CONCERT [Coda]
Croatian Radiotelevision Tamburitza Orchestra
Matija Fortuna, conductor
Soloists:
Theodossi Spassov, kaval
Filip Novosel, basprim
Tihomir Hojsak, double bass
T. Spassov, T. Hojsak
Project: Duckling Soup
It all began in 2016 when two authentic musicians - double bass player Tihomir Hojsak and Filip Novosel (the first graduate jazz tamburica player) - formed the duo Bow vs Plectrum. By combining the double bass and the brač with different playing traditions, they created a unique style that intertwines classical music, contemporary jazz, and Croatian traditional music. Joining them on the Zadar stage will be Bulgarian jazz virtuoso Theodossii Spassov, recognizable for his distinctive style of playing the kaval (a traditional wooden flute). Together, they present a project that merges Croatian and Bulgarian traditions with a modern sound, which was also recorded on their acclaimed album Duckling Soup.
The HRT Tamburitza Orchestra, founded back in 1941, has traveled a fascinating path from a radio program to world tours across South America, Australia, the USA, and China. Through decades of work, and particularly under the long-standing leadership of Siniša Leopold, the orchestra lifted the tamburica out of its folk instrument framework and promoted it into a top-tier artistic instrument. They are recipients of the prestigious Vatroslav Lisinski Award for their overall contribution to Croatian musical creativity, and their role in preserving cultural heritage is recognized worldwide.
This entire musical spectacle will be conducted by Matija Fortuna, the artistic director of the HRT Tamburica Orchestra since the 2023/2024 season. He is an outstanding conductor who graduated in music theory and orchestral conducting in Zagreb, and completed his postgraduate studies at the prestigious Academy in Vienna. He boasts rich experience in opera and symphonic productions in Croatia and Slovenia, was a semifinalist in the Lovro von Matačić International Conducting Competition, and alongside leading orchestras, he works as an assistant professor at the Academy of Music in Zagreb.
Program:
1. Theodosii Spassov: Open Mood (arranged by Filip Novosel)
2. Tihomir Hojsak: Zagreb Clock Story / The Story of the Zagreb Clock (arranged by Tihomir Hojsak)
3. Tihomir Hojsak: The Drunken Shepherd (arranged by Tihomir Hojsak) (Napomena: ispravljen je tipfeler „Shepard” u „Shepherd”)
4. Theodosii Spassov: Duckling Soup (arranged by Filip Novosel)
5. Tihomir Hojsak: Memento mori (arranged by Tihomir Hojsak)
6. Theodosii Spassov: Galeno horo (arranged by Tihomir Hojsak)
7. Traditional: Thunder Beyond the Drava / Thunder Over the Drava River (arranged by Filip Novosel)
8. Traditional: The Turtle Dove Moaned / Grličica grkobala (arranged by Filip Novosel)