The Gomirje Accordion Mundial international accordion festival is an event that highlights the rich cultural heritage of the Gomirje Neighbourhood in Gorski Kotar by placing it in the wider context of the European and global music scenes, using the accordion as a conduit for presenting various cultures and musical styles. It connects cultures and traditions with music and puts Gomirje on the map of promoters of world music and the accordion as an instrument.

The introduction of the GreenWise People organisation, a European Neighbourhood from the United Kingdom, has been adapted for the Covid-19 outbreak as their visit to Gomirje has been postponed until further notice.

Artists: Marko Hatlak (SLO), Marta Beljan (HR), Zoran Majstorović (HR), Giampaolo Mrach Trio (IT/HR), Musical Meetings of Gorski Kotar Association, Bojan Stipanović (HR), Milenko Bujdo (HR), Valentino Pribanić (HR), and participants of the Masterclass.

PRE-PROGRAMME
Friday 21 August 2020

Masterclass – Maestro Marko Hatlak (SLO)
Location: House of Culture
Time: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Note: Masterclass applications should be submitted to gomirjeusrcu1599@gmail.com.
The maximum number of participants is 15. The deadline for submitting applications is 19 August 2020.

Living Room
Location: House of Culture
Time: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
European Neighbourhood presentation – Introduction of the GreenWise People organisation, a European Neighbourhood from the United Kingdom, which is adding a new feature to the Gomirje Neighbourhood programme – the Forest School for Children and Adults. The goal is to get to know each other and nature, as well as to spend less time in front of the TV. The presentation has been adapted for the Covid-19 outbreak as this European neighbour’s visit has been postponed until further notice.

 

PROGRAMME – Day 1
Friday 21 August 2020 at 6 p.m.
Location: Courtyard of the Monastery and Church of St. John the Baptist, Gomirje
Time: 6 p.m.

Opening ceremony – Protocol and handover of the time capsule from the Gornji Kuti Neighbourhood
The programme will be opened by representatives of the Gomirje team and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the City of Rijeka, and Rijeka 2020.
Programme host: Lela Vujanić, member of the Gomirje Accordion Mundial Arts Council

Introduction to classic accordion
Time: 6.10 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.
Opening performance – Marta Beljan (HR)
Accordion concerto – Marko Hatlak (SLO)

 

PROGRAMME – Day 2
Saturday 22 August 2020
Location:  Stadium (House of Culture in the event of rain)
Visiting Heligonka Accordions (HR) Musical Meetings of Gorski Kotar Association
Time: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Accordion concerto Giampaolo Mrach Trio (IT/HR)
Giampaolo Mrach (accordion), Alessandro Scolz (piano), Zoran Majstorović (guitar)
Time: 8 p.m. – 9.30 p.m.
Open stage: Gomirje accordion players – Bojan Stipanović, Milenko Bujdo, Valentino Pribanić
Time: 9.30 p.m. – 10.30 p.m.

 

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS AND PARTNERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT:

Marko Hatlak (SLO)
This Slovene accordion player started playing the accordion at the Primary Music School in Idria at the age of six and then continued his education at the Secondary Music School in Ljubljana. He subsequently studied at the prestigious German academies in Weimar and Wuerzburg, earning a master’s degree from the latter under the renowned Professor Stefan Hussong. His concert history includes performances at concerts all over the world, performing a medley of various genres ranging from tango and ethnic music to Baroque and contemporary classical music. He has played with some of the most famous orchestras in the world, such as the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, the En Shao Orchestra, and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, and with many world-renowned musicians, such as Tommy Emannuel, Stefan Milenkovich, Neil Innes, Vlatko Stefanovski, Una Palliser, and more.

Zoran Majstorović (HR)
Majstorović is a jazz musician, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer. Over the past 20 years, he has recorded numerous albums and compilations in a variety of musical genres, published books on transcription and played a plethora of jazz and ethnic music festivals across the globe. Majstorović’s enduring passion is connecting jazz with various forms of ethnic music and, through his collaboration with the Porto Etno Festival, he formed the fluid Porto Etno Orchestra, with which he performed at the Gomirje Accordion Mundial in 2019.

Majstorović was awarded a master’s degree, with the top grade, by the Jazz Department of the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory in Trieste (Italy), and he has had the opportunity to record or perform with many world-famous jazz and ethnic musicians, along with Croatian jazz and ethnic musicians. He is also an experienced arranger in the field of jazz, ethnic, and improvised music and has written music for many Croatian and foreign orchestras and smaller ensembles, as well as for his own ensembles “Atma Mundi Ensemble” and “ZM Loose Trio”. He has won multiple awards, including the “Status” award for the most prominent Croatian ethno-instrumentalist, the “Damir Dičić” award for the most prominent Croatian jazz guitarist, and the “Miroslav Sedak Benčić” award for the most prominent Croatian jazz composer. He is also a recipient of the Porin Award and a member of the Croatian Freelance Artists Association.

Giampaolo Mrach
Mrach was born in Gorizia, Italy, in 1967. After studying the accordion within classical music, he developed an interest in blues and jazz and continued his studies under the renowned Italian pianist Glauco Venier. Some of his most coveted awards include being the overall winner of the international Alpe Adria competition and placing second (first place was not given) at the most acclaimed global accordion competition in Castelfidardo, Italy, the accordion capital of the world. In addition to Italy, he frequently performs across Europe, either as a soloist or guest in a variety of jazz big bands and orchestras, and is especially known for his virtuoso renditions of the works of Charlie Parker, one of the greatest jazz musicians in history. Besides holding concerts, he also writes scores for theatre and film.

Marta Beljan (HR)
Beljan was born in Rijeka in 2006. At seven years old, she enrolled in the Ivo Tijardović Primary Music School in Delnice under Professor Mija Ćojbašić. After two years in Delnice, she entered year three at the Ivan Matetić Ronjgov Music School in Rijeka under the same teacher and since year five she has been taught by Volodimir Balyk, a well-known Croatian accordion player of Ukrainian origin.

She has completed six years of music school and is a pupil at the Ivan Goran Kovačić Primary School in Delnice, where she recently finished year seven.

She regularly performs at school recitals, the Marble Hall of the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral, and all the major festivities in the town of Delnice and has swept prizes in national and international competitions in Croatia and abroad.

ABOUT THE LOCATION
Located in Gomirje is the westernmost monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Europe, which also includes the Church of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. The monastery was officially established in 1600, while the construction of the present-day church commenced in 1719.