827.): Sonata in E flat Major, op. 31, br. 3
IV. Presto con fuoco

Emil Nabe

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943): Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18
II. Adagio sostenuto
III. Allegro scherzando

Mara Spiz

About the performers

Sophus Elmark (2007) has been studying at Gradus Junior College in Aarhus under the guidance of Prof. Martin Lysholm Jepsen since 2020. At just 18 years old, he has already performed over one hundred concerts both nationally and internationally, and most recently appeared as a soloist at the Nordisk Kammermusikfestival 2024 and Copenhagen Summer Festival 2024. He was selected as one of only two Danish participants in the Aarhus International Piano Competition 2025, which received more than 250 applications this year. He has won numerous prizes at national and international competitions, including Den Klassiske Juniorkonkurrence in Denmark (1st prize 2022, Gold 2023), Steinway Piano Festival in Denmark (1st prize 2020 and 2022), Pianister i Nord in Denmark (Talent Prize 2020, 1st prize 2023 and a special artistic award 2023), Yamaha Piano Competition in Malmö, Sweden (1st prize 2022), Nordic International Piano Competition in Arvika, Sweden (Jury Discretionary Award 2023, 2nd prize 2025), Music without Limits International Piano Competition in Druskininkai, Lithuania (1st prize 2023), Northern Lights International Piano Festival (Gold 2024), and ODIN International Music Competition (1st prize 2024). He has performed in Denmark, Italy, Greenland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and has also played Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Vejle Symphony Orchestra. He has taken part in masterclasses with renowned pianists Kevin Kenner (USA), Aleksandr Ivanov (Russia/Germany), and Søren Rastogi (Denmark).

“This particular sonata is regarded as one of Mozarts most serious ones. It is in the key of c-minor which for Mozart meant drama. I have chosen to play this piece because of the storytelling in it, with it often having dual voices speaking to eachother. This will become very clear in the 1st movement. It’s a special piece for me that really challenges my skill as a musician for phrasing and creating tension at the right moments. It’s a great work that I am looking forward to sharing with you all.“

Sophus Elmark

Josip Nikola Garić is a thirteen-year-old pianist of Croatian origin living in Zurich. He began playing piano at the age of seven and has won several prizes in Swiss and international competitions. In addition to numerous joint performances, he has already given a dozen solo recitals and concerts. He attends the Arts/Sports Gymnasium for young talents and the Music Conservatory in Zurich, in the class of Professor Slave Spiridonov.

“Since I was little, I have felt a special connection with Chopin’s music, especially with his First Piano Concerto, and it has always been my dream to play it. Through the many Chopin pieces I have played so far, I have become acquainted with his complex emotional world, which always amazes and inspires me again and again. By performing this concerto, I would like to use Chopin’s music to show the audience a part of my story and my inner world.”

Josip Nikola Garić

Emil Dalgaard (2008) began playing the piano at the age of eight. He started his musical journey at Kolding Music School with the Suzuki method and later continued his studies with Martin Lysholm Jepsen at Gradus Junior College, where he still studies today. He has participated in and won prizes at numerous international piano competitions in countries such as Italy, Sweden, Lithuania, and others. Over the years, Emil has taken part in masterclasses with distinguished professors including Kevin Kenner, Eugene Indjic, Oxana Yablonskaya, Markus Schirmer, Eero Heinonen, Vera Nossina, among many others.

“The 2nd piano sonata by F. Chopin is notoriously known for its 3rd movement, the Funeral March. Being written two years prior to the rest of the sonata, 1837, the movement stands as the center of the sonata with a theme so known it has been used ever since it has been written. Afterwards the spooky 4. movement in which winds are blowing over the graves.“

Emil Dalgaard

Marija Topić (2003) began her musical education at the Zlatko Grgošević Music School in the class of Prof. Senka Appe, and then continued with Prof. Marina Mijatović. In 2022 she graduated and enrolled at the Music Academy in Zagreb in the class of Prof. Vladimir Babin. She has won various prizes in international solo competitions, including an outstanding second place at the national competition of piano duos (HDGPP) and first place at the Damir Sekošan solo competition (Osijek). She has attended masterclasses with renowned pedagogues and pianists. In 2025 she will collaborate with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the humanitarian project O.R.P.H.E.U.S., aimed at helping cancer patients, performing in the large hall of the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall under the baton of Maestro Alan Bjelinski. At the Music Academy she has collaborated with her colleague and singer Mia Raguž, performing in a vocal-piano duo, with recitals in Požega, Zagreb and Split, and at the vocal-piano duo competition in Novo Mesto (2025) they won a silver prize as the top-ranked duo in their category.

“Considering that the legendary Mozart was playful by nature, I tried to bring out that side of myself in performing this concerto. Specifically, the 1st and 3rd movements are faster and exude a joyful tone, while the 2nd movement requires a dose of calmness and an attempt to convey one’s inner feelings through playing. When playing and preparing this concerto, I am actually mostly ‘battling’ to make it sound so effortless, as if it were the simplest composition, while at the same time it contains material that requires attention to every little detail. The concerto contains elements that portray happiness, joy, serenity, composure, but also determination, and somehow all of this connected me with the piece so that I could also express all these things and give a part of myself to it.”

Marija Topić

Mara Spiz (2008) is a Croatian pianist and a student of the Preparatory Programme at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz in the class of Denis Zhdanov. She is a student of Aljoša Jurinić. She has won prizes at many European competitions (Città di Minerbio, Radovljica, Peter Toperczer, Alicante, PianoTalents Milano and Jurica Murai Memorial). She has refined her skills with renowned artists such as Natalia Trull, Boris Slutsky, Milana Chernyavska, Ruben Dalibaltayan and Vivian Li. She has performed in halls such as Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, Slovak Philharmonic Košice, Minoritensaal Graz, Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin, the Chopin Centre in Szafarnia and Casa Verdi in Milan. She is a two-time recipient of the “Oscar of Knowledge” and the City of Zagreb’s Excellence Scholarship, and she has also received a Land Steiermark scholarship for her outstanding achievements.

“Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto is considered one of the greatest and most difficult piano concertos, and it is so popular that it often appears in films. Its creation story is fascinating. Rachmaninoff, then 23 years old, had just composed his First Symphony, and everyone was eagerly awaiting its premiere. Unfortunately, the premiere was disastrous – from the drunk conductor to bad reviews – and it deeply shook Rachmaninoff, leaving him depressed and in a creative crisis. The concerto is dedicated to Nikolai Dahl, his psychologist, who managed to cure him and enable him to compose again. The premiere of the concerto was a huge success, and today it continues to be a favourite of both audiences and performers. It awakens the most refined interpretive intentions in every pianist, and for me it is a great pleasure to discover the many incredible colours and textures this concerto contains. I still remember the deep impression this piece made on me the first time I heard it. I had a fever and fell asleep to the sounds of the middle of the first movement. For many, the third movement symbolises triumph and final victory, best heard in the skilfully written and ecstatic coda in C major. I haven’t played many Rachmaninoff works, and at first learning this concerto (which wasn’t long ago) was really difficult and confusing for me, but with the help of my professors I managed to conquer it. The concerto is very intimate and everyone, including me, has their own ideas and interpretation of it.
I look forward to new Rachmaninoff works and this performance!”

Mara Spiz

Objava Grand Concert – piano marathon in the heart of Zagreb pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

The festival follows the International Summer School for Young Musicians, which this year brings together 16 instructors from 8 musical instruments, along with an exciting new music-theatre project. This year’s edition features numerous concerts by both students and instructors, as well as a music quiz.

Master Concert: Deux Arts (Jelena Očić and Radovan Cavallin)

The festival opens with a concert by the renowned duo Deux Arts, featuring clarinetist Radovan Cavallin and cellist Jelena Očić—both internationally acclaimed artists. Their program blends different eras and styles—from classical forms to contemporary rhythms and tango music.

The concert will take place at St. Leonard’s Church in Kotari, one of the oldest churches in the Samobor area. Its Gothic interior and excellent acoustics provide a uniquely intimate and powerful musical experience.

The concert will be held on Saturday, August 23 at 8 PM.

Musical Theatre Songs – A New Theatrical Dimension of Youngmasters

A highlight of this year’s program is the project Interpretation of Musical Theatre Songs, led by acclaimed artist Renata Sabljak. Over five days, a masterclass with young singers and actors—supported by Stjepan Vuger, Sofija Cingula, and Martina Vizek—will culminate in a music-theatre concert performance, rich in expressive power and emotional depth.

The final concert of the project will take place at Balagovi Dvori Palace in Lug Samoborski, a location that offers a unique, starry-night atmosphere with historical charm and natural surroundings. It is part of the Lug Center for Upbringing and Education, a social care institution that provides services, primary and secondary education, and professional training. The festival organizers hope that choosing this venue will support the Center’s important social role and increase visibility for this valuable institution.

The concert will be held on Saturday, August 30 at 8 PM.

Summer School and Concerts of Excellence

During the Summer School, young musicians take part in masterclasses and ensemble performances. For the first time in six years, the Summer School will once again feature the Guitar Chamber Orchestra.

Participants will perform in numerous concerts under the banner Concerts of Excellence, including:

• Concertino Classico (Prica Gallery, August 24)
• Open Window Concert (Summer Stage of the Little Music Studio, August 25)
• Moment Musical (Prica Gallery, August 26)
• Grand Concert (Music Academy in Zagreb, August 27)
• Tea Time Concert and Twilight Concert (Prica Gallery, August 28)
• Le concert du matin (Prica Gallery, August 30)
• Concerto Finale (Prica Gallery, August 31)

More information is available at: https://youngmasters.com.hr/en/concerts/

Music Quiz: Quisando

The popular music pub quiz Quisando brings together curious music enthusiasts of all ages, regardless of their musical background. The quizmaster is the well-known pianist and Summer School lecturer, Aljoša Jurinić. Ticket information is available at:
https://youngmasters.com.hr/2024/quisando/

Tickets

All Youngmasters Festival concerts are free to attend, and you can reserve your seat at the link.

Objava Events at the 14th Youngmasters Festival pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

Kotari, St. Leonard’s Church
Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 8:00 PM

Deux Arts is a duo consisting of Radovan Cavallin, a distinguished clarinetist and professor with a wealth of experience from various international music academies and performances across numerous countries, and Jelena Očić, a renowned Croatian cellist praised for her powerful and emotive musical expression, who has received standing ovations on three continents and acclaim from prominent names in the music world.

This concert presents a diverse and intriguing program that bridges music from different eras, styles, and sensibilities. From Classicism and tango to contemporary dance rhythms, each piece on the repertoire speaks its own unique musical language and reflects the richness of chamber music.

Admission is free, but we kindly welcome voluntary contributions in support of the Youngmasters Festival.

PROGRAM

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Duo No. 2 in F Major (arr. J. Očić)

Ian Deterling (b. 1994): Duo in C Minor, Op. 17
Duo in G Minor, Op. 17 (Grimm Waltz)

Paul Hindemith (1895–1963): Four Pieces from the cycle “Musikalisches Blumengärtlein und Leyptziger Allerley”

Mladen Tarbuk (b. 1962): Danzas

Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992): Two Tango Études (arr. J. Očić, S. Hernández)

Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970): Disco Toccata

PROGRAM NOTES

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Duo No. 2 in F Major (arr. J. Očić)
Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most influential composers in music history, whose work marked the transition from Classicism to Romanticism. His three duos for clarinet and bassoon, WoO 27, belong stylistically to his early creative period. Praised for their vibrant character and masterful use of tone color, they have long been considered masterpieces of wind chamber music.

Originally written for clarinet and bassoon, Duo No. 2 in F Major is performed here with the bassoon part adapted for cello, offering a new timbral dimension. The three-movement piece is cheerful and full of dialogue between the instruments. Its playful virtuosity and sensitive treatment of timbre make it a true gem of chamber literature. Despite its simple form, Beethoven displays an exceptional sense of subtle interaction and humor, making this work a favorite among both performers and audiences.

Ian Deterling (b. 1994): Duo in C Minor, Op. 17 & Duo in G Minor, Op. 17 (Grimm Waltz)
Ian Deterling is a young American composer and clarinetist whose works are increasingly finding their place on international stages. His musical language blends classical forms with modern expressive tools, and he stands out for his ability to tell stories through music.

The Duo in C Minor opens with a nostalgic mood that unfolds into a lively conversation between the two instruments, leading to a brilliant and virtuosic finale filled with dazzling coloratura.

The Duo in G Minor, also known as Grimm Waltz, is inspired by the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and the composer’s fascination with the grotesque, surreal world of mythical beings—gnomes, fairies, wizards, and dragons. The music evokes a somber yet enchanting atmosphere in which these creatures merge into a unified dance. The title “Grimm” refers not only to the famous storytellers but also to the German word grimmig, meaning “grim” or “gloomy,” emphasizing the mystical and fairytale-like ambiance.

Paul Hindemith (1895–1963): Four Pieces from Musikalisches Blumengärtlein und Leyptziger Allerley
German composer Paul Hindemith was one of the most significant musicians of the 20th century, known for his neoclassical style and innovative approach to harmony and counterpoint. He was also an accomplished performer, playing viola, clarinet, and other instruments.

Musikalisches Blumengärtlein und Leyptziger Allerley (“Musical Flower Garden and Leipzig Miscellany”) is a collection of short pieces born out of a love for chamber music and personal friendship. Hindemith composed the work for his wife, a cellist, and himself, a versatile musician. Comprised of several brief movements, the piece is a delightful addition to the repertoire for clarinet and cello.

Mladen Tarbuk (b. 1962): Danzas
Composer, conductor, and educator Mladen Tarbuk is a central figure in the Croatian music scene. His body of work spans a wide range of styles, often blending tradition with contemporary expression.

Danzas was written especially for the performers of this evening’s concert and had its world premiere in June 2025 in Sicily, where it was received with great enthusiasm. Each movement is infused with folkloric motifs, interweaving spirited energy with nostalgic reflection. Tarbuk skillfully uses rhythmic and melodic elements from folk traditions, transforming them into a modern musical language rich in color and emotion.

Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992): Two Tango Études (arr. J. Očić, S. Hernández)
Astor Piazzolla, the Argentine composer and bandoneonist, is credited with creating nuevo tango—a contemporary form of tango that fuses Argentine folk elements with jazz and classical music.

His Six Tango Études, written in 1987 for solo flute, represent the essence of Piazzolla’s musical language. He encouraged performers to exaggerate accents and breathing to capture the soul of tango. The two études performed this evening, arranged for clarinet and cello, offer interpretative and creative fulfillment while keeping the spirit of tango alive.

Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970): Disco Toccata
Guillaume Connesson is one of the leading contemporary French composers, known for his energetic, color-rich works that blend classical forms with influences from popular music.

Disco Toccata, written for clarinet and cello, is inspired by disco music—with its strong rhythms and distinctive melodic patterns—and the baroque toccata form. The piece’s incredible energy stems from the synergy between the fast-paced baroque style and the pulsing disco beat. With humor and flair, it challenges the boundaries between genres, reminding us that music is always alive, dynamic, and open to new interpretations.

Objava Deux Arts (Jelena Očić, violoncello & Radovan Cavallin, clarinet) pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

The workshops will include both group and individual sessions.
Participants will rehearse specific elements of musical theatre performance with a professional team that also includes faculty members from the Academy of Dramatic Art.

Objava Youngmasters Side Project with Renata Sabljak pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

If you miss the premiere, don’t worry – HRT will air two reruns on Tuesday, May 20 at 1:10 AM and 4:15 AM.

The rich program featured renowned Croatian and Slovenian musicians: Marco Graziani, Gal Faganel, Marko Zupan, Sven Brajković, Petar Čulić, Mihael Paar, and Anja Papa Peranović. A particular highlight was the world premiere of Glorija by the great Boris Papandopulo – a piece composed in 1983 but never before performed or recorded.

The second part of the concert showcased the Festival Chamber Orchestra with three outstanding young soloists, among whom soprano Josipa Bilić stands out. Her performance of the Csárdás aria from Kálmán’s operetta Countess Marica – sung in a Croatian adaptation – delivered a powerful visual and emotional impression, beautifully captured by the camera.

Don’t miss this opportunity to relive the magic of the Youngmasters Festival from the comfort of your home!

Objava Youngmasters Gala Concert on Croatian National Television! pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

The Youngmasters Festival and International Young Musicians’ Summer Class will be held from August 20th to 31st, 2025, in Samobor, Croatia.

A total of fifteen exceptional musicians and educators will lead summer schools and masterclasses across eight different musical instruments. The program offers not only instrumental diversity, but also a rich selection of supplementary projects such as lectures, artistic and educational content. Concerts featuring students, lecturers, and special guests are a cherished tradition and remain a key highlight of the festival.

Applications will be open from April 15th until July 1st, 2025!

Learn more about Youngmasters or read more about this year’s lecturers by following the links.

Find the online application form on the link.

Objava Applications for Youngmasters 2025 pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

The festival is adjacent to activities of the 13th International Summer School for Young Musicians, which, in addition to masterclasses and a summer school for instrumentalists and singers, includes a series of concerts and entertaining-educational content.

The Youngmasters Gala Concert is the most festive event of the Festival. This year’s concert will be held on Tuesday, August 27, at 8 PM in the Knights’ Hall of the Posavje Museum in Brežice (Slovenia), continuing the cross-border collaboration initiated last year. The concert will feature an attractive and diverse program of classical music performed by esteemed artists of international reputation and instructors of the Youngmasters Summer School. In the first part of the concert, chamber ensembles formed by our long-time lecturers will perform, joined by two accomplished ensembles in their regular formations: Accoquartet (accordion quartet) and a flute quintet. The program for the evening will highlight the performance of Boris Papandopulo’s composition “Gloria”, written in 1983 for soprano, flute, and guitar. This is an exclusive opportunity, as there is no evidence that the piece has ever been premiered. It will be performed by soprano Anja Papa Peranović, flutist Marko Zupan, and guitarist Petar Čulić. In the second part of the concert, the audience at the Youngmasters Gala Concert will enjoy performances by soloists accompanied by the Festival Chamber Orchestra under the direction of maestro Davor Kelić. This year’s soloists include the brilliant guitarist from Samobor, Marta Faullend Heferer, young Samobor pianist Paula Dužanec, and rising opera star, soprano Josipa Bilić, who has a wide repertoire range both in concert activities and in opera roles.

Thanks to its concept and abundance of cultural events, Youngmasters has established itself over its 13 years as the most attractive summer school in this region. Attracting students from many European countries and beyond, since 2011, it has gathered lecturers and young musicians of international reputation. This year, the school will host fourteen top educators from eight different musical instruments and solo singing, with selected participants taking part in the work of the Festival Chamber Orchestra. Notable lecturers include Viennese musicians Nataša Veljković, Tobias Stosiek, and Claudia Visca, as well as celebrated Croatian pianist Aljoša Jurinić. The summer school for accordion, led by professor Ivana Črnjak, will also be offered again. Guitarist Petar Čulić and violinist Ieva Pranskute will be teaching at Youngmasters for the first time, joining the team of excellent regular lecturers Marko Zupan, Marco Graziani, Mihael Paar, Nenad Merlea, and Lovro Merčep.

Other festival concerts are also noteworthy. The Youngmasters Festival will again provide a stage for outstanding soloists and chamber ensembles, presenting them to the Samobor audience in four recitals. The first recital will be held by Nataša Veljković (piano) and Tobias Stosiek (cello) in the Prica Gallery on August 20, with a program including Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata and Camille Saint-Saëns’ virtuoso work, Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, op. 28, which Stosiek will perform on the cello. The second recital will feature guitarist Danica Škreblin, awarded the Audience Award at this year’s 4th International Guitar Competition Ida Presti, in the Chapel of St. Michael on August 24. The third concert will be performed by Pavle Golubić Trio in the Atrium of the Livadić Cafe (in case of rain in the Prica Gallery) on August 25, with original compositions and jazz interpretations of traditional Croatian songs; the concert is organized in collaboration with the POU Samobor. The final recital will present Duo Xylos (Ieva Pranskute, violin, and Mislav Brajković, cello) in the Atrium of the Livadić Cafe (in case of rain in the Chapel of St. Michael) on August 28. All concerts start at 8 PM.

The festival program also includes traditional concerts by the participants with thematic titles (Le concert du salon, Klassik am Nachmittag, Moment Musical, Twilight Concert, Concertino Classico, Tea Time Concert, Le concert du matin, Concerto Finale) held in acoustically and scenically unique locations in Samobor. Their charm provides the audience with an unforgettable musical experience, and the participants with valuable concert experience.

To contribute to audience development, Youngmasters offers a music pub quiz called “Quisando“, aimed at classical music enthusiasts, students, and all other music lovers. It will be held in Old Nick’s Pub on August 29, starting at 8 PM. Notably, the celebrated pianist and quiz enthusiast, Aljoša Jurinić, will be this year’s quiz master of Quisando, moderated by its original author, Petra Stojaković.

Additionally, participants will enjoy chamber music in the streets and parks of Samobor, presentations of accessories for wind instruments, leisurely coffee breaks in the sunny Samobor Square, evening gatherings, laughter, and new friendships.

Information on reservations and ticket prices for the Youngmasters Gala Concert can be found via the link. Admission to all other concerts is free.

A detailed schedule of events is available here.

Objava Events at the 13th Youngmasters Festival pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

This year’s Youngmasters Gala concert will be held on Tuesday, August 27th, at 8 PM in the Knight’s Hall of the Posavje Museum Brežice (Slovenia). With this event, we continue the cross-border collaboration initiated by last year’s Gala concert, during which we celebrated the entry of the Republic of Croatia into the Schengen Area and, for the first time, held a festival event outside Croatian borders.

In the first part of the concert, an attractive and diverse classical music program will be performed by chamber ensembles formed specifically for this occasion by our lecturers, all of whom are internationally acclaimed performers: violinist Marco Graziani, clarinetist Mihael Paar, guitarist Petar Čulić, flutist Marko Zupan, and pianist Sven Brajković. Additionally, two notable chamber ensembles in their regular formations will be presented to the audience: a flute quintet and the accordion quartet Accoquartet.

One highlight of the evening’s program is the composition “Gloria” by Boris Papandopulo. This piece, written in 1983 for soprano, flute, and guitar, represents an exclusive opportunity as there is no evidence that it has ever been premiered. It will be performed by a soprano, flutist Marko Zupan, and guitarist Petar Čulić.

In the second part of the concert, the audience can expect solo performances accompanied by the Festival Chamber Orchestra conducted by maestro Davor Kelić. This year’s soloists include the brilliant guitarist from Samobor, Marta Faullend Heferer, young Samobor pianist Paula Dužanec, and the rising opera star, soprano Josipa Bilić, who maintains a wide repertoire in both concert activities and opera and operetta roles.

The Knight’s Hall, adorned with baroque frescoes, is a unique venue in Slovenia and beyond. The walls are decorated with motifs from Greco-Roman mythology, which, together with the musical scenes, will create a coherent cultural experience for visitors that you definitely don’t want to miss.

Ticket price: €10 (€8 for children and retirees).
The ticket price includes organized transportation Samobor – Brežice – Samobor.
Reserve tickets here.

PROGRAM

1. Jacques Bodin de Boismortier: Concerto No. 1, Op. 15
Youngmasters flute quintet: Rebeka Labud, Tinkara Ledenik, Gala Grgurač, Liza Tkalćec, Katja Jazbinšek

2. Ernest  Bloch: Nigun
Marco Graziani, violin   
Sven Brajković, piano

3.  George Gershwin (arr. Jay Gach): Three preludes for clarinet and piano
Mihael Paar, clarinet        
Sven Brajković, piano

4. Felix Mendelsohn: Piano trio no. 1, op. 49
Trio Xylos (Ieva Pranskute, violin; Mislav Brajković, violoncello; Sven Brajković, piano)

5. Boris Papandopulo: Gloria for soprano, flute and guitar
Anja Papa Peranović, soprano
Marko Zupan, flute
Petar Čulić, guitar

 6. Carlos Gardel (arr. Tomas Burić): Por una cabeza                                                                                      
Carlos Buono (arr. Tomas Burić): Milonga para batato          
Accoquartet (Tanja Bandalović, Maja Talajić, Ivana Črnjak, Anamarija Nerad)

_______________________PAUSE___________________________________

7. Joseph Haydn: Keyboard Concerto in D Major, mvt. 1&3
                         Paula Dužanec, piano
                         Festival Chamber Orchestra

8. Antoni Vivaldi: Mandolin Concerto in C Major
                         Marta Faullend Heferer, guitar
                         Festival chamber orchestra

9. Antonio Vivaldi: Motet In fuore iustissimae irae, RV 626
                         Josipa Bilić, soprano
                        Festival chamber orchestra

10. Ottorino Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances – Italiana, Siciliana
                         Festival Chamber Orchestra

11. Emmerich Kalman: Czardasz aria from operetta Gräfin Mariza
                        Josipa Bilić, soprano
                        Festival Chamber Orchestra

conducted by: Davor Kelić

Objava Youngmasters Gala Concert 2024 pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

All places for ACTIVE participation in Aljoša Jurinić’s masterclasses are full. There is only one spot left in Nataša Veljković’s masterclass and several spots available in other lecturers’ courses.

In order to secure your spot, apply now at this link: https://youngmasters.com.hr/en/application/

Objava Applications are open until July 5th! pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.