The Croatian Composers’ Society is the only association of music professionals in Croatia. It brings together over 300 regular (composers, musicologists and music writers) and 8,000 associate members (copyright owners).
This reputable artistic organisation significantly influences Croatia’s music scene thanks to its knowledge, creative and organisational potential as well as to its close collaboration with similar bodies, ensembles, institutions and individuals from all over the world. Its only aim is to develop the music scene and to contribute to the recognition of Croatia’s music, both nationally and abroad.
The Society hosts several important music events, prominent among them being the Music Biennale Zagreb, founded in 1961, which has not only been our window on the international contemporary music, but had also provided us with a groundbreaking opportunity to keep up with the musical trends ever since. Next on the list is Zagrebfest, the oldest festival of popular music in this part of Europe, which has also been held under the auspices of the Croatian Composers’ Society. In 2014, the event’s image was revamped and its name changed into the Zagreb Festival. Another event, the Music Platform has continuously, every year, presented a selection of works produced by the national music scene, as of the early 1960s. The Society’s jazz programmes consist of two festivals and a concert series, known under the common name of Jazz.hr, which present the achievements of Croatian musicians as well as the European top artists. Some of the leading international jazz stars also regularly perform at these events.
Over the past half a century, the Society has released several hundreds of scores in the editions “Ars Croatica” and “Popular Melodies” together with a large number of sound recordings of Croatian contemporary music. In 2001, the Society founded Cantus, a limited liability company, which started to promote the Society’s editions of Croatian contemporary music by recording and publishing them. In addition to this, the Society publishes a bimonthly “Cantus”, the only publication in Croatia dealing with the national music scene.
The Croatian Composers’ Society is a member of several international associations, such as the CISAC (the International Confederation of the Authors and Composers Societies), BIEM (the International Bureau of Mechanical Rights Societies), ISCM (the International Society for Contemporary Music), ECSA (the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance), and the ECF (the European Composers’ Forum).
The Cantus Ensemble, as the only Croatian ensemble specialising in contemporary composed music, is resident at the Society. Having joined forces with the Croatian Discography Union and Croatian Music Union, the Society co-founded the Institute of Croatian Music Industry, which looks into the economic and social aspects of music. This institution also gives the music awards such as “Porin” and “Golden Record”.
