Friday, March 14   8:00 p.m.
St David's Church   (304 E 7th St)

  Volodja Balzalorsky - Johannes Brahms - Scherzo in C minor
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The Spectrum Chamber Music Society and Cantabel Productions present:

VOLODJA BALZALORSKY, violin (Slovenia)
JAKSA ZLATAR, piano (Croatia)

This showcase will feature two first (premiere) performances in USA:
Sonata for violin and piano No.1 (1974) by renowned Croatian contemporary composer Andelko Klobucar (1931) and Something wild for violin solo (1988) by renowned Slovenian contemporary composer Nenad First (1964).
The showcase program includes also famous works for violin and piano by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Ernest Bloch and Maurice Ravel.

VOLODJA BALZALORSKY is an internationally acclaimed concert violinist who has performed as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician in many music festivals and concert series throughout Europe, and North America.
He performs with several well-known international groups and ensembles. Volodja Balzalorsky is also Professor of Violin at the Music Academy of the University of Ljubljana.
Numerous highly praised concerts (international festivals and concert series), broadcasts, CD and TV recordings in various countries, have established his reputation as an artist with a sensitive, intelligent, and intuitive gift of interpretation, a polished technique, and a rich, full tone.

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS:
Inland Empire Music Award 2008 - Best International Artist
The Ontario Independent Music Award 2007 - Best International Artist
The Canary Islands Music Award 2007-Category: Interpretation-Instrumental (Sonata in A major by Cesar Franck)
The Los Angeles Music Award 2007 Nominee - classical
Julij Betetto Music Award 2006 - the most important music award for classical music in Slovenia

NEW RELEASES on Cantabel label:
July-September 2007
Volodja Balzalorsky Live in Concert Vol. 1- 4 (4 albums):
Now available on iTunes, Amazon, Sony Connect, eMusic and worldwide through IODA digital distribution, CD Baby and Eroica Classical Recordings.

JAKSA ZLATAR is one of the leading Croatian pianists. He is Professor of piano and piano teaching methods at the Music Academies of Zagreb and Ljubljana Universities.
Jaksa Zlatar is particularly active in the field of chamber music and contemporary music.
Apart from being a performing artist, Mr. Zlatar has held seminars on piano teaching and has been a member of juries at international piano competitions. He is the Artistic director of the Croatian Youth Music Scene and the vice-president of EPTA-Croatia .
He has won several awards, among which the award “Svetislav Stancic” stand out.

As a DUO, Volodja Balzalorsky and Jaksa Zlatar appeared for the first time in 2001. They have been regular guests at international music festivals and concert series in Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Portugal.

PROGRAM

Robert Schumann – Three Romances op. 95
Moderato
Semplice con sentimento
Moderato

Andelko Klobucar (Croatia) – Sonata for violin and piano No.1, written 1974, (first performance in USA)
Allegro
Andante
Vivace

Ernest Bloch – From Baal Shem Suite
Vidui
Nigun

Nenad First (Slovenia) – Something Wild for violin solo, written 1988
(first performance in USA)

Maurice Ravel - Habanera

Johannes Brahms – Scherzo in C minor op. posth



ANDELKO KLOBUCAR, (Zagreb, 1931), composer, organist and music teacher. He graduated from the Zagreb Music Academy (1955) in history and music theory; he also studied composition with Milo Cipra, and organ with Franjo Lucic. After the graduation he continued his studies in Salzburg (organ, with A. Nowakowski) and Paris (composition with A. Jolivet). From 1968 has been teaching at the Zagreb Music Academy, and since 1987 he is an alternate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
He has numerous award (the "Milka Trnina" prize for his recitals given in 1970, the "Josip Slavenski" prize for his Organ concerto,1958, the "Vladimir Nazor" prize,1990, for his Partita for organ, based on the songs from the "Pauli-nian Songbook" and for the performance of Messiaen's cycle "La Nativite du Seigneur").
With his marked inclination for polyphonic structuring and modern harmony, Klobucar has introduced new vistas into Croatian organ music.
His compositions include orchestral works, concertos, chamber, piano, vocal music and incidental music for films and theatre.

NENAD FIRST (1964) after finishing the highschool of music in Zagreb continued his studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana (composition with Professor Dane Skerl and violin with Professor Rok Klopcic). He perfected his knowledge at international courses for chamber music and composition at home, in Hungary and in France. During 1982 - 1992 he was a member of the string quartet "Sebastian" from Zagreb, with which he toured at home and abroad. Since 1988 he lives in Celje (Slovenia), where he is the artistic director and conductor of the Celje string orchestra.

He works for the Celje Institute for cultural performances as a music manager. During 1993 - 1998 he was a President of the Musical Youth of Slovenia, since 1996 he has been artistic director of the International music camp of Musical Youth in Dolenjske Toplice.

For his activities he has received several prizes and recognitions, among them the Preseren Prize of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana (for the composition 3rd string quartet) and the Preseren Prize of the commune of Celje (for a unified image of a musical creator).