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Oct. 16, 2006
Croation saxophone quartet enriches Emory culture

BY Nancy Condon

Although some might be hard pressed to find it on a map, Croatia not only has a rich geography—with a long, beautiful coastline on the Adriatic Sea, rolling hills and wooded mountains—it also has a vibrant culture with a long history of intellectual and artistic contributions. Two Nobel Prize winners came from Croatia, as did the necktie (and the word “cravat”) and the first fountain pens.

On Oct. 18–21, the Croatian Zagreb Saxophone Quartet brings its influential brand of saxophone music to the Emory campus, with two free performances in the Schwartz Center with the Emory Wind Ensemble (EWE), conducted by Scott Stewart, Emory director of wind studies. Another performance, “Sax and the City,” takes place Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. Compositions will include work by Frank Ticheli, and to celebrate his 100th birthday, work by Schostakovich will be played. On Oct. 21 at 8 p.m., Zagreb and the EWE celebrate Family Weekend with the Emory Concert Choir, led by Eric Nelson, and the Emory Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Prior.

The quartet’s influence on saxophone music is global and spans many genres, said Stewart. “Zagreb is to the sax world what the Canadian Brass is to the brass world,” he said, adding that Emory is fortunate to have them.

As Emory Coca-Cola Artists in Residence, they will lead a lecture/demonstration on Oct. 19 at 2:30 p.m., which is free and open to the public, and will appear at two area middle schools. “They are full of youthful energy and communicate with young audiences well,” Stewart said.

Since Zagreb’s debut in 1989, the quartet has reached a growing audience in Eastern Europe and North America, with a repertoire ranging from Baroque pieces to premieres of new works by Croatian composers. Ensemble members, all graduates of the Zagreb Academy of Music in Croatia, include Dragan Sremec, soprano; Goran Merep, alto; Saša Nestorovi, tenor; and Matja? Drevenšek, baritone.

For more information, call 404-727-5050 or visit www.arts.emory.edu.


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