On Monday, April 27, 2026, at 8 p.m., in the Small Hall of Vatroslav Lisinski, the Cantus Ensemble will hold the fifth concert of its concert season, entitled Musica degli amici (Music of Friends).

 

The concert is part of the celebration of 25 years of the Ensemble's activity, which will extend throughout the entire celebratory year, and the program is conceived as a dedication to the long-standing artistic and friendly ties that the Ensemble has established with numerous composers and performers.

 

The evening's special feature lies in the fact that almost all of the compositions on the program were written specifically for Cantus Ensemble, which further emphasizes the continuity of these collaborations.

 

Under the direction of maestro Berislav Šipuš, the Ensemble will host a number of prominent domestic and international artists. The soloists are soprano Darija Auguštan, violinist Sara Mazzarotto, flutists Ana Batinica and Ivana Vukojević Medvidović, and a special guest of the evening, the celebrated flutist Roberto Fabbriciani. The program will be further enriched by the guest concertmaster Irvine Arditti performing with the concertmaster of the Ensemble Martin Draušnik. 

 

The program includes a series of compositions by contemporary Italian composers who have become (for us) great friends and "fans" during the quarter century of Cantus Ensemble's activities and association with them. Among these friends are Rocco Abate, Marcello Filotei, Cesare Valentini, Nicola Sani and the legend of Italian New Music, now 93-year-old Giacomo Manzoni. 

 

The concert will also mark two premieres. The first is a new composition by the young Italian composer Gaia Aloisi, Ventre, a concerto for violin and 17 instruments, performed by the young violinist Sara Mazzarotto. The second premiere brings the work of Giampaolo Coral, Intavolature for two quintets from 1970, which has not been publicly performed until today.

 

In addition, the audience will have the opportunity to hear works such as Cesare Valentini's Concerto di Zagabria in performed by Roberto Fabbriciani, as well as the composition The Night After the Clouds by Nicole Sani for three bass flutes and electronics, in which Fabbriciani will be joined by Ana Batinica and Ivana Vukojević Medvidović. This performance is also a dedication to the recently deceased flautist Dani Bosniak.

 

As a special addition to the evening, there will be a joint performance by Irvine Arditti and Martin Draušnik in the performance of the composition Gran Cadenza for two violins by Unsuk Chin, a South Korean composer stars.

The program will round off the compositions Sicut for Chamber Ensemble by Marcello Filotei and Ombre for wind quintet of Rocco Abate.

 

Tickets for the concert can be found HERE.

 

We look forward to your arrival!