J u l i j a   B a l

Komorni koncerti / Chamber Concerts
ERVIN  SCHLESINGER (1904-1965)

Koncert/Concert No.15

January, 16th , 2016,  7 PM
Subota/Saturday

Savion, Israel, 13 HaGiva St.

Leon Kajon clarinet
Julija Bal piano

Koncert se održava zahvaljujući dobroti g. Samuela Schlesingera
počasnog konzula Republike Hrvatske


PROGRAM:


Felix  Mendelssohn       SONATA for Clarinet &  Piano

Eugene Bozza          CLARIBEL for Clarinet &  Piano


PAUSE


Heitor Villa-Lobos / Julija Bal  CONCERT ETUDES for Piano

Zlatan  Vauda           SONATA BREVIS for Clarinet &  Piano

KLEZMER MUSIC

Leon Kajon – clarinet
Born in the city of Novi Sad in Serbia, (then The Federative Republic of Yugoslavia), in the year of 1985. At young age he showed special interest in music with the clarinet as the instrument of choice. As a student of the “Isidor Bajić“ School of Music, in the class of renowned professor Nikola Srdić, in his early school years shows exceptional talent.
During elementary and high school, his appearances at State and Federative level competitions bring him several first, special, and prizes of the audience. The City of Novi Sad Municipality grants him the “Novi Sad City Angel“ plaquet for special contribution to the culture and art, though naming him an “honorable citizen“.
During the four year basic academic program, at the “Academy of Arts“ in Novi Sad,
along high graded studying he attends master classes and courses in clarinet performance with many world known artists and professors, to name few, Michel Arrignon (France), Mate Bekavac (Slovenia), Jorje Montilla (Venezuela), Jože Kotar (Slovenia), Karel Dohnal (Czech Republic), Joszef Balogh (Hungary), Bela Kovacs (Hungary), Sylvie Hue (France),  Stephanie Zelnik (USA), alongside instrument performance he attended several courses, workshops and seminars in chamber and contemporary music. During his academic study years he performed at many occasions as a soloist in the „Academy Orchestra“, local festivals of different kinds, charity events, and regular “Student for students“ event at the academy.  As a member with different engagements (performer, soloist, event manager, teacher assistant) in the “Academy of Arts Clarinet Choir“ he reached great success with the ensemble. The choir was very active in the time performing on stages throughout the State, opening exhibitions, concert seasons on the biggest State stage, several tours, television and radio shows, charity events, benefit cocktails for different State organized events…The “Clarinet Choir” won special prize at the international “Woodwind chamber competition” in the town of Pančevo (Serbia), and a special prize for performing the piece exclusively written by a domestic composer for the ensemble. A CD recording was made live in the production of National Television of a performance at the Novi Sad Synagogue (now mainly used as concert hall).
After studies, he spent two years volunteering as the assistant of professor of Orchestral studies and Chamber music at the “Academy of Arts” in his hometown.
While studying, his interest in klezmer and Jewish themed music grew, and with the great experience with the “Clarinet choir” as a manager, he forms a quartet “J’haz Klezmori” with great help of Jewish Community of Novi Sad, and starts working on his passion for keeping Jewish tradition and heritage alive in his country of Serbia. The quartet soon got recognition, with successful performances that led to a National Radio initiated recording of a CD. Arranging Jewish and klezmer songs in a way that attracted audience of all types and kinds, quartet made its way to stages all across the State, with few performances abroad (Italy, Croatia…) . For six continuous years the ensemble kept reaching grater quality and changed members, and as a result became known and recognized not only by the audience but television, radio and other written media that gave there recognition trough numerous occasions of playing the music and promoting the quartet and his main goal of keeping Jewish heritage alive. The ensemble grew up to the challenge, and now is consisted of experienced and well renowned musicians, though changing the name to Kol Shel K’fir”.
Leon Kajon remains the founder and artistic leader of the ensemble.
Today, Leon Kajon is working as a pedagogue in elementary and high school, teaching Clarinet, Woodwind orchestra, Site reading and leads a flute choir. Alongside his job he continues to lead the “Kol Shel K’fir” ensemble under the coverage of Jewish Community.

Julija Bal – Piano
 While performing her transcriptions for the piano at the IBLA Grand Prize 2008 competition in Italy, Julija Bal’s originality as composer and pianist drew the attention of the public and music critics alike. As the laureate of the competition and the winner of  the „Villa Lobos“ special prize,Julija Bal performed on the IBLA Winners concert tour in Carnegie Hall with encore request and great critical acclaim. Her winners concert tour included over fifteen performances in Virginia, North Dakota, Arkansas, and New York. At the end of the tour, she became the Ambassador of good will of Arkansas. Invited by the organizers, from 2009 she became one of the youngest jury members at the same competition. Her performing style being described as an original combination of powerful individuality and temperament as well as peculiar techniques of sound creating have attracted the audience and the Competition jury when she performed her own virtuosic transcriptions of Schubert, Albéniz and Villa Lobos for the piano. Soon after the performance at IBLA Grand Prize competition, Julija gained success once more with these transcriptions and entered the finale “Tansman International Competition of Music Personalities” in Lodz ,Poland , 2009. On spring 2010 she became winner of the international piano competition “Bradsaw & Buono” in New York. As the winner of the competition, she has been invited to perform in New York again while touring the USA. Ms Bal has also won awards at competitions such as the international competition „Petar Konjovic“, state and federal competitions in Belgrade, the „Competition of Young Pianists of Yugoslavia“ in Nis, the „Yamaha“ competition in Novi Sad, the „IBLA Grand Prize“ and many others. She finished basic and secondary music school / piano at “Isidor Bajic”music School in Novi Sad under mentorship of prof. Biljana Dabic. At 1990, she became a member of The Group for Talented Performers at the Academy of Arts called “Group 0” in correspondence with all music schools among ex Yugoslavia under the mentorship of prof. Kemal Gekic. 1998. She entered Bachelor studies of piano at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, first under the mentorship of prof. Kemal Gekic and then prof. Jokut Mihailovic. At 2004  She entered magisterial studies of piano under the mentorship of prof. Biljana Gorunovic. At 2009 she finished magisterial exam with the best grade and got the title Magister. She has worked together with professors K.Gekic, J. Mihailovic, B.Dabic, Alan Fraser (Canada-Serbia), L. Pogorelic (Croatia), A. Valdma (Estonia), K. Bogino (France), I. Jones (England), S. Panovska (Malesia) and others. Julija Bal has done a series of notable performances throughout  Serbia , Italy , Germany ,Greece, Poland and the United States of America such as Virginia , North Dakota , Arkansas , New York ). She performed at festivals such as Nomus, Val Tidone, A-fest, IBLA, 1000 Tone, Festival of the Guitar in Novi Sad , 2009, where she gave the premiere performance of the 12 transcriptions of Villa Lobos Etudes under the patronage of Brazilian Embassy. She gave  master classes and lectures in University Radford (Virginia / USA), at the University in Minot (North Dakota / USA) , University in Wroclaw (Poland) and among schools in cities in Poland, and among cities in Serbia. She did the recitals of chamber music as a member of the Chamber group “Ad Libitum” i.e. the piano duet J.Bal – J.Bajic, and she cooperated with the members of the “Bassiona Amorosa” quartet as well as with the Jewish Chamber Choir of “Hasira”. Last summer she performed on the “Summer Music Fest of Novi Sad”, when she played various styles of Brazilian music together with Brazilian family Tomé. Julija cooperated with radio and TV stations such as NBC, Polish Radio, RTS and many others. Her compositions were presented on the First World Convention of EPTA 2009, which covers the achievements in the field of piano music.From 2004 until 2011 she has worked as a professor of piano and piano accompanist at the music school  “Josip Slavenski” in Novi Sad, and from 2011 She teaches comparative piano at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad.

JUBILEJ KONCERATA „ERVIN ŠLEZINGER“

Samuel Šlezinger, vlasnik kompanije Ašdod Bonded, predložen je za počasnog konzula Jugoslavije u Izraelu nakon obnavljanja diplomatskih odnosa 1991. Ubrzo zatim došlo je do raspada Jugoslavije, pa je Samuel Šlezinger ukazom predsednika Hrvatske postao počasni konzul Hrvatske u Izraelu.
Novostvorene države sa područja bivše Jugoslavije imale su lep običaj da na svoj dan državnosti organizuju koncerte u Izraelu.  Nastup hrvarskih umetnica Nine Kobler i Sande Majurec održan je 2005. u neadekvatnim uslovima hotelskog parka, ometan šumom morskih talasa, bukom automobila i grajom učesnika koktela, tako da se njihova gitara i čembalo uopšte nisu čuli. Tada smo došli na ideju da organizujemo koncert u adekvatnom prostoru i Samuel Šlezinger je ljubazno ponudio svoju rezidenciju u Savionu. Bila jer to početna ideja za Ciklus kamernih koncerata „Ervin Šlezinger“ koji je zvanično započeo 25. VI 2006. nastupom zagrebačke pijanistkinje Tamare Jurkić Sviben. Ciklus nosi ime Samuelovog oca Ervina (1904-1965), zagrebačkog baritona, čiju je karijeru prekinuo Drugi svetski rat, zatim prelazak u Izrael i prerana smrt. Na koncertima su zatim učestvovali pijanisti Danijel Detoni (dva puta), Jasmina Janković, pevači Jelena Vlahović i Nikola David, gitarista Krešimir Bedek, dva klavirska dua: Nikolajević-Kršić i Burštin-Harmac, lokalni trio iz Saviona, kvartet mladih umetnika u projektu “Different Colours” (Dragana Nešić Filimonović, Emilija Pušić, Stanislava Budišin i Bojan Kljajić), kvintet Zeva Štajnberga, ansambl Isidore Žebeljan (Borislav Čičovački, Aneta Ilić, Aleksandar Stefanović) i mešoviti hor “Kir Stefan Srbin” iz Toronta (Kanada) pod upravom Jasmine Vučurović. Soliste su pratili pijanisti Ljubica Grujić i Evgenij Oslon. Koncert dua Burštin-Harmac bio je posvećen uspomeni na preminulu istoričarku i književnicu Ženi Lebl. Na koncertima su izraelskoj javnosti predstavljene  kompozitorke Isidora Žebeljan i Ivana Kiš, koja se iz Hrvatske preselila u Izrael. Kompozitor Mihail Burštin komponovao je komad “Šlezinger”, a Danijel Detoni izveo kompoziciju Zarine Miršakar posvećenu Dušanu Mihaleku. Jedna ulica u Ašdodu dobila je ime Ervina Šlezingera.
Posebna pažnja bila je posvećena muzici jevrejskih kompozitora sa područja bivše Jugoslavije i stradalnika holokausta. Koncert u Savionu podstakao je pijaniskinju Tamaru Jurkić Sviben da se dublje pozabavi tom tematikom, pa je to tema njene doktorske disertacije. Studenti iz projekta “Different Colours” danas su već postali istaknuti umetnici. Na koncertu Jelene Janković otkrivene su i moguće porodične veze između Ervina Šlezingera – i Josifa Šlezingera, pionira srpske umetničke muzike. Održano je i više nezvaničnih koncerata, pa su primadone Beogradske opere Jelena Vlahović i Jasmina Trumbetaš doprinele jerusalimskom Masterklasu za vokalnu umetnost i ustanovljenju nagrade “Žamboki”.
Koncertima su prisustvovali istaknuti predstavnici izraelskog javnog, kulturnog, poslovnog i vojnog života, ambasadorski kor, članovi Udruženja useljenika iz bivše Jugoslavije. O svakom koncertu objavljivane su kritike u časopisu Most-Gešer, kao i u štampi, radiju i televiziji država sa područja bivše Jugoslavije.
Ponosimo se što koncertom Leona Kajona i Julije Bal zaokružujemo deset godina uspešnog rada na korist muzičke umetnosti, kao što je to celog života radio i Ervin Šlezinger.