Monday, October 1, 7 p.m.

St. Florian’s Church

 

 

Kimiko Nakazawa, violin

Goran Končar, violin

Ljerka Končar Gamulin, cello

 Pavao Mašić, harpsichord

 

Programme:              

CROATIAN MUSICAL HERITAGE

 Luka Sorkočević
Overtura for two violins & basso continuo
Allegro
A mezza voce
Allegro

Luka Sorkočević
Sinfonija for two violins & basso continuo
Allegro
Andante
Allegro

Antun Sorkočević
Sonata for violin, cello & basso continuo in G minor
Largo
Minuetto
Rondo

Antun Sorkočević
Sonata for violin, cello & basso continuo in A major
Allegro
Adagio
Rondo

Luka Sorkočević
Sinfonija (IX) for two violins & basso continuo
Allegro
Largo
Allegretto

Antun Sorkočević
Trio for two violins and basso continuo in G major
Allegro spiritoso
Adagio
Finale-Presto

 

About the performer:

After studying with Shin-ichi Suzuki and Yosiho Unno, Kimiko Nakazawa graduated from Niigata University in Japan. She continued her studies in Vienna supported by the Encouraging Artists Program by Agency of the Japanese government in 2000. She also studied with L. de Barueri at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 1991 she founded the ensemble Wien-Tokyo. Among many renowned venues Kimiko Nakazawa has performed in recitals in the Carnegie Hall, Vienna Concert House and Beethoven Hall in Germany. She has performed many concerts with famous orchestras including the super World Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna Chamber Orchestra. She has also appeared in programmes for NHK FM and TV. Among her numerous recordings and CDs she has released the complete Mozart Sonatas for violin and piano with the pianist Joerg Demus in 2003 and more recently the complete Mozart Concertos for violin and orchestra with Philippe Entremont conducting. While performing in concerts Kimiko has also become known for her master classes with young violinists who are encouraged to lead the next generation of talents in their art. Her students won first awards at the state competitions in Japan in 2006 and 2007. She plays on an exceptionally valuable Antonio Stradivari violin called Romanov.

 

Goran Končar (b. 1954), one of the most prominent Croatian violinists, studied at the Music Academy in Zagreb with Martin Barić and Josip Klima, and obtained a master’s degree in the class of Leonid Kogan at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 1978. He also studied with Max Rostal in Bern and Henryk Szeryng in Geneva, then with Yfrah Neaman in London. He was Neaman’s assistant at the Guildhall School of Music from 1981 to 1983. He has been teaching at the Music Academy of the University of Zagreb since 1988. He has held master classes in Madrid, Berlin, Turin, Milan, Sidney, Tokyo, Beijing, Stellenbosch and elsewhere. In 2004, he started the LAUS Summer Academy in Dubrovnik together with the world’s greatest violinists (Zakhar Bron, Viktor Tretyakov, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Leonid Sorokow). His international solo career began in 1982 with guest performances in majority of European countries, as well as USA, Japan, Korea and Israel. From 1984 to 1994 he was the concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, Croatian Radio Television Symphony Orchestra and Zagreb Philharmonic. He has performed with renowned orchestras and conductors all over the world. He won first and special prizes at national competitions, as well as the Music Life Award in Moscow (1980) for his performance of Shostakovich’s Concerto for violin and orchestra, the first prize at the International Competition in Bratislava (1984) and numerous other accolades. Among the awards received Vladimir Nazor Award (2006) holds a prominent place. In his solo and educational activities he is particularly dedicated to interpretations of works by Johann Sebastian Bach (solo sonatas and partitas), as well as to the repertoire refined with Max Rostal (W. A. Mozart and the French Bruch, E. Bloch, F. Mendelssohn) and Leonid Kogan (Russian literature P. I. Tchaikovsky, A. Glazunov, A. Khachaturian, S. Prokofiev and D. Shostakovich for the performance of whose works he received a Russian prize as the first foreigner to do so). He pays special attention to the performances of classics of the 20th century (B. Bartok, B. Martin, S. Gubaidulin, A. Nilsson, K. Goldmark) and contemporary pieces, which is why numerous composers have dedicated their works to him (Boris Papandopulo, Milko Kelemen, Giuseppe Gavazza, D. Holloway, Ivo Malec). His first record was released by EMI in 1984 in London, and he recorded for BBC, CBS, France Musique, HRT and other radio and TV stations. Croatia Records released one of the rare integrated performances of Eugene Ysaye’s solo violin sonatas.

From 1987 to 2012 he managed the Zagreb Quartet and for a full quarter of a century his skill and art were part of this oldest Croatian and European chamber ensemble. In his professional activity, Končar dedicated particular attention to researching the sound of historical instruments as well as raising awareness of the value of tone-wood from Croatia and Bosnia used for the building most valuable instruments. In order to promote Croatian makers of string instruments, in 2005 he initiated the founding of the Association of Professional Builders and Restorers of Stringed Instruments in Croatia.

 

Ljerka Končar Gamulin (1986). began playing the violoncello at the age of five in the Dobrile Berković class in Zagreb. During her studies, 26 she attended master classes with L. Parnas, E. Schoenfeld, N. Šahovskaja, D. Grigorian, G. Tavares and V. Dešpalj. She received numerous awards at national and international competitions (International violoncello competition Antonio Janigro, Alpe-Adria, Rudolf Matz Competition, HDGPP), and continues to work with prof. David Grigorian to this day. From early on she showed a great interest in the composition of classical music, jazz, popular music and music for movies. So far her compositions have been performed in several European countries and her video Tesla Lightning was given an award on the American Beet 100 portal. She participated in the monodrama of Crveno i crno by Željko Senečić along with Bozidar Oreskovic, which inspired the film of the same name. She has participated in numerous concert programs as a soloist, chamber musician, and with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra at the triple concert of L. Beethoven under the lead of conductor mo. Vladimir Kranjčević. She has performed in prestigious halls in Salzburg, Paris, London and Brussels as well as in Italy, Malta and Lithuania. At concerts she frequently perform her own compositions. She is currently completing the music for the movie The Line in a Croatian-Czech co-production. Her Skyline video spot was awarded a gold medal on the American portal Beet 100. At the recently held Dmitry Kabalevski International Competition for composers in Moscow (the category for professionals over 20 years), she won the second prize as well as a special prize for the compositions Cantata Zrinski and Homage à Shostakovich for cello and chamber orchestra.

 

Pavao Mašić won Grand Prix Bach Award and the audience award at Bach’s competitions oforganists in Lausanne (2006) and still develops his career of successful concert organist and harpsichordist. He is one of the most affirmed Croatian musicians of the young generation and works as leading organist in the St Mark’s Church at the Uptown Zagreb and as a docent at the Academy of Music in Zagreb, where he is developing broad pedagogical activities and raising new generations of harpsichordists and organists. He finished his harpsichord, organ and musical theoretical discipline studies and postgraduate studies (the organ in the class of Kei Koito at the Lausanne’s University of Music and harpsichord in the class of Robert Hill at the Freiburg’s University of Music) with the highest grades. He regularly performs concerts throughout Russia, Europe and Israel (Moskow, Sankt Petersburg, Basel, Lausanne, Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Freiburg, Zaragoza, Porto, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Tel Aviv). Over 20 important foreign and domestic awards have recognized the quality of his artistic work – some of them are Kantor Award, Ivan Lukačić Award, Jurica Murai Award, Orlando Award and Ivo Vuljević Award. He records for Croatian National Television and Croatia Records; his various discography includes three albums, which won seven Porin Awards.

His first CD, 1685., featuring harpsichord works by J.S. Bach, G.F. Handel and D. Scarlatti, he was awarded the Best Classical Music Album of the Year 2012. His album 100% BACH, recorded in cooperation with Ante Knešaurek, organist as well, presents a part of J.S. Bach’s

organist opus, for which’s first integral performance in Croatia the two won Milka Trnina Award and Zagreb City Award. The last, double album of compositions for organ by Anđelko Klobučar won four Porin Awards in few classical music categories. From 2015, he is a permanent member of Zagreb Soloists.