Music Marathon by Berislav Šipuš - With a Little Help from My Friends

Berislav Šipuš decided to mark his sixty-five-year-long life and artistic "marathon" with the second concert in the season of the Cantus Ensemble, significantly titled Marathon – With A Little Help Of My Friends, dedicating it to several of his long-time friends and collaborators, without whom his journey wouldn't have been the same, as he states.

 

Save Monday 27th November for Cantus Ensemble and the Marathon – With A Little Help Of My Friends!

 

This distinguished composer, conductor, and music pedagogue saw the year, which is already somewhat behind us, as a kind of turning point. "Those 65 years have arrived, and with them some changes in my position at the Academy of Music, but also some important and beautiful recognitions for my work as a composer and pedagogue". With the upcoming performance of the Cantus Ensemble, Šipuš wanted to round off 2023 in a certain way, as he considers the Ensemble to be an important part of his career.

 

Among other things, the year rendered a discographical edition with a representative piece of his oeuvre – Passion, released under the Ligatura edition (Cantus/HDS – HRT). In addition, the famous Arditti Quartet presented his string quartets at the National Festival in Osor. As a conductor, he held a notable celebratory concert with the Zagreb Philharmonic, where he performed his youthful Ciaccona, among other pieces. Also in 2023, two prestigious awards were presented to him: Vladimir Nazor of the Republic of Croatia and Boris Papandopulo of the Croatian Society of Composers (both for Passion).

 

There is, of course, his continuous activity with the Cantus Ensemble, which he has been at the head of, as artistic director, since its inception at the Zagreb Music Biennale 22 years ago.

 

"That's why I asked myself: why not 'celebrate' such an interesting year with people who helped me achieve the goals I set for myself and without whom I would never have reached this point in my career... Over the years I have performed fantastic music by these composers, performed with them. They all helped me, and they also helped the Cantus Ensemble to become the most important ensemble for contemporary music in the region."

 

For the latest Cantus Ensemble concert - scheduled for Monday, November 27th at 8:00 p.m. in the Small Hall of Vatroslav Lisinski, new works were composed at Šipus' request by as many as four recognized European composers: Spanish composer and conductor Mauricio Sotelo, German composer and conductor of Croatian origin Miro Dobrowolny, and Italian composers Nicola Sani and Marcello Filotei.

 

"I respect Berislav for his dedication to music. As a conductor, he rewarded us with numerous premieres of works from all over the world," says the distinguished Polish pianist and composer Zygmunt Krauze, who will perform his own composition Poem of Apollinaire. "Creating music with Berislav is always a call for creativity, it stimulates imagination and joy," concludes the great Italian flutist and composer Roberto Fabbriciani, who will present the solo part in the new work Marmalade Skies by Nicola Sani.

 

Our distinguished mezzo-soprano Martina Gojčeta Silić, also a regular collaborator of Berislav Šipuš and the Cantus Ensemble, will perform in academician Frano Parać's successful composition Memorie for female voice and ensemble. In this way, the Cantus Ensemble, which commissioned this work and often performs it, will mark the 75th birthday of this distinguished Croatian author.

 

Ratko Vojtek will appear at the beginning of the concert in the appraised work by Šipus himself, the composition Dick Tracy and the Mystery of Pretty Piet for bass clarinet, tam-tam, and steel chimes. This is a composition from the beginning of Šipus' composing career, which marked the careers of both the author and this distinctive multi-instrumentalist.

 

The first performance of Marcello Filotei's Ricordarsi di vivere will feature the young soprano Gabriela Mijatović, the child's voice will be performed by Andrija Bošković, and they will be joined by the actor Sreten Mokrović, Šipus' constant collaborator who also took on the role of narrator in his Passion. The saxophone parts in Mauricio Sotelo's new work will be interpreted by our great saxophon player Tomislav Žužak (Alegrias a Bero).

 

"We have been working together for over twenty years and have been friends for just as long," declares Miro Dobrowolny on the occasion of the premiere of Preludio e Sinfonietta.

"There are people you know forever, and you feel like you met them yesterday. And there are others, like Berislav, who you know from yesterday, but you feel like you've known them all your life," concludes Marcello Filotei.

 

Get your tickets for the concert in the ulaznice.hr system or at the box office of the Lisinski Hall.

 

Get ready for the Marathon - with Berislav Šipuš & Cantus Ensemble!