Our program will include:

Gerard Brophy: We Bop, for clarinet and vibraphone

Carl Maria von Weber: Concertino for clarinet, op.26

Claude Debussy: Première Rhapsodie

Deni Pjanić: In the Clouds *premiere

Aaron Copland: Clarinet Concerto

Gerard Brophy (1953) has long been a respected figure in Australian music, and a number of his works have penetrated the international music scene. His works are commissioned and performed by the most distinguished soloists, orchestras throughout Australia, Asia and Europe, as well as contemporary music ensembles such as Icebraker, Nash Ensemble, ASKO, Nieuw Ensemble and many others. The composer draws inspiration from his surroundings as well as from the indigenous musical cultures of Australia, Africa and Bali, and often finds inspiration in the musicians themselves, with a particular affinity for dance and theatre. His short composition We Bop, written in 1995, is a rhythmic play of saxophone and vibraphone, based on figures of strong intensity that come from bebop jazz that originated in Kansas City in the 40s, characterized by a brisk tempo and strong, catchy riffs.

Throughout history, there have been many cases where the exceptional skill of individual singers or instrumentalists has inspired composers to create works that reflect the technical skills, tonal quality, or breadth of imagination and expressiveness of the performers. The close friendship between Carl Maria von Weber (1786 - 1826) and Heinrich Baermann, one of the finest clarinetists of his time, for whom Weber composed a series of six works, began in Munich in 1811 when Weber was preparing a concert of his works there. The first work that Weber composed for him in a short period of time was Concertmaster for clarinet, op. 26, which Baermann played at that concert. Baermann had shortly before taken up the position of principal clarinetist in the court orchestra of King Maximilian I, who was impressed by the short Concertina, immediately commissioned two new clarinet concertos from Weber, which were also composed in 1811. Baermann played on a new and improved type of clarinet, which gave him greater possibilities for fast passages, chromatic scales, and a stronger tone. Weber makes great use of this in his works, demanding great virtuosity, but never at the expense of the poetic nature of his music. The vocal style he developed while writing operas (five of which have survived) influenced the noble melodies of his clarinet compositions. Concertmaster is composed in one movement in the form of a theme with variations. It begins with a slow introduction in C minor, followed by a romantic theme, which turns from the minor to E flat major at the very end. And in the contrasting variations that follow, the mood fluctuates between excited and cheerful and melancholic, leading to a spirited and lively finale in which the clarinetist can give free rein to his virtuosity.

His special sensibility for instrumental colors Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) developed it in a unique way in his orchestral, chamber and operatic works, which is why he has been called an impressionist. Although he did not approve of this epithet, Debussy's palette was based on principles outside classical harmony, such as whole-tone and exotic scales and medieval modes that he uses in an inextricable connection with tonality. He is equally innovative in the areas of rhythm, style, musical form, and a special chapter of his innovation is orchestral sound, color and dynamics. The diversity and nuance of his palette found in the orchestra has a counterpart when he uses solo instruments - color and nuances of dynamics are what he explores in First Rhapsody (First Rhapsody for Clarinet), written in late 1909 and early 1910 and dedicated to the clarinet professor at the Paris Conservatory, Prosper Mimart. Although seemingly technically undemanding, the work demands perfect mastery of the instrument: the entire palette of the instrument's colors is indicated in Debussy's score, starting with Dreamily slow (slowly as in a dream), after which a soft flow begins, with a series of nuances and different instructions, which guide the clarinetist in creating a special atmosphere in which the clarinet becomes the character of various small episodes, from dreamy, Arcadian to playful, spirited or sometimes just a little agitated and dramatic. Original Rhapsody was written for clarinet and piano and premiered during the Paris Conservatory exams in June 1910, and was later orchestrated by Debussy, after its official premiere with Prosper Mimart in 1911.

Saxophonist and composer Deni Pjanic (1990, Split) has established himself with a series of compositions that have won various awards and recognitions at national and international competitions. After primary and secondary education in Bihać, Karlovac and Zagreb, he completed his music pedagogy and received his master's degree in saxophone in the class of Gordan Tudor at the Split UMAS, where he is also a member of the S/UMAS ensemble. He works as a saxophone professor at the Petar Kanavelić Elementary School in Korčula, and is a member of the ENDeM saxophone quartet. "The composition In the cloud is dedicated to Ivana and Marin. In the first part, tone by tone, noise by noise, the listener can imagine himself among a handful of small clouds that are being formed. The second part shows the merging of the clouds into one large one, while atypical rhythmic figures create the feeling of the movement of the clouds driven by the wind. In the third part, the cloud becomes dense, heavy, full of charge, and lightning and thunder appear. The very end brings calm and the disappearance of the clouds. All that remains is the wind with the thought that after every storm comes the sun."

One of the most popular concertos in clarinet literature is the dazzling Aaron Copland Clarinet Concerto (1900-1990). This American composer, the creator of one of the most significant oeuvres in American music, wrote his Clarinet Concerto at the request of Benny Goodman, a top jazz clarinetist who was called the "King of Swing". Shortly after writing his Third Symphony in 1947, Benny Goodman commissioned the concerto from Copland, who was teaching in Rio de Janeiro at the time. There he made the first sketches of the composition, and completed it a year later, in December 1948. According to Benny Goodman, he gave Copland no instructions or requests. "The composer was completely free to write whatever he wanted, the only condition I made was that I be the only one to play it within two years of its creation. I paid two thousand dollars, which is serious money. At that time, there weren't many American composers available... We never had any major problems, except for one little argument about the place before the cadenza where he wrote a repetition of a phrase. I was a little bothered by leaving it out—it was where the viola was supposed to be echoing, to give the clarinet a cue to enter. But I think Aaron left it out in the end... Aaron and I performed the concerto several times with him conducting, and we made two recordings." Benny Goodman premiered the concerto in November 1950, after which the piece quickly entered the repertoire. The piece is rich in jazz elements, in two movements connected by a clarinet cadenza. The first movement is slow and full of "bittersweet lyricism", as the composer himself described it, and the second movement, in the form of a rondo, is full of Latin American jazz themes, which the clarinet introduces already in the cadenza. The composition ends with an elaborate coda in C major, ending with an effective clarinet glissando - that is smear, as Copland himself explained it, borrowing the term from jazz.

Ivana Bandalo Benzon is a Croatian clarinetist, pedagogue and performer, recognized for her contribution to classical and contemporary music.

She began her musical education at the POGŠ Fra Bernardin Sokola in Kaštel Lukšić, and continued at the SGŠ Josip Hatze in Split, in the class of Prof. Dragan Čolić. She enrolled in the clarinet studies at the Academy of Arts, University of Split, where she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in the class of Prof. Željko Milić. She continued her training in chamber music in the academic year 2018/2019 at the Kunstuniversität Graz under the mentorship of Prof. Petrit Çeku.

During her career, she has performed as a soloist and as a member of various ensembles at numerous festivals, including: Zagreb Music Biennale, International Clarinet Association Festival, SineLinea Experimental Music Festival, Hvar Summer Festival, Izlog suvremenog zvuka, Music Sandbox, Čari klassike glazbe, Split Clarinet Festival, Novas Frequências and others.

As bass clarinetist of the contemporary music ensemble S/UMAS, she has premiered a large number of compositions by contemporary authors. In addition to ensemble premieres, notable performances include: RigVeda for bass clarinet and electronics (Ivan Božičević), Closed door for solo clarinet (Deni Pjanić), I Wanna Blue for solo bass clarinet (Željko Milić), Soliloquy for clarinet, saxophone and violin (Stefan Hejdrowski) and Three Fences Over Time (Marcioz).

He conducts contemporary music workshops for children, both independently and with the S/UMAS ensemble, including programs within the Zagreb Music Biennial, the Showcase of Contemporary Sound, the Sinj String Festival, and workshops within the Creative Laboratory of the Croatian Home in Split.

As a composer of dance music, she has collaborated on several performances, including There is something that makes me happy. (in collaboration with Kristina Lovrić and Karolina Šuša), Consonances i Non-place of embodiment (in collaboration with Katja Grcić and Roberta Mileva). Music from the plays, created in collaboration with KinKin studio, is included in educational materials for elementary schools.

She is a member of the duo Diviant, together with guitarist Antonija Škorput Slišković. Their concert program has been selected for the International Clarinet Association Festival 2021.

She participated in numerous international and national competitions, where she achieved notable results, winning First Prize at the IMKA Classical Music Competition and Concert Series for her graduation concert recording, Third and Second Prizes at the International Woodwind and Brass Competition, and was a semi-finalist at the 7th Croatian Competition for Young Musicians Papandopulo.

In 2021, she was selected as one of 25 participants in the prestigious OneBeat international music residency, out of more than 600 applicants from around the world. She received the Rector's Award for her contribution to the arts.

For eight years she worked as an associate and assistant to Prof. Željko Milić at the Academy of Arts in Split, where, in addition to teaching, she actively participated in the organization of numerous seminars and musical events. Of particular note are the two editions of the Split Clarinet Festival, dedicated to the promotion of Croatian authors and performers.

Ivana Bandalo Benzon currently works as the first clarinetist in the orchestra of the Croatian National Theatre Split.

Giacomo Ferrari was born in Milan in 1985. He showed an interest in music very early on and began learning the piano at the age of six.

He completed his undergraduate studies in piano with the highest marks at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan in 2006 in the class of Prof. Daniele Lombardi. During his studies, he also attended a three-year harpsichord course in the class of Prof. Ruggero Laganà.

He completed his graduate studies in piano (major: chamber music) in 2008 with excellent results and obtained the title of Master of Piano. Driven by broader musical interests, he also studied jazz music for two years at the Civico Corso di Jazz under the guidance of Prof. Mario Rusco.

In 2009, he took the entrance exam at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he was accepted as a scholarship holder.

From 2014 to 2022, he worked as an accompanist at the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan.

In 2019, he was hired as one of the official accompanists at the Società Umanitaria International Competition, and since 2022, he has been regularly collaborating as an accompanist at the Città di Palmanova International Competition.

From 2013 to 2022, he taught piano at the Ricordi Music School in Milan, and from 2017 to 2022, he also served as conductor of the mandolin orchestra Mandolinisti Bustesi.

As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Italy and abroad (Hungary, Slovakia, Montenegro, Greece, Poland).

In 2014, he performed at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw in a duo with mandolinist Raffaele La Ragione, with whom he released a CD in 2015. Neapolitan Serenade. Second common sound carrier, Margola – Music for Mandolin and Other Chamber Music, released in 2019 — both published by the Brilliant Classics record label.

He is currently employed as an accompanist at the Academy of Arts, University of Split.

Marino Repanić received his master's degree in percussion in 2024 in the class of prof. M.Sc. Davor Maraus at the Music Academy of the University of Sarajevo.

During his studies, he improved his skills on exchanges in Poland and Slovenia, where he attended classes with professor Jack Wota at the Academy of Music in Wroclaw and Simon Klavžar at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.

He has participated in numerous master classes with renowned world percussionists such as Gordon Stout, Rachel Xi Zhang, Paolo Cimmino, Tatiana Koleva, Ivana Bilić, Mathew Coley, Tchiki Duo, Slovenian Percussion Duo and Joakim Anterot.

In 2016, he won 2nd prize at the HDGPP regional competition in Croatia, while in 2017, at the "Art In" international competition in Skopje, he won 1st prize in the solo percussion category and 1st special prize in the chamber music category as a member of the PAMAS trio.

As a performer, he has participated in numerous projects and festivals, including: Philharmonic of the Future, Art Without Borders, The Art of Improvisation, SONEMUS Festival, Ivana Bilić Marimba Week, Split Summer, Sarajevo Music Evenings, Tour MAS 9/9, Vis Summer, Križevci Percussion Evenings, May Music Festival, Who Plays That, Sarajevo Street Festival, Savremenici, Vis Music Evenings and Kultura na ulice.

He is a member of the percussion ensemble PAMAS, with which he has performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia and Serbia.

He collaborates with numerous ensembles and orchestras, including: SONEMUS ensemble, Accordeus accordion quintet, Tritonus ensemble, Split Croatian National Theatre Opera orchestra, Mostar Symphony Orchestra, Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, Sarajevo National Theatre Opera, Sarajevo City Orchestra, Sanctus Domnio mandolin orchestra from Split, Athanor orchestra from Madrid, and the wind and symphony orchestras of the Ljubljana Academy of Music.

In the academic year 2021/2022. he held the position of president of the Association of Students of the Music Academy in Sarajevo, where he organized concerts and projects, and actively dealt with student issues and improving the quality of studies.

He currently works as a percussion teacher at the Josip Hatze Music School in Split.