CHORAL ART IN MACEDONIA THROUGH THE ACTIVITY OF TWO

CHORAL CONDUCTORS

PhD prof.Stefanija Leshkova-Zelenkovska

PhD prof.Aida Islam

The art of choral conducting

long tradition in the Republic of Macedonia,

the evolutionary path starts at the beginning of the XIX century,

the establishment of the first church choirs,

in the second half of XIX century, the activity of the first school and city music societies represent the core of the overall music life.

The art of choral conducting

Many individuals deserve credit for that, The prominent place is for the composer

and choir conductor Atanas Badev (1860-1908),

Studied music in Moscow, St.Peterburg,under the influence of N.R.Korsakov,

Choral adaptations of folk and children’s song,

The Liturgyof st. John Chrysostom.

The art of choral conducting

In the XX century the number of choirs increases,

Especially between the two world wars, mainly because of the possibility to perform harmonized Macedonian folk songs,

Singing on native language, which is banned in other spheres of public life

The rise of choiral art works

The first generation of educated musicians composers

Also as choral conductors: Stefan Gajdov, Trajko Prokopiev, Todor Skalovski,

Their choral works inspired by the treasury of folk melody, and contribute in the prosperity of Macedonian music culture,

After the Second world war initiate forming of the first professional choirs,

The chorus of Radio Skopje, (1946), as a driving power for the development and promoting of the choral works.

The choral conducting art

Continues through the work of professional choral conductors educated in the surrounding music centers,

The most distinguished place is reserved for Dragan Shuplevski,

The establishment of the Faculty of Music Art (1966), sets up and runs choral conductor school,

Todays declining interest in choral perfoming art in our environment.

Portray of two choir conductors

The only active profesional conductors Ivica Zoric and Saso Tatarchevski

Through the professional approach and enthusiasm they succeed in continuing the several decades of choral tradition with the choral practice and pedagogy.

Ivica Zorik (1948-) Graduated 1973 at the Faculty of Music in Skopje, Well known for the continuty of working with the children choir “Lale”

(1977) and the youth choir “Menada” (1981) until today,

Working as a professor of choral conducting, Organized over 1000 concerts with many musicians, President of the International choir festival “Teho”,

The choir repertoire included works of diferent styles and always choral works of macedonian composers,

Many domestic and international awards.

Sasho Tatarchevski (1972-)

Graduated choir conducting in 1996, In 2004 became master of symphonic conducting, In the mean time performed with the academic choir and the

chamber orchestra “soloists of the Faculty” , Between 1996 and 2001 worked with the Chamber orchestra

from Bitola and enesmble “Alea”, Between 2001 and 2008 conduct Mandolin orchestra of the

Youth ceneter in Skopje, In 2011 forming the professional chamber choir “Pro-Ars” , Since 2006 works as professor at the Faculty of Music in

Skopje, choral conducting, First award CUM LAUDE in Belgium (2003), Warsaw (2009),

Second Prize Turkey (2004), Bulgaria(2008 и 2009). Special award form the International competition in Prague

(2006)