20. INTERNATIONAL STRING COMPETITON RUDOLF MATZ 2025.
JURY MEMBERS:
KREŠIMIR PETAR PUSTIČKI, viola (ZAGREB, HRVATSKA)
KREŠIMIR PETAR PUSTIČKI, viola (ZAGREB, CROATIA)
Krešimir Petar Pustički was born iz Zagreb in 1975. As an exceptionally talented child, from early on he discovered he had a perfect pitch. During his schooling he won the highest prizes at musical competitions (first prize in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Sarajevo and Belgrade, as well as the Darko Lukić competition). He studied with prof. Ante Živković and as a 20-year-old graduated from the Academy of Music in Zagreb. In 2009 he obtained his Master of Arts degree. As a successful chamber musician he often plays with his siblings in a string trio PST. From 1998 till 2008 he was a member and a principal viola player in renowned Croatian chamber orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists, where critics often singled him out. In 2011 he started playing as a part-time principal violist in Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra. Krešimir Petar Pustički works as an associate professor on the Academy of Music in Zagreb. He is distinguished soloist which Croatian critics find as one of the best Croatian string players. Pustički also proved himself to be a very successful recording producer, when he won Porin in 2007,2022,2024, Croatian music award, for the best classical album. Since then he became one of the most sought recording producers for classical music in Croatia.
„Krešimir Petar Pustički is not only one of our best violists, but string players in general. His sound is beautiful and powerful, his technical skills are astonishing, as well as his musicality and thoughtfullness of music…“ V. Požgaj
„The artist achieved the unity of reproductive expression in thoughtfull and actual harmony with the score, which pointed out the quality of the young violist.“ D. Komanov
„His performance of Suite Hebraique by E. Bloch was technically absolutely perfect, up to the smallest details in numerous virtuoso passages, but he managed to stay completely relaxed which allowed him to freely enjoy in oriental flavours and ceremonial rhythms.“ B. Pofuk
“The simple final Lutheran chorale Stupam pred Tvoje prestolje (Hindemith Trauermusik) took the listener on a journey towards the other side, that something inexplicable which separates top music and musicianship from everyday life and elevates it to higher spiritual spheres.” T. Matasović
TOBIAS STOSIEK, cello (SCHWERIN,GERMANY)
Tobias Stosiek was born in Schwerin (Germany). He received his first cello lessons from Prof. Sigrid Richter at the Görlitz Music School and later with Prof. Inge Schreier at the Special School for Music “Carl Maria von Weber” in Dresden. Between 1990 and 1998 he studied at the “Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst” in Vienna with Prof. Tobias Kühne. Tobias Stosiek has taken part in several Masterclasses with David Geringas, Frans Helmerson, Peter Leisegang, Arto Noras, Antonio Meneses, Karine Georgian and Mstislav Rostropovich, among others.He has won numerous prizes at International competitions such as the first prize at the 1995 “II. Prix-Mercure Competition” in Semmering (Austria), the first prize at the “IV. International Brahms Competition” in Pörtschach (Austria) in 1997, as well as the first place at the “XXXII. International Instrumental Competition” in Markneukirchen and the first prize at the “V. International Violoncello Competition“ in Liezen in 2000 and the first place at the XXX. Int. Competition “Jeunesses Musicales” in Belgrade.He has been a guest artist at many Festivals and has performed throughout Europe. He recorded several CD`s and TV-Productions as soloist and chamber music player.Tobias Stosiek is professor on the University of Music and performing Arts Graz. He is member of Jury in several international competitions (Brahms Competition Pörtschach; Violoncello Competition Liezen; “Jeunesses Musicales” in Belgrade.
Tobias Stosiek plays on a Don Nicola Amati Cello made in Bologna around 1700.
JANEZ PODLESEK, violin (LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA)
Janez Podlesek is a famous Slovenian violinist and pedagogue. He graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana in the class of renowned professor Primož Novšak, where he also completed his postgraduate studies. He was the concertmaster of the Slovenian Philharmonic and the Chamber String Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic. As an associate professor, he is regularly employed at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. During his studies, he won several awards at national and international competitions. He has numerous recitals and chamber concerts behind him. He is active in various musical ensembles. He teaches violin and chamber music at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana and the Academy of Music in Ljubljana and conducts the ULAG Chamber String Orchestra. He participates in the ambitious EMARS project.
BRANIMIR PUSTIČKI, violončelo (ZAGREB, CROATIA)
Branimir Pustički (Zagreb, 1981) studied with Valter Dešpalj in Zagreb, Reinhard Latzko in Vienna, and with Jakob Kullberg in Stavanger. During his studies, he won prizes in cello competitions in Italy, Poland, Croatia and Austria and was awarded Zagreb Philharmonic/Amex prize for the best young Croatian musician in 2003. Branimir combines a career of a soloist, chamber musician (especially with pianist Petra Gilming and Trio 1887), orchestral musician and a teacher at the Music Academy in Zagreb. From 2008 until 2024 Pustički was the principal cellist of the Croatian Radiotelevision Orchestra. He has also performed as principal cello in many European orchestras. He has given chamber music concerts throughout Europe, in Japan and in the USA. With the the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra he has recorded works for cello and orchestra by Croatian composers Juro Tkalčić, Marko Ruždjak, Milko Kelemen, Gordan Tudor, Krešimir Seletković and Rudolf Matz, and the Cello concerto by Pavle Dešpalj with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra.
SLUŽBENI KOREPETITORI:
DAVID VUKOVIĆ, piano (ČAKOVEC, CROATIA)
David Vuković (Čakovec, 1996) started learning piano in the class of prof. Daniel Mario Novak in Art Shool Miroslav Magdalenić Čakovec and continued his education in the class of prof. Lea Šantek in Music School in Varaždin. He graduated in 2021 from Zagreb Academy of Music in the class of prof. Đorđe Stanetti with the highest honor (summa cum laude) and spent the academic year 2018/19 at the Music and Arts Private University of Vienna in the class of prof. Doris Adam as a scholar of the Erasmus+ program. He is a winner of numerous awards, most distinctive being first prizes on the HDGPP national competitions in the disciplines of piano solo and piano duo, Croatian composers society award for the best performance of the compulsory work by a Croatian composer at the 9th EPTA competition for young pianists in Osijek and two first prizes at the Memorijal Jurica Murai in Varaždin. He has also received the Rector’s Award for the performance of Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, and he performed with the Zagreb Soloists and the Varaždin Chamber Orchestra. During his studies, David intensively started to engage with chamber music, mostly as a member of the Trio Eusebius (along with violinist Eva Šulić Brajčić and cellist Tonka Javorović), with whom he achieved significant success by winning the Papandopulo, Ferdo Livadić and Darko Lukić competitions, as well as notable performances at festival such as Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Osor Musical Evenings, Samobor Music Festival, Croatian Music Festival in Vienna, Evenings on Grič in Zagreb, Musical Evenings at St Donatus in Zadar, the Korkyra Baroque Festival, the Narodni dom Maribor chamber cycle, the Ostinato International Chamber Music Festival Omiš, the “BEETHOVENplus” Festival in Zagreb, the Chamber Music Festival in Čakovec, the Josip Klima Days in Varaždin, the Sfumato cycle of HRT Choir and others. Furthermore, Trio Eusebius won the Dean’s Award for achievements in the academic year 2018/2019, and they made a studio recording for the HRT archive. David began working as an accompanist after his studies, first as an external associate at the Zagreb Academy of Music, and since 2022 he has been working as an accompaniment teacher at the Varaždin School of Music.
ANA GRANIK, piano (BUDAPEST, HUNGARY)
Ana Granik began her music education at the Vatroslav Lisinski School of Music in Zagreb in the class of Vera Prokić. At the age of 12, she enrolled at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest in the class for gifted children (Professor Zsuzsanna Esztó), and later also studied in the class of Laszlo Baranyi. She attended master classes under Rudolf Kehrer and Eugen Indjic. She has won a number of awards in international competitions. She recorded several albums for Hungaroton (Hungary). After completing her studies, she obtained a position at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, and she has been employed as a répétiteur at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest since 2018. Her career as a soloist, chamber musician, and répétiteur of renowned artists has taken her all over the world. She won numerous awards for the best répétiteur in national and international competitions, including the award for the best pianist at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia 2019. She is a regular répétiteur at various international competitions (Antonio Janigro in Croatia, Bartók International Violin Competition in Hungary) as well as at master classes (Uzmah/Upbeat).