MAČEK, IVO (1914–2002)

A pianist of fiery energy and captivating performing style inspired by the legendary piano traditions of the early 20th century, Goran Filipec (Rijeka, 1981) is acclaimed by critics from Argentina to New York and London for his “poetic, brilliant and refined performances”. Primarily renowned as a remarkable Lisztian, Goran Filipec endeavours in the domain of musical interpretation consist primarily of the perpetual rediscovery of emotional values of the music in question, and its relative subtraction from historicisation. Starting from this point, Filipec creates vibrant audible representations of the interpreted music in the spirit of the so-called "grand style," which occasionally unites interpretation and arrangement.

Among the artists who were to make their mark on the music scene in Yugoslavia during the mid-twentieth century, Ivo Macek occupies a significant place. Born in Sušak (now Croatia) on 24 March 1914, he trained at the Classical Gymnasium and also at the Music Academy in Zagreb. After graduation in 1934, he studied piano with Svetislav Stancic in Zagreb and composition with Jean Roger-Ducasse in Paris. Having taught at the Lisinki Music School in Zagreb and also holding the post of secretary at the Zagreb Opera, he quickly established himself as a pianist both in concert and in recital, giving performances across Yugoslavia and abroad—appearing with various established artists (such as the cellist Antonio Janigro and the cellist and conductor Enrico Mainardi) then, along with the cellist Mirko Dorner, winning the International Competition for Duo Performance at Vercelli in 1952. He had been the recipient of of a federal Government Award in 1948 and went on to win the Milka Trnina Award for concert performance in 1957–8, underlining his success both as performer and pedagogue.