Ana Sokolovic Explained

Ana Sokolovic
Occupation:Music Composer
Nationality:Canadian
Birth Place:Serbia
Birth Date:1968

Ana Sokolovic (Serbian: Ана Соколовић; born 1968)[1] is a Canadian music composer based in Montreal, Quebec, whose contemporary pieces have won several awards in Canada.

Career

Sokolovic studied composition under Dušan Radić at the University of Novi Sad and Zoran Erić at the University of Arts in Belgrade. She received her masters in composition from the Université de Montréal studying under José Evangelista.[2]

Sokolovic's repertoire is wide, covering theatrical, chamber, operatic, orchestral, and vocal genres.

The Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) dedicated the "Hommage Series" to Sokolovic for the 2011–2012 season, marking the twenty years since she immigrated to Quebec.[3] Her body of work was celebrated in 200 events taking place across Canada.[4]

Sokolovic's opera, Svadba-Wedding, focused on the day before a Serbian wedding and was produced by the Queen of Puddings Music Theater.[5] The production toured Canada and Europe from 2012 until 2015, as well as returning in March 2018 for a performance at the Opera de Montreal.[6]

In 2015, she became the first woman composer to create an operatic work for the Canadian Opera Company.[7] The commission in question is regarding The Old Fools by renowned English poet Philip Larkin, a libretto written by British librettist Paul Bentley.

Her composition "Ringelspiel" was performed by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in November 2017.[8] Her music has also been performed at London's Royal Opera House and Montreal's Conservatory of Music.

In 2021 she created the symphonic short film Iskra, an exploration of the impact of technology on human society, for the National Arts Centre/CBC Gem series Undisrupted.[9]

Awards

Sokolovic is also a nominee for the Juno Awards of 2017 in the category Classical Composition of the Year. The nominated work is entitled "And I need a room to receive five thousand people with raised glasses... or... what a glorious day, the birds are singing 'halleluia'".[12]

Education

Born in Serbia, Sokolovic was a student of classical ballet prior to studying theater and music. She studied composition in Belgrade and later obtained a master's degree from Université de Montréal where she now teaches.[4] Sokolovic immigrated to Quebec, Canada as a young adult.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ana Sokolović. smcq.qc.ca. May 28, 2016.
  2. Web site: Ana Sokolovic. Opéra de Montréal.
  3. Web site: Homage Series / Ana Sokolović (2011-12 Season). SMCQ.
  4. Web site: Ana Sokolovic: Biography. Canadian Music Centre | Centre de Musique. Canadienne. musiccentre.ca.
  5. Web site: Review: Six female characters in search of an opera | The Star. Toronto Star. June 24, 2011 .
  6. Web site: Svadba. Opéra de Montréal.
  7. Web site: Canadian Opera Company Announces Commission of New Opera by Composer Ana Sokolović and Playwright Michel Marc Bouchard . January 14, 2015 .
  8. Web site: Ana Sokolovic.
  9. Marsha Lederman, "National Arts Centre Orchestra’s eclectic new CBC Gem series showcases Canadian talent". The Globe and Mail, September 1, 2021.
  10. Web site: Prix Jan V. Matejcek, Award, New Classical Music | Socan . March 5, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180306142328/https://www.socan.ca/content/prix-jan-v-matejcek-award-new-classical-music . March 6, 2018 . dead .
  11. News: Gordon . Holly . Junos 2019: the complete list of winners . February 15, 2020 . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . March 16, 2019.
  12. Web site: CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR - Ana Sokolović - The JUNO Awards. junoawards.ca. January 21, 2018.