What gave this project its unique value was its interdisciplinary approach. The sessions were led by outstanding experts from different fields: actress Renata Sabljak, who revealed the secrets of stage expression and authentic interpretation; vocal coach Sofija Cingula, who guided the participants through vocal technique and the art of phrasing; holistic pilates specialist Martina Vizek, who emphasized the importance of body and breath in performance; and maestro conductor Stjepan Vuger, whose musical precision and artistry provided the final touch.

The results of this joint effort culminated in the concert Musical Theatre Songs, held in the enchanting setting of the Balagovi Palace Hall in Lug Samoborski, whose historic charm and intimate acoustics created an ideal backdrop for revisiting Broadway’s golden era. The young performers transported the audience back to the 1920s through songs from the musicals Two Little Girls in Blue (1921), The Stepping Stones (1923), Shuffle Along (1921), Lady, Be Good (1924), Poor Little Ritz Girl (1920), Mary (1920), and Sweet Little Devil (1924). Performing without microphones, relying solely on their technique and expressiveness, they demonstrated how a song can be told in its entirety – through music, emotion, and drama.

The concert evening opened with the return of the Guitar Chamber Orchestra, re-formed this year after a six-year break within Youngmasters. Under the guidance of professor Petra Stojaković, young guitarists from across the region, joined by flutist Mia Zeljković, cellist Lara Novosel, and pianist Antonio Brajdić, performed Nino Rota’s music from the film Romeo and Juliet in a striking arrangement by Fabijan Košćak. Warmly received by the audience, the performance offered the young musicians an invaluable opportunity for ensemble playing, artistic growth, and the joy of collective creation.

The highlight of the concert came at the finale, when all participants, joined by Renata Sabljak, performed the moving song “Neka cijeli ovaj svijet” (Let the Whole World Sing) from the musical Jalta, Jalta. The hall was filled with emotion, unity, and gratitude – the very values that this project instilled in its young artists.

Adding special honor and support to the evening was the presence of Petra Škrobot, Mayor of Samobor, who congratulated the young performers on their achievements and expressed gratitude to the mentors, parents, and organizers. She emphasized the importance of the festival and summer school in enriching Samobor’s cultural life and in offering young musicians a priceless opportunity for education and artistic development.

The masterclass proved that the fusion of music, theatre, and education can create a truly unique experience – for both performers and audiences alike. And once again, Samobor has confirmed itself as a city that nurtures art, young talent, and cultural projects worthy of the highest praise.

Objava Musical Theatre Song Interpretation – a new theatrical dimension of Youngmasters pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

The concert opened with Sophus Elmark (2007), who performed the first movement of Mozart’s Sonata in C minor, KV 457 (“Molto allegro”) and Liszt’s Transcendental Etude, infusing the evening with virtuosity and energy.

He was followed by Josip Nikola Garić, a thirteen-year-old pianist of Croatian heritage residing in Switzerland, performing the first movement of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor. Aljoša Jurinić humorously introduced him as “a big Hajduk fan,” adding that for the young pianist, performing this concerto was “like Hajduk playing in the Champions League”.

Next came Emil Dalgaard (2008), who delivered a compelling rendition of the final two movements of Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2, including the famous Marche funèbre.

Marija Topić (2003) followed with the first and third movements of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 in A major, KV 41, displaying a refined sense of phrasing and musical maturity.

Emil Nabe then performed Chopin’s Nocturne in B major and the finale of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 31 No. 3, blending lyricism with strength.

The culmination of the evening was Mara Spiz, whose rendition of the second and third movements of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 demanded both technical precision and deep emotional expression—qualities that earned her heartfelt applause from the audience.

Announcing the Danish pianists with wit, Jurinić described them as “the best Danish pianists among their peers,” emphasizing that, as he put it, a successful musician must learn to handle expectations and pressure well. Their appearance concluded with an unexpected encore by Emil Dalgaard and Emil Nabe, much to the audience’s delight.

The Grand Concert reaffirmed the significance of Aljoša Jurinić’s masterclass in nurturing young talents, providing them a platform for growth through challenging performances and direct audience engagement. This year’s masterclass brought together nine young pianists from various European countries, all of whom demonstrated an impressive level of performance.

For readers who would like to learn more about the performers—including their biographies and personal reflections on the pieces they performed—visit: Grand Concert – piano marathon in the heart of Zagreb.

Objava Grand Concert at the Academy of Music in Zagreb pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

This year’s Youngmasters Gala concert was held on August 27 in the church of St. Leonard, a baroque pearl located near Samobor. Relatively unknown, but historically and artistically invaluable, the church inventory created a becoming ambient for a very special musical experience. The murmur of the audience before the concert went silent immediately when the sound of the organ filled the church. The organ of the church of St. Leonard are one of the oldest in Croatia. Željka Spinčić Bunčić played Leonard Leo’s Toccata VI. After the impressive opening, we listened to a flute quintet. Our flutists, participants of Marko Zupan’s master class, performed Boismortier’s Concerto in La minore, op. 15. The program continued with the performance of one of Croatia’s best young musicians. Marimbist Filip Merčep performed a very attractive Verano porteño by Astor Piazzola. The concert went on with a couple of great performances from the Youngmasters lecturers. Mihael Paar gave a performance of Kovács’ interesting Hommage á J.S. Bach for clarinet solo, and the Zagreb guitar duo, consisting of Morana Pešutić and Tomislav Vasilj, played Espagne by Ida Presti. Ida Presti is a legendary guitarist and composer who is known to people of Samobor because of the guitar competition in Samobor which is named after her. After the guitars, we listened to another performance on the precious organ. Željka Spinčić Bunčić was joined by soprano Josipa Gvozdanić in this piece. They performed an aria by J. S. Bach. It was followed by a selection from 44 duets for two violins by Béla Bartók, arranged for flute and alto saxophone. It was performed by excellent musicians and Youngmasters lecturers: Marko Zupan and Lovro Merčep. The concert ended with Festival Chamber Orchestra’s premiere. Youngmasters has always paid special attention to group music, and this year, wishing to give participants the opportunity to participate in a larger ensemble at a high playing level, it founded a string chamber orchestra for whose members got selected in the evaluation process. During the week of intensive rehearsals, the young musicians prepared as many as four pieces for the Youngmasters Gala concert under the artistic guidance of Marco Graziani. In the first piece, they accompanied the soprano Gaja Napast, who sang Vedrai Carino’s aria from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. Another number from Mozart’s opera succeeded – the Canzonetta sul’aria duet from the opera Figaro. Gaja Napast and Josipa Gvozdanić performed it with great musicality and stage presence. With Mozart’s Divertimento, we heard the Festival Orchestra in an independent act, after which they accompanied the guitarist Kacper Dworniczak, an award-winning competitor from the Ida Presti competition, in the performance of the first movement of Sergio Assad’s Concerto Fantasie. The audience rewarded the performances of the Festival Orchestra with thunderous applause. Among the young orchestra players, there were those for whom this was their first opportunity to participate in the performance of opera and concert numbers. Despite this, the orchestra did not lag behind the high level of the other performers, all of whom were experienced professionals.

The enthusiasm and effort put into the preparation of the Youngmasters Gala concert was rewarded with the great success of the event. The vision and efforts of the organizers brought to life to another show of top musical art. This year’s edition was made special by the choice of location and the premiere performance of the Festival Chamber Orchestra, whose enviable achievement made both the young musicians and the organizers very proud. The quality was noticed by the Croatian National Televison’s programme, which included a feature about the concert in its program on August 28. Here is the impression that the visit to the Gala concert and the conversation with the lecturers and participants left on the editor:

“After a week of intensive rehearsals, these young musicians are even more convinced that music is their professional path, and the Gala concert is the pinnacle of a valuable experience, because they know that for the audience it is an invaluable musical event that many are already looking forward to for the next year .”

Objava Youngmasters Gala Concert: top-notch music in a baroque setting pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

Award-winning guitarist from this year’s Ida Presti International Guitar Competition, Kacper Dworniczak, held a recital in the Chapel of St. Michael as part of the Youngmasters festival in Samobor on August 25th.  

St. Michael’s Chapel has already proved itself as an ideal space for a classical guitar concert: the intimate atmosphere and excellent acoustics enable a great listening experience and create an inspiring atmosphere for the performer. The young guitarist opened the recital with a subtle performance of Bach’s Prelude from Prelude, Fugue and Allegro BWV 998. The young musician followed up the piece with another prelude: the number 4 from Frederic Chopin’s opus 28. Opening the concert with two stylistically different preludes is an interesting idea that was well received by the audience. Chopin’s piano piece works well on the classical guitar, whose sonic capabilities allow the listener a fresh experience of this well-known composition. This was followed by the most extensive work of the program: Manuel Maria Ponce’s Sonata III. The third movement of the sonata left an especially good impression, bringing the necessary contrast of mood after the opening prelude, the serious first and the romantic second movement of the sonata. For the performance of the sonata, Dworniczak was rewarded with a long round of applause. After the sonata, the guitarist performed Hymne a l’amour, a popular French song arranged by Roland Dyens. After the ballad was performed, a loud “Bravo!” was heard from a member of the audience. The guitarist announced the next piece with a charming story of its origin: guitarist-composer Marek Pasieczny decided to write a new composition for Kacper, then an eleven-year-old boy, after a competition. Asked about the nature of the piece he wanted to premiere, the young Dworniczak surprised the composer by ordering a composition that is not a miniature, but a theme with variations! Neo Variations came to be. Dworniczak started performing the piece only a few years later, and played it also for the audience in Samobor. The young Pole continued the recital with the performance of another Polish work. After Chopin and Pasieczny, the guitarist once again brought a touch of his homeland to Samobor with a performance of Polskie drogi by Andrzej Kurylewicz. The recital concluded with Carlo Domeniconi’s Toccata in Blue. He rewarded a long applause with an addition to the program. The performance of a movement from J.S. Bach’s suite for the encore was an unconventional decision, but in the context of the presented program, rich with elements of jazz, blues and film music, the impression was that the choice was justified. Also, the encore gave the program a nice roundness, making the evening both begin and end with Bach’s music.  

Kacper Dworniczak left a good impression on the gathered audience. Participants of the Youngmasters summer school and local guitar pupils made a big part of the audience. The repertoire contained a few bold programming decisions, yet it was delivered with subtle expressiveness and refined sound, which made his Croatian debut a great success. A few days later, we heard the young guitarist once again in the performance of the first movement of Sergio Assad’s Concerto Fantasia for guitar and string orchestra at the Youngmasters Gala concert with the Festival Chamber Orchestra. 

Author: Petra Stojaković

Objava Guitar recital at the 11th Youngmasters Festival pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

Cellist Tobias Stosiek and pianist Nataša Veljković coveyed special feelings to the audience with the performance of Vocalize no. 14, op. 34 from Sergei Rachmaninoff. The young Croatian pianist Aljoša Jurinić made himself stand out with a virtuoso and energetic interpretation of the Hungarian Rhapsody no. 11 composed by Franz Liszt. The concert ended with a musical performance from Lovro Peretić, a guitarist who is also the winner of last year’s Ida Presti International Guitar Competition. He performed the Premier Concertino in C major composed by Ivan Padovac with the Youngmasters String Quartet. The special feature of this concert was the short announcements of each composition that was being played, which contributed to greater motivation and attention of the audience. Although the concert was long, the audience showed their satisfaction and gratitude to the performers with warm and long applause.

Author: Lucija Vukoja, participant of the Youngmasters music criticism workshop

Objava Excellent interprets at the Youngmasters Gala concert pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

Besides musical performances and concerts, the audience had a chance to listen to the reviews written by participants of the Music Cristicism workshop. The alternation of performers lifted the dynamics of the concert and made it very interesting, despite it being a long concert. The program included various composers with a special emphasis on contemporary composers, such as Joaquín Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla, as well as many Croatian authors, such as Dora Pejačević, Blagoje Bersa and Alfi Kabilj.

The performance of this year’s lecturer and violinist Marco Graziani should be highlighted among other performances. He played the Second Sonata for Violin Solo in A minor composed by Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe. The first and fourth movement of this beautiful composition are characterized by virtuoso passages as well as dramatic changes in tempo and dynamics. The musician showed high technical level and sensitivity with special emphasis on the quote of the medieval sequence Dies irae, dies illa which he interpreted differently each time. Spouses Tobias Stosiek (cellist) and Nataša Veljković (pianist) also had an extremely successful performance. They presented Rachmaninoff’s masterpieces, Vocalizu, Op. 34, no. 14, in the most beautiful light. The touching sounds of the cello and the rich piano unison achieved perfect harmony.

Given the length of the Gala concert, it was not appropriate for the three-movement Premier concertino for guitar and string instruments by Ivan Padovac to be performed at the very end, as there was fatigue among the audience. It would’ve been more appropriate if the concert had been closed by the singers who attended seminars of the Professor Claudia Visce, gathered in the Youngmasters Voice ensemble, with the Evening Prayer of Engelbert Humperdinck. Politicians and citizens of Samobor embellished this event with their attendance and showed how proud they are that such an extraordinary concert is being held in their city.

Author: Ivana Anastazija Barjašić

Objava Diverse program and different musicians made Youngmasters Gala concert special pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

Author: Aniela Schmidt

Objava Guitar recital at the 10th Youngmasters Festival pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.

Brajković is a fifth-year piano student in the class of Srđan Čaldarović at the Music Academy in Zagreb. He parallely studies at the Music Academy in Ljubljana where he is a second-year student in the class of Alexander Serder. In his concert program, this pianist focused on dance-inspired musical genres. Suites also fall into this kind of genre so Brajković performed two of them. The most successful performance was Claude Debussy’s Suite bergamasque, L. 82 (75). This four-part suite is most recognizable by the third movement called “Clair de Lune”. This movement is the favorite one for the author of this text, who had the opportunity to listen to this suite live for the first time. Sven Brajković’ interesting program and biography were certainly a good incentive to come to his concert.
He opened the concert with “French Suite no. 6 in E major, BWV 817 ”by Johann Sebastian Bach, whose third movement called “ Sarabande ”stood out among eight of them in total. After this, he performed “Sonata no. 3 in C major, Op. 2 ”, which was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven.

The concert also stood out because of the interesting order in which the compositions were arranged. After “Suite bergamasque”, Brajković performed the composition called “Invitation to Dance”, Op. 65, J 260 ”by Carl Maria von Weber. This performance left a great impression on the entire concert. I also want to point out that while listening to Sven, you can easily notice the pleasure he has while playing. The way he plays encourages the listener to focus on the music and make an emotional connection with it.  It can be said with certainty that everyone present in the audience enjoyed Sven’s performance. They showed their delight with applause!

Author: Barbara Šimunić

Objava Sven Brajković’ recital at the 10th Youngmasters Festival pojavila se prvi puta na Youngmasters.