2021 in all its glory
2021 was a colorful year, balancing the pandemic rules, reinventing my artistic ones, and creating in times of uncertainty. I am grateful that I managed to continue my international festivals, travel the world, meet new people, spend some quality time with my family, and learn new things while also being mindful and growing.
My first concerts of the year happened in churches, as the pandemic rules allowed them more efficiently, and also with viola in Croatia. I immensely enjoy discovering this incredible instrument's depth, virtuosity, and warmth!
A fantastic event of the year was my article for IDM, published in 50.000 copies with Die Presse daily newspaper and available online worldwide. Here is a detailed post about it - and the whole article in German for you to read.
With 2021 being unpredictable and impossible to plan, also on short notice, it came to this beautiful collaboration - with my first chamber music professor, Jože Haluza, and his String Orchestra of the Music Academy Zagreb. In this “band,” I started my musical path many years ago and am now celebrating the beginning of my second Viennese decade with them in Zagreb and Čakovec.
I have enjoyed learning and even more performing the beautifully deep Trauermusik by Hindemith, every time delving deeper into the beauty of his language. It leaves one speechless and at peace, with the chorale in the final movement feeling like it is taking us all to heaven. Performing it with the large string orchestra has significantly impacted me after a year of seldom live performances. It was such a special feeling being again on stage, playing for the audience, two days in a row!
The Zagreb concert was also live-streamed, with mainly colleagues in the audience present. In Čakovec, we were playing at the May Music Memorial Josip Štolcer Slavenski, a festival with a tradition of 48 years. Outstanding young musicians have left me happy and hopeful for the future. With their talent and dedication, it will most definitely be bright. Zagreb and Croatia have many things to be proud of. The concert, besides Hindemith, consisted of two world premieres by composers Sara Jakopovic and Josip Prajz, as well as works of Josip Štolcer Slavenski, Tomislav Uhlik, and Fran Lhotka—more details about the program and lovely musicians you can find HERE.
After such great collaboration, I was happy to invite the orchestra to open this year´s edition of the CRO-ArT Festival, which they fulfilled masterfully! Here is the review of the concert in the MERKER, and below are some beautiful photos from the marvelous Peterskirche. It was, symbolically, the last concert of our dear Prof. Joze Haluza before his retirement, so it was incredibly moving on that occasion. The generous support of the Croatian Embassy in Austria, many Austrian and Croatian institutions, sponsors, and friends made this festival possible live this year! Music truly creates magic when and where it is most needed.
Three more events followed: “Almost Invisible…” with seven world premieres! in the beautiful Konzilsgedaechtniskirche, a Panel Discussion with some beautiful performances by the Klangforum Wien oboist Markus Deuter and our very own Ivana Nikolic at imhinterhaus, and a final concert with one and only maestro Mladen Tarbuk again in the Peterskirche, with several more world and Austrian premieres. Below are some photo highlights and our unique posters, designed by Hessamedin Fana, with program details. You can read some international reviews here and a whole article in Cantus magazine. Thank you all!!!
In that one month only, I have learned, led, and performed over 25 completely new pieces as I continued with a concert in the Austrian Parliament with my WISE Trio and a memorable solo and chamber music concert with the music of Lauren Bernofsky with Eriko Muramoto and Angello Polak in the unique Alte Schmiede.
And then, sooner than I could grasp - another edition of the Vares Classic Festival was near! And what a year! Following all the changes on the path, as always very symbolically, I have chosen the title “Ethos.”
VaClaF 2021: Ethos. Poster by Hessamedin Fana.
Seven concerts with some of my favorite people and artists, such as Natasa Mirkovic and Michel Godard, Amir Amiri, Ivana Nikolic, Oberton String Octet, Damir Imamovic, and many more! Music, in its essence, of the highest quality, connecting the people and the world: our one and only Ethos.
Incredibly, we realized all of this during the pandemic, with artists flying in from around the world… I am grateful beyond words!
Below is a tiny selection of the photos from the festival, director´s cut. :)
In the ever-crazy aftermath of the festivals, between travels, work, and planning, I did one very dear performance for the IDM: Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe at the Danube Conference 2021: Shrinking Spaces - Growing Responsibilities. It was live-streamed from Vienna worldwide—violin solo with a contemporary twist.
Even though the pandemic hit strong with another wave, I have managed to play some more concerts in Croatia and even reach London by the end of November for some fantastic business & pleasure encounters with my dearest people!
December then brought a turbulent time as sad news reached me that the wonderful Maja Zarkovic, a dear friend and manager, had left this world. What a loss! She was pure positive energy, always full of ideas, and ready to push me to do more. Dear Maja, you will be greatly missed.
Maja Zarkovic, in memoriam.
Finally, home and Christmas time with my family gave me hope and strength for an inspiring year ahead. I finished 2021 with a concert in my hometown, Varazdin, with my sister Ivana, dearest maestro Igrec, and his Chorus Angelicus. Ultimately, I am grateful and humbled for all the new challenges coming my way in the months and the year ahead.
Our Gala New Year´s Concert will open in the next chapter, so book your tickets on time! In 2022, there is so much to celebrate and many new collaborations to fulfill. Looking immensely forward!!!
However, the pandemic is still there; stay healthy, take care, and love each other more. You never know what tomorrow could bring.
With best wishes for the year to come, I am sending you lots of love from Varazdin and soon Vienna,
A.
