Minnesota Guitar Society Mission Statement Promote the guitar in all its stylistic and cultural diversity through sponsorship of public forums, concerts, and workshops. Serve as an educational and social link between the community G u i t a r i s t and amateur and professional guitarists of all ages. The Minnesota Guitar Society PO Box 14986 / Minneapolis MN 55414 Vol. 35 No. 2 / Special Spring Issue 2019 Tribute Concert for Sabrina Vlaškalić Sabrina Vlaškalić had been scheduled to perform Serbian-born Sabrina here on March 23rd. On January 18th, we were Vlaškalić was a rising shocked and heartbroken to learn that she had star in the classical gui- been killed on January 17th when she was hit by a tar world. Her concert truck while riding her bicycle in Groningen, Neth- for our series would erlands. It was the day before her 30th birthday. have been her North Thanks to the efforts of MGS Artistic Director American debut. The Joe Hagedorn and U of MN professor Maja day before her death, Radovanlija, we have organized a concert to pay she had learned that tribute to Vlaškalić and also celebrate the strong she had been selected to community of Serbian-born classical guitarists. give a concert at the This concert will take place on March 17th at 3 pm, 2020 Guitar Founda- at Sundin Music Hall. Anyone already holding a tion of America annual convention. She performed ticket for the original March 23rd concert is wel- throughout Europe, Asia, and Latin America, won over come to use that. Tickets for the tribute concert 10 special and 25 first prizes in various competitions, are available through our website. made TV and radio appearances in Norway, The Neth- Performing at the concert will be Aleksandar erlands, Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Hadži-Đorđević, who was one of Vlaškalić’s first Macedonia, and was professor of classical guitar at teachers, as well as Maja Radovanlija and four cur- Prince Claus Conservatoire (Hanze University) in rent U of MN graduate guitar students—Momčilo Groningen, The Netherlands. Aleksandrić, Nikola Korovljev, Milena Petković, and Filip Živanović. All are natives of Serbia. Sunday March 17th, 3:00 pm Aleksandar Hadži-Đorđević was born in Bel- Sundin Music Hall grade, Serbia. He made his debut in 1980 at the age of on the campus of Hamline University, St. Paul 16, performing Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Performing will be Aleksandar Hadži-Đorđević, Aranjuez with the Zagreb Symphonists and Uroš Lajovic at the Lisinski Concert Hall. In 1984, he won Maja Radovanlija, Milena Petković, Momčilo first place at the Inter- Aleksandrić, Filip Živanović, Nikola Korovljev. national Guitar Com- Tickets available online through our website petition in Kutná Hora, or call our reservation line 612 7677 1151. Czech Republic. He studied guitar at the General admission. Doors open at 2:30 pm. Academy of Perform- ing Arts in Prague with Prof. Štěpán Rak and Prof. Martin Also in this issue… Mysliveček, and he graduated with distinction in 1987. Upcoming Sundin Music Hall Concerts, page 3 Hadži-Đorđević’s prolific and versatile career has been Mid America Guitar Ensemble Festival, page 4 equally successful in two directions–as a guitar peda- gogue and as a concert performer. He has taught guitar Society News and Notes, page 5 at several schools of music in Belgrade. Many of his Showcase Series Concerts, pages 6 and 7 continued on page 2 SUNDIN HALL CONCERT SERIES Tribute Concert continued from page 1 pupils have won the highest prizes at guitar competitions. chamber musician in Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Macedo- Some are now accomplished artists and professors of guitar nia, Greece, Tunisia, Switzerland, and other European at universities in Europe and the US. countries. He is frequently invited to participate in juries at Serbi- Her interest in experimental and improvisational mu- an and international guitar and chamber music competi- sic grew at the same time as her interest in different ap- tions. He has been recognized for his pedagogical work by proaches within the classical guitar repertoire. She has ex- The Association of Music and Ballet Schools of Serbia, and plored a variety of ensemble settings and collaborative set- by the Assembly of the City of Belgrade. tings in which the guitar might find its place in improvised He has built a prominent career as a solo artist, per- pieces, ways of using “prepared” guitar, and offering a vari- forming in Serbia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, ety of sounds through extended techniques. Cyprus, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herze- More recently she has explored incorporating other govina. He is also well-known as a chamber musician, per- elements into improvised pieces, such as visual elements, forming in a duo with his colleague Srđan Tošić. object improvisation, and movement. She is a member of He received his PhD from the Faculty of Music in Bel- ISIM (International Society for Improvised Music) and col- grade in June 2015. He is Assistant Professor of Guitar at laborates with such improvisers/artists as Szilard Mezei University of Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Music. (Serbia/Hungary), Diane Willow, (Improvised Ecosystems project), Scott Currie (US), Michelle Kinney (US),Shahriar Maja Radovanlija was born in Belgrade, Serbia. As a Jamshidi, Alex Lubet (US), Phil Fried (US), and Manja child, she won several awards in music school festivals and Ristic (Serbia). competitions in the former Yugoslavia. During high school, As a graduate student (M.M. and D.M.) at Indiana Uni- she won second prize at the Petar Konjevic International versity (IU), she studied with Ernesto Bitetti. She also stud- Competition in Belgrade, performed her first solo recital, ied early music with lutenist Nigel North. She won second and took part in a classi- prize at the Latin-American music competition at IU in cal music show for Na- 2009 and was included on two compilation CDs produced tional Television of Ser- by the IU Latin-American Music Center. She has per- bia. In addition to clas- formed new music written for guitar by D. Freund and A. sical repertoire, she was Travors as a duo and has collaborated with numerous com- strongly attracted to jazz position students of the IU Jacobs School of Music. Since and participated in sev- 2011 she has been on the faculty of the University of Min- eral annual workshops nesota and a member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. called Classical Musi- In addition to Aleksandar Hadži-Đorđević, and Maja cians Play Jazz led by Radovanlija, the concert will feature four outstanding bassist Vojin Draskoci. younger members of the classical guitar community— Ever since, she has in- Momčilo Aleksandrić, Nikola Korovljev, Milena corporated improvisa- Petković, and Filip Živanović—who are completing tion in her musical experience, mostly through playing with their graduate studies at the U of MN. All four have a variety of small and chamber ensembles. She completed also graciously agreed to perform for the MGS at our her bachelor’s degree at the University of Belgrade as a stu- Showcase Series concerts later this spring. Please turn dent of Prof. Srđan Tošić. While studying with Prof. Tošić, to pages 6 and 7 of this issue for more information she won first prize at the International Competition in about them. Kjustendil, Bulgaria and performed frequently as solo and Tribute Concert continued on page 3 MGS BOARD OF DIRECTORS NEWSLETTER Officers Production Editor Paul Hintz Copyeditor President Joe Haus Annett Richter Fox Ridge Printing Vice-President Joanne Backer Treasurer Doug Whorton WEBSITE Design and Maintenance Ann Wempner Secretary Christopher Olson Artistic Director Joe Hagedorn SOCIAL MEDIA Manager Daniel Volovets Managing Director Paul Hintz Guitar In Our Schools Members Program Coordinator Milena Petković Annett Richter Dan Lehn Jerry Bannach Mary Ellison OpenStage Coordinator and Tech Guru Mark Bussey 2 g u I t a r I s t SUNDIN HALL CONCERT SERIES Tribute Concert continued from page 2 Classical Guitarist Concert Program for March 17 Celil Refik Kaya Maja Radovanlija and Milena Petković Saturday “Vision” from Two Russian Pieces, by Konstantin Vassiliev April 27th, 7:30 pm Filip Živanović Our April artist is indeed an emerging star. Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Celil Fantasy on Two Motifs from Bellini’s Norma, by Napoleon Coste Refik Kaya’s interest in classical guitar began at the age of six, with lessons Momčilo Aleksandrić from his father, Dr. Mehmet Refik Ricercare from La Compagna, Kaya. At 19, he earned a bachelor's by Francesco Canova da Milano degree from the Mimar Sinan Fine Two Movements from Sonata for Guitar, op. 47, Arts University State Conservatory in Istanbul, and won a by Alberto Ginastera scholarship from the Turkish Educational Foundation. He III. Canto IV. Finale also studied composition with the famous Turkish compos- er Mehmet Nemutlu. Kaya then pursued a master's degree Nikola Korovljev at Mannes College, The New School For Music as a full- Three Catalan Folksongs, by Miguel Llobet scholarship student, where he studied with Michael New- Invierno Porteno, by Astor Piazzolla man and Sharon Isbin. He also studied composing, arrang- Belgrade Guitar Quartet ing, and transcribing with Frederic Hand. He is only the (Milena Petković, Filip Živanović, third recipient of Harvard’s prestigious Dumbarton Oaks— Momčilo Aleksandrić, and Nikola Korovljev) Early Career Musician Fellowship. He holds the Harrington Proseta se Jovka Kumanovka, by Maja Radovanlija Fellowship at The University of Texas at Austin, studying under guitarist Adam Holzman. —Intermission— Since his concert debut as a child, Kaya has received Aleksandar Hadži-Đorđević high praise and many awards. In 2012, he was the youngest first prize winner ever in the JoAnn Falletta International Ouverture, by Johann Anton Logy (1650–1721) Guitar Concerto Competition with the Buffalo Philharmoni.