Ivan Božičević

Ivan Božičević (born 1961) is a Croatian composer, pianist, organist and jazz musician.

Biography
Božičević was born in Belgrade. After initial piano studies,he joined the composition class of A. Obradović at the Belgrade Faculty of Music. He graduated in 1984, earning a Master's degree in 1989. Until 2001 he occupied a teaching post for Harmony, Counterpoint and Analysis there and at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. Since December 2001 he has lived and worked in Split, Croatia, as a free-lance artist.

From 1984 to 1988 he studied organ at the Hochschule für Musik in Frankfurt with the renowned professor Edgar Krapp. His work encompasses a broad repertoire, with special emphasis on baroque and modern music. Specializes early organ music in Salamanca (with Guy Bovet and Montserrat Torrent). Gives many successful concerts in Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

His creative output encompasses three symphonies, orchestral, chamber, choir and soloistic works, as well as electronic compositions and jazz music. He received numerous composition awards, and his works are frequently played on radio, TV and concerts (performances in Croatia, Germany, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States).

After moving to Split, he widens his music activity to include organ and piano playing, composing, arranging and theatre music. His collaborations include top Croatian jazz and pop musicians (Dražen Bogdanović, Tedi Spalato, Hari Rončević) as well as Dalmatian klapa ensembles («Cambi»). Božičević runs a jazz-band called SplitMinders, whose repertoire is based on originals and arrangements of dalmatian folk songs. He also works with Partet, (jazz standards, blues and bossa-nova) and a fusion band "Waveform". Božičević is a founding member of the Split society for contemporary music ("Splithesis", 2008).

Awards and recognitions
Awards that Božičević has received for his compositions include: Stevan Hristić Award, Silver Medal of the Belgrade University of Arts (Serbia); Mandolina Imota, Cro Patria Golden Cathedral, Hrvatski sabor kulture (Croatia); CEC Artslink Fellowship Award, Garth Newel Award, Aliénor Award (United States); Anton Stadler Award (United Kingdom); Prague Philharmonic Choir Composition Award (Czech Republic).

Selection of works
Symphony orchestra:


 * Music for big orchestra (1983)
 * Essercizi sinfonici (1986)
 * Five haiku after Bashô (1989)

Chamber ensembles:


 * Sonata (1981) for violin and piano
 * Three ‘female’ songs (1981) for soprano voice and piano
 * Pathways (1982) for string quartet
 * Rivers, like in a dream (1983) for bass-clarinet and organ
 * Play E.S. (1983) for two women's voices, bass-clarinet, piano, organ, synthesizer and percussion
 * Essercizi da camera (1985) for 13 string players
 * Chamber Music (1986) for soprano voice, violoncello and piano (poetry of J. Joyce, in English)
 * Mandorle dolce, mandorle amare (1999) for mandolin orchestra
 * Marittimo (2006) for oboe, piano and string orchestra; version for soprano saxophone, piano and string quintet (2008); version for trumpet, piano and string quintet (2010)
 * Airborne (2007) for bas clarinet and string quartet (or string orchestra); version for clarinet and string quartet (2008)
 * Pebbles (2008) for flute, oboe, double-bass and piano
 * Cascades classiques (2008) for string orchestra
 * Canto de la ave rapiega (2009) for violoncello and piano; version for bass clarinet and piano, version for bass clarinet and organ (2012)
 * A thousand pines, one Moon (2009) for chamber ensemble; version for two pianos (2012)
 * Lamento (2009) for alto flute and organ
 * Tracing (2010) for one harmony and three melody instruments
 * Sustainable development (2010) for chamber ensemble
 * Raven's Pass (2010) for basset clarinet and piano
 * Monkey Face (2010) for violin, viola, cello and piano
 * Spring passes (2011) for piano four-hands and string quintet
 * Alienor Courante (2011) for soprano (or choir), cello (or gamba) and harpsichord
 * Ascent to the Cold Mountain (2012) for string quartet

Solo keyboard instruments:


 * Five haiku after Bashô (1987) for organ
 * Sotto voce (1994/2008) for piano
 * Behind the cloud (1996) for organ
 * Microgrooves (2011) for harpsichord

Computer-controlled electronics:


 * Senecio / Astrolabe (1992)
 * Sanza (1992)
 * Isle of voices (1992), cycle of 6 pieces
 * Moon's turning point (1993)
 * Intelligence of the heart (1994)

Choral music:


 * Good Shepherd (2000), for women's choir and piano
 * Sundial (2003), for women's choir, percussion and piano
 * Veronica (2004), for women's choir and piano
 * The Everlasting Voices (2010), for women's choir; version for mixed choir (2010)

Theoretical:


 * Technique and structure of fugue in organ works of D. Buxtehude (1995), dissertation paper
 * Introduction to Renaissance and Baroque ornamentation (1998)