Celebrating Josip Štolcer Slavenski

Avantgarde composer, forever enamoured with the Balkans

the Slavenski Project has been researching the life and work of Josip Štolcer Slavenski, one of the most important and original Yugoslav avant-garde composers of the 20ieth century.

The current perception of Slavenski’s impressive work by the successor states of the former Yugoslavia fascinates and spurs research. Where other nations would praise a master artist like Slavenski, little attention is paid to him in Ex-Yu countries, where he is hardly known by anyone.

123 Sla Ven Ski, Ostavinska, Belgrade, 2019

Slavenski left an extensive opus behind which includes all the genres except opera and ballet. His most notable performances include orchestral works such as Balkanophonia (1927), Chaos (1932), Sinfonia Orienta (1934), Four Balkan Games (1938), Symphony Epos (1941-1945), Songs of my Mother (1944), Slavic sonata (1924), From the village (1925), Sonata religiosa (1925), as well as many other achievements for various instrumental and volleys.

After his death in 1955 there were attempts to revive his work, but they never reached the level Slavenski deserved. Most of these remained on a local level. With the bloody disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Slavenski was eventually forgotten, if not consciously ignored.

Because a man born in today's Croatia, who supported the empantipation and unification of the South Slav peoples in the beginning of the 20ieth century, who spent most of his life in today's Serbia, did not fit into the concept of the newly formed states.

This dilemma of the forgotten maestro further deepened the intrigue, fueling the development of an ongoing project.

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

The research began in 2016 in Slavenski’s hometown of Čakovec, where access was granted to a significant collection of his works at the Međimurje County Museum. Later, contact was made with SOKOJ, the Serbian Music Association in Belgrade, which preserves and manages Slavenski’s entire legacy. To honor the composer, an annual event was initiated on May 11th, celebrating Slavenski’s birthday.

Be it an exhibition, workshop, concert, or online manifest, a new approach is taken each year to present a work on that date inspired by Slavenski.

Accordingly, involving people from the fields of art and music is essential to the project. Collaboration with museums, music schools, musicians, events, musicologists, galleries, and artists plays a key role in its development.

List of collaborators, participants, helpers, supporters, etc.:

Aleksandar Todorović, Maša Hrustek Sobočan, Ana Kotevska, Stefan Jovanović, Marija Knežević, Ivana Vukobrad, Marià amb accent, Susanna Hofer, Collective Petar Drapšin, Palmas Galerija, Rea Terzin, Ostavinska Galerija Beograd, Luka Knežević Strika, Međimurje County Museum, Serbian Music Author’s Organisation (SOKOJ), Galerie Neun Görlitz, Jana Lübeck, Romy Schmidt, This is Badland Magazine, …

Celebrating Josip Štolcer Slavenski

Avantgarde composer, forever enamoured with the Balkans

the Slavenski Project has been researching the life and work of Josip Štolcer Slavenski, one of the most important and original Yugoslav avant-garde composers of the 20ieth century.

After his death in 1955 there were attempts to revive his work, but they never reached the level Slavenski deserved. Most of these remained on a local level. With the bloody disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Slavenski was eventually forgotten, if not consciously ignored.

Because a man born in today's Croatia, who supported the empantipation and unification of the South Slav peoples in the beginning of the 20ieth century, who spent most of his life in today's Serbia, did not fit into the concept of the newly formed states.

This dilemma of the forgotten maestro further deepened the intrigue, fueling the development of an ongoing project.

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Be it an exhibition, workshop, concert, or online manifest, a new approach is taken each year to present a work on that date inspired by Slavenski.

Accordingly, involving people from the fields of art and music is essential to the project. Collaboration with museums, music schools, musicians, events, musicologists, galleries, and artists plays a key role in its development.

List of collaborators, participants, helpers, supporters, etc.:

Aleksandar Todorović, Maša Hrustek Sobočan, Ana Kotevska, Stefan Jovanović, Marija Knežević, Ivana Vukobrad, Marià amb accent, Susanna Hofer, Collective Petar Drapšin, Palmas Galerija, Rea Terzin, Ostavinska Galerija Beograd, Luka Knežević Strika, Međimurje County Museum, Serbian Music Author’s Organisation (SOKOJ), Galerie Neun Görlitz, Jana Lübeck, Romy Schmidt, This is Badland Magazine, …

Avantgarde com­po­ser, for­ever en­amoured with the Balkans

123 Sla Ven Ski, Ostavinska, Belgrade, 2019

After his death in 1955 there were attempts to revive his work, but they never reached the level Slavenski deserved. Most of these remained on a local level. With the bloody dis­in­te­gra­tion of Yugo­slavia in the 1990s, Slavenski was even­­tually for­gotten, if not con­sciously ignored.

Because a man born in today's Croatia, who supported the empan­ti­pation and uni­fi­cation of the South Slav peoples in the begin­ning of the 20ieth century, who spent most of his life in today's Serbia, did not fit into the con­cept of the newly formed states.

This dilemma of the forgotten maestro further deepened the intrigue, fueling the development of an ongoing project.

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Be it an exhibition, workshop, concert, or online manifest, a new approach is taken each year to present a work on that date inspired by Slavenski.

Accordingly, involving people from the fields of art and music is essential to the project. Collaboration with museums, music schools, musicians, events, musicologists, galleries, and artists plays a key role in its development.

Avantgarde com­po­ser, for­ever en­amoured with the Balkans

After his death in 1955 there were attempts to revive his work, but they never reached the level Slavenski deserved. Most of these remained on a local level. With the bloody dis­in­te­gra­tion of Yugo­slavia in the 1990s, Slavenski was even­­tually for­gotten, if not con­sciously ignored.

Because a man born in today's Croatia, who supported the empan­ti­pation and uni­fi­cation of the South Slav peoples in the begin­ning of the 20ieth century, who spent most of his life in today's Serbia, did not fit into the con­cept of the newly formed states.

This dilemma of the forgotten maestro further deepened the intrigue, fueling the development of an ongoing project.

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Celebrating Slavenski’s 123rd birthday at Ostavisnka Gallery, Belgrade, 2019

Be it an exhibition, workshop, concert, or online manifest, a new approach is taken each year to present a work on that date inspired by Slavenski.

Accordingly, involving people from the fields of art and music is essential to the project. Collaboration with museums, music schools, musicians, events, musicologists, galleries, and artists plays a key role in its development.

Avantgarde composer, forever enamoured with the Balkans

After his death in 1955 there were attempts to revive his work, but they never reached the level Slavenski deserved. Most of these remained on a local level. With the bloody disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Slavenski was eventually forgotten, if not consciously ignored.

Because a man born in today's Croatia, who supported the empantipation and unification of the South Slav peoples in the beginning of the 20ieth century, who spent most of his life in today's Serbia, did not fit into the concept of the newly formed states.

Avantgarde composer, forever enamoured with the Balkans

After his death in 1955 there were attempts to revive his work, but they never reached the level Slavenski deserved. Most of these remained on a local level. With the bloody disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Slavenski was eventually forgotten, if not consciously ignored.

Because a man born in today's Croatia, who supported the empantipation and unification of the South Slav peoples in the beginning of the 20ieth century, who spent most of his life in today's Serbia, did not fit into the concept of the newly formed states.