Volodja Balzalorsky and Flavio Cucchi started to play together
in February 2008. For the concert season 2008-9 they offer a programme
with works by Vivaldi, Paginini, Scheidler, Ibert, Piazzolla.
Flavio Cucchi is considered by critics as one of the most
interesting European guitarists of the international scene, Flavio
Cucchi has given hundreds of recitals in America, Europe, Asia amd
Australia in addition to participating in radio and TV shows for the
some of the biggest world-wide broadcasting corporations (the BBC, RAI,
ZDF, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Televisa Mexico, Television Corporation of
Singapore, Radio Praga, and others).
As a soloist, he has played in over then 30 European cities with
orchestras such as the Orchestra Della Toscana, the English Chamber
Orchestra, the Radio Brno Chamber Orchestra, the Guitar Symphonietta,
the Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, the Orchestra Toscanini, the
Orchestra dell ATER, and the Basque National Orchestra.
He has performed at important international festivals such as the
Festival Estival - Paris, the Festival de la Habana - Cuba, the
Festival M.Ponce - Mexico, the Wexford Opera Festival - Ireland, the
Bath Guitar Festival - England, the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di
Montepulciano, the Omaggio a Segovia - Florence, the Singapore Guitar
Festival, Gendai Guitar- Tokyo, Todi Arte Festival, etc.
He won first prize at the National Competition of Contemporary music,
(Chairman Goffredo Petrassi) and second prize at international
competitions in Gargnano and Alessandria Specialist in contemporary
muic, Flavio is one of the first Italian guitarists to popularize Leo
Brouwer's compositions. He is also very active in the domain of chamber music.
or
Violin - Guitar Duo Volodja Balzalorsky - Saša Dejanović
Other Ensembles - strong contemporary music orientation
Ensemble
Ouverture - Volodja Balzalorsky artistic director
Ensemble Ouverture is a contemporary
chamber music ensemble,
which focuses on an
unusual and exciting repertoire for diverse instruments from duets to
small chamber orchestra.
Past concerts and
Projects: Zagreb Bienalle, Festival of Contemporary Music in
Radenci, Festival of Contemporary Music in Opatija, Festival "The
European Month of Culture in Ljubljana", Festival Georg Crumb
Festival "Slovenian Music Days, more than 30 performances of
composition "The End of time by Oliver Messiaen in Croatia, Italy
and in Slovenia. Recordings for Archiv of Radio Croatia and
Radio Slovenia. Appearances on Croatian and Slovenian TV. CD -
Kwarteti for Orfej label in Croatia.
Repertoire: contemporary music - from duets to small
chamber orchestra... - mixed
formations. Also Oliver Messiaen - The End of time, George Crumb -
Black
Angels, Anton Webern - Quartet for piano, clarinet, sax and violin,
Schnittke - Septet, etc.
"Neue Music Zeitschrift" - Georg Crumb
Festival-European Month of Culture (Ljubljana 1997)
Das Finalkonzert, von Musikern (Ensemble Ouverture) exzellent
musiziert, bot als Hauptwerk "Black Angels" (Volodja Balzalorsky,
1.violine, Irina Kovorkova, 2.violine, Svava Bernhartsdottir, viola,
Igor Mitrovic, cello) eine wiederum anspielungsreiche, spirituell
aufbereitete Reise der Seele als Auseinnandersetzung mit dem
Vietnam-Krieg.
Ensemble Percussion Plus Project -
special guest
artist Volodja Balzalorsky, violin, Amy Lynn Barber, artistic director
The Percussion
Plus Project is a unique contemporary chamber music
ensemble, which focuses on an
unusual and exciting repertoire that is little-known to general
audiences.
Their programs consist of works for percussion (ranging from one to
many players) and another solo instrument. No other ensemble devotes
itself solely to this repertoire.
The Percussion Plus Project was founded in 1993 in Prague, Czech
Republic, by Amy Lynn Barber, who was then professor of percussion at
the Prague . The Percussion Plus Project had its own very successful
concert series for several years in Prague, and later in Ljubljana,
Slovenia, where Barber was a member of the Slovenian Philharmonic. From
1998-2002 it was based in Vienna, Austria.
The ensemble has performed throughout Central Europe as a guests at
international festivals and concert series, and has recorded many
Czech, Slovak, and Slovenian works for radio and for CDs. Many
composers have been inspired to write pieces for them. Guest soloists
have included many outstanding European and American musicians.
The concerts and recordings of the Percussion Plus Project have
consistently won critical acclaim for the quality of their performance
and for creative and unique programming.
The Percussion Plus Project is currently an ensemble-in-residence at
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.
Volodja Balzalorsky has been a guest soloist with the Percussion
Plus Project in Venice and Pragu in Europe, and in Greencastle and
Indianapolis in USA.
...Volodja Balzalorsky performed Fiser's "Crux"
from memory, thus
bringing to the performance an impulse of experienced, virtuoso
immediacy...every thing that he attempts is entirely concentrated in
the moment...
"DNES-Mlada fronta", Prague: by Wanda Dobrovska
PERCUSSION PLUS VIOLIN - Repertoire
Dubrovay, Laszlo - Sei Due
Fiser, Lubos - Crux
Harrison, Lou - Concerto for the Violin with Percussion Orchestra
Hlavac, Miroslav - Impulsioni
Krenek, Ernst - Marginal Sounds
Leon, Tania - De Color
Ptaszynska, Marta - Dream Lands , Magic Spaces
Sermila, Jarmo - Danza 5
Viklicky, Emil - Tristana
Vrhunc, Larisa - Zven
Trio
Ritratto dell'amore - Cveto Kobal-flute,
Nedka Petkowa, harpsichord, Volodja Balžalorsky- violin
Trio Ritratto
dell'amore is formed by flutist Cveto Kobal, violinist
Volodja Balzalorsky and harpsichordist Nedka Petkowa. In this setup the
ensemble has been working since their first public
appearance in 1994 with baroque period programme at the Rogaska Musical
Summer Festival. From then on the Trio has played regularly in
Slovenia, Austria and Croatia and also as a guest at various
international festivals. Their concert in the Ptuj Castle in 1997 was
recorded by TV Slovenia as well as their concert in the Gewerkenegg
Castle in Idrija in 2005 Gewerkenegg International Chamber Music
Concert
Series;
Radio Slovenia recorded their performance at
the Musica Aeterna festival in Kamnik.
Lately the ensemble has devoted more and more of their programme to the
contemporary music. So the first performances in the Slovene cultural
sphere of compositions by György Ligeti, Jacques Ibert, Igor Krivokapic
and Igor Kopecki were presented by this Trio. Rich individual
experience ties its members into an attracting
symbiosis that incites Slovene composers, particularly of the younger
generation, to write new pieces for this interesting instrument
combination.
The Trio’s new name cited above, is taken from a concert by Francois
Couperin and symbolises the link between the art in baroque times and
the most recent musical creativity.
Other Duo Constant
Partners:
Marina
Horak
- piano,
Slovenia
Two lively and outstanding Slovenian
artists, violinist
Volodja Balzalorsky and pinist Marina Horak.
Very interesting also was the probe into Slovenian composer's work
performed by two lively and outstanding Slovenian artists, violinist
Volodja Balzalorsky and pianist Marina Horak. All compositions were
composed with invention and skill, and of course rendered excellently.
"Composer USA" and "Opus Musicum" by Jan Grossman
Vladislav
Kovalsky
(USA): availibility in USA and Canada
Volodja Balzalorsky and Vladislav Kovalsky started to play together on
the base of suggestion and invitation by JoAnna Steffan, the
president of Prestige Agency Artist Management to perform in a new
international conceret series "A Universal Affair" at Carnegie
Hall (NYC), September 22 2005. They performed very successfuly
works by Janacek, Skerjanc and
Brams.
Additional concert
with the Duo Program (works by Dvorak,
Janacek, Skerjanc and Franck) followed in Red Bank: Red Bank Chamber
Music Society Series.
Vladislav Kovalsky,
a pianist of prodigious musicianship, superb technique, impeccable
training and an ideal of music that is both high and profound is a
first place winner of many international awards.
Tour in North America is planned by Prestige Agency for Duo Volodja
Balzalorsky-Vladislav Kovalsky in concert season 2008-9.
...exciting music making...."New York Concert Review"
Jakša Zlatar,
piano,
Croatia
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.
"Affascinati dal duo Volodja
Balzalorsky e Jaksa Zlatar"
Affascinante e oltremodo
musicale il duo violino e piano-forte, Volodja
Balzalorsky e Jaksa Zlatar...
Il programma presentato colossale nei suo insieme...
...splendidamente interpretati dai due musicisti... Abbiamo
sentito ancora il bell Entre'acte di jacques Ibert e la
Sonatensatz di Brahms pure ineccepibilmente eseguite ed ancora due
extra quali bis a grande richiesta di publico...
...Un grande concerto, che ha dato lustro al Festival per lo charme, il
virtuisismo terso oppure pieno di fascino, la grande competenza di due
musicisti che operano su scala mondiale eppure cosi vicini e attenti
alla sollecitazione del pubblico, alla gioventu musicale che seguono e
alla quale prestano grande attenzione...
"La voce del popolo" by Radojka Sverko
