Bach Days in Split were awarded the prestigious European label EFFE 2019-2020 Remarkable Arts Festival.
Bach in Split 2019
8th International Bach Days in Split, March 21 – 27, 2019
“Nicht Bach, Meer soll er heissen!”
Ludwig van Beethoven
Project
Bach Days in Split is the first and only monographic event in Croatia dedicated to the oeuvre of the great german baroque composer that takes place every year.
The project was initiated in 2012 by Vesna Podrug and Wladimir Kossjanenko – professors of the Music Department of the Art Academy of the University of Split, and since then has been held annually on the composer’s birthday – March 21. In the following years, the number of participants steadily increased, accompanied by the great public interest and critical acclaim.
In 2015, in the occasion of the 330th anniversary of J.S. Bach in Split was realized a varied program with five events including the join concerts of pupils of the music school Josip Hatze, students and professors of the Academy of Arts as well as top musicians from Berlin and Weimar – all in one 32 musicians of all generations. From then on, the festival takes on an international character.
Four concerts took place 2018 at the 7th Bach Festival on the composer’s 333rd anniversary, including three consecutive integral performances of Bach’s Cello Suites, as well as violin Sonatas and Partitas by two outstanding Croatian musicians, cellist Mihovil Karuza and violinist Orest Shourgot.
The continuous and creative engagement with the music of J.S.Bach creates a new framework for concert activity for young and renowned musicians from Split and Croatia, promotes cooperation with prominent musicians from abroad and contributes to a special atmosphere in the city in the Easter time.
The program of this year’s festival brings some special features to the audience:
– The virtuosos of Split under the direction of Wladimir Kossjanenko will open the festival on March 20 for first time in the City of Kaštela and on March 21 will continue their successful collaboration with cellists Felicitas and Pauline Stephan from North Rhine-Westphalia with double concerts by Handel and Vivaldi this time in the Church of St.Franciscus in Split ;
– During the rehearsal periode on March 22, the workshop of Felicitas Stephan will be held with the cello students of the Academy of Arts of the University;
– Outstanding American pianist Yuliya Gorenman and professor at the American University of Washington D.C. performs on the 23d and 24th of March, for the first time in Croatia, consecutive and integrally the entire Well Tempered Clavier I and II BWV 846-893 in Museum of the City of Split;
– on March 26 Mrs. Yuliya Gorenman will hold a masterclass for piano students of the Academy of Arts University of Split;
– The young Croatian organ player Ursa Ljuban prepares an exciting Bach program on March 25 for her debut in the Cathedral of St. Peter;
– The festival will conclude on March 26 with the traditional joint concert of students of the Music School Josip Hatze and students of the Music Department of the Academy of Arts of the University in the Gothic Hall of the Museum of the City of Split.
The 8th Bach Days Split were organized by Artemis Association for Music and Art in cooperation with the Music Department of the Art Academy of the University of Split, the Music School Josip Hatze, the parish of the Church of St.Francis and Co-Cathedral of St.Peter, the Museum of the City of Split.
The realization is made possible by the support of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Cultural Department of the City of Split, the Tourist Agency Split and private sponsors such as the Hotel Marul Split and Marine Kaštela.
Bach Days in numbers from 2012 to 2018:
• 5 lectures:
Dr. Mario Penzar (University of Music Zagreb),
Prof. Ivan Prpić (London),
Dr. Davorka Radica (UMAS), Dr. Vito Balić (UMAS),
Associate Professor Mag.Art. Vesna Podrug (UMAS)
• 20 concerts and 93 musicians:
45 students of J. Hatze’s Music School and students of the music department of the Music Academy and 48 professional musicians from 11 countries, including soloists:
Piano:
Alexander Vitlin, Grigori Gruzman – Germany, Anna Semkina – Russia, Nataša Veljkovic – Austria; Vesna Podrug, Lovre Marušić, Jadranka Garin, Olga Cinkoburova, Ivan Stojic, Kosjenka Turkulin, Mladen Grgić – Croatia
Violin:
Dragan Radosavljevic Lawford – Serbia / Germany, Fritz Gearhart – USA, Evgenia Epshtein – Israel, Orest Shourgot – Ukraine / Croatia, Alina Gubaidullina and Loris Grubišić – Croatia
Viola:
Pavel Kondrusevic – Belarus; Vladimir Kossjanenko – Austria / Croatia;
Violoncello: Mihovil Karuza – Croatia
Flute:
Marko Zupan – Slovenia; Ana Domančić, Andrea Jelavić – Croatia
Oboe:
Eva Tušar Suhodolc – Slovenia
Harpsichord:
Borna Barišić – Croatia
Organ:
Marina Ivanova – Russia / Croatia
Guitar:
Goran Listeš – Croatia
Trumpet:
Jakov Jurić – Croatia
Conductor:
Wladimir Kossjanenko – Austria / Croatia
Chamber Orchestra virtuosos of Split:
Violin: Dragan Radosavljevic Lawford (Germany), Petra Hrnjak Skroza, Dmitry Večer (Czech Republic), Annija Kolerta (Latvia), Barbara Udovčić, Svjetlana Mandić, Matea Beotić, Luka Jadrić
Viola: Pavel Kondrusevic (Belorussia), Vera Kamenšek (Slovenia), Stipe Marinić, Nastja Peric, Ivor Ivančić, Kristina Knežević
Violoncello: Mihovil Karuza, Hillary Karuza (USA), Danijela Kos, Anthony Havelka, Ema Nikolić
Double bass: Piero Malkoč, Luka Brodarić
Harpsichord: Borna Barišić