Mak Grgić Explained

Mak Grgić
Birth Place:Ljubljana, Slovenia
Genre:Chamber music, classical music, microtonal music
Occupation:Musician
Instrument:Guitar
Label:Naxos, Marquis Classics, MicroFest

Mak Grgić (pronounced: [mɑk ɡɹɡɪt͡ʃ]; born 7 March 1987) is a Slovenian classical guitarist. He is a two-time Grammy nominee.

Early life

Mak Grgić[1] was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia, back then a part of Yugoslavia. Before embarking on his musical studies, he showed interest in competitive mathematics, earning him no. 1 ranking in the country according to the competition Jurij Vega, and martial arts, winning a title of world champion at the age of 11 according to the Japan Karate Association international regulations.[2] His first appearance on the musical stage was at the age of 12.

Education

Grgić studied with Ante Cagalj at the Elly Basic Conservatory of Music, Alvaro Pierri at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria and at USC Thornton School of Music as a student of William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant (Los Angeles Guitar Quartet) and Brian Head, artistic director of Guitar Foundation of America.[3] He was the first guitarist in the history of University of Southern California to be accepted into the artist diploma program.[4] In 2023, Grgić joined the School of Music faculty at the University of South Carolina, becoming the Assistant Professor of Guitar.[5] [6]

Performance career

Grgić has performed at Hotel des Invalides, Paris, France; Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy; Koncerthuset, Stockholm, Sweden; Musikverein, Vienna, Austria; Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, US; Strathmore Mansion, North Bethesda, Maryland, US; National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., US; Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia; Accademia Philharmonicorum, Ljubljana, Slovenia among others.

Grgić spent two years in residence at the Da Camera Society of Los Angeles.[7] As a part of this residency, he cofounded a contemporary octet called DC8. This ensemble performed and commissioned new works from Michael Gordon and Nina Senk. The DC8 ensemble was proclaimed as an "inspiring addition to the contemporary music landscape in Los Angeles" in the Los Angeles Times.[8]

Collaborations

Grgić has collaborated with musicians, such as Jack Quartet,[9] Martin Chalifour[10] (concertmaster, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra), Clive Greensmith[11] (Tokyo String Quartet), and the Assad Brothers guitar duo. He is a founding and active member of Duo Deloro with Adam Del Monte and FretX Duo with Daniel Lippel, guitarist of ICE Ensemble. In September 2018 he toured with Grammy Award-winning singer KD Lang as the opening act on her anniversary Ingenue Tour.[12] In 2020, Grgić began his ongoing collaboration with Billboard Charts-topping pianist Paul Cardall, exploring the meditative and mindful aspects of musical composition. In 2021, he was nominated for a 2022 Grammy Award.[13]

Other work

Grgić has been involved with the Gluck Outreach Program and has done work for Boys and Girls Clubs throughout US. He has fostered a continuous relationship with the Braille Institute in Los Angeles. Grgić also served as a mentor for the Bosana Foundation in Los Angeles and has raised funds for a local orphanage in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with which he has personal ties.[14]

In 2017, Grgić along with 13 international guitar festival leaders around Europe initiated EuroStrings, the European Guitar Festival network.[15] EuroStrings has now expanded to a platform of 17 international guitar festivals throughout Europe and globally, working on young artists exchange programs, charity through classical guitar and audience development.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Grgić founded Virtual Guitar Orchestra, a community-oriented project bringing guitar lovers and guitar super stars together in a virtual musical setting.[16]

Music

Grgić believes in an eclectic approach to classical guitar in order to draw in wider audiences for the instrument.[17] Balkanisms, an album released on Naxos in 2019, encompasses new and ethnic music from the Balkan peninsula.[18] A 2018 album release called Makrotonal binds music of renaissance and baroque with new music influenced by the Middle Eastern traditions on microtonal guitars.[19] Other album releases include flamenco music with flamenco guitarist Adam del Monte[20] and that of cinema music.[21] In 2020, Grgić signed with pianist Paul Cardall's label All Heart Records and released Silent Night, a short album featuring Christmas classics along with "Christmas Dreaming," an original song.[22]

References

  1. McGhie . Ollie . Eclectic Guitarist and EuroStrings Artistic Director Mak Grgić is Always on the Move . Classical Guitar Magazine . 22 April 2019 . Spring 2019 . 2 August 2019.
  2. Web site: On Air Magazine . Adria Airways . adria.si . 3 August 2019.
  3. Web site: Player Spotlight: Mak Grgic . Guitar Salon International . guitarsalon.com . 3 August 2019.
  4. Web site: Krieger . Diane . Arts Leadership Alumni Spotlight: Mak Grgić . USC . USC Thornton School of Music . 5 March 2019.
  5. Web site: 2-time Grammy nominee joins USC music faculty . 6 March 2024 . University of South Carolina . en.
  6. Web site: Mak Grgić - School of Music University of South Carolina . 6 March 2024 . sc.edu.
  7. Farber . Jim . Guitarist Mak Grgic Fills the Historic Van Dekker House With Music . San Francisco Classical Voice . 19 June 2018 . 2 August 2019.
  8. Web site: Woodard . Josef . DC8's 'Journey' contrasts modern with historic . Los Angeles Times . 5 March 2019.
  9. Web site: JACK Quartet with Mak Grgic, guitar . Performing Arts Live . performingartslive.com . 3 August 2019.
  10. Web site: Henry . Irene . Interview with Mak Grgic . Austin Classical Guitar . austinclassicalguitar.org . 3 August 2019 . 15 June 2018.
  11. Web site: Cello Meets Guitar . KPBS Arts . kpbs.org . 3 August 2019.
  12. Web site: Dow Bentley III . David . K. D. Lang Captivates Adoring Fans at Houston's Jones Hall . The People's Critic . The People's Critic . 28 September 2018.
  13. Web site: 23 November 2021. "Mak Bach" By Mak Grgić Nominated For A 2022 Grammy Award!. 25 November 2021. Guitar Salon International. en-US.
  14. Web site: Mak Grgic . New York City Classical Guitar Society . nyccgs.com . 3 August 2019.
  15. Web site: Haerle . Alyssa . EuroStrings Part I: Reimagining the Classical Guitar Festival . Metronome Online . 5 March 2019.
  16. Web site: Werner . Bradford . Virtual Guitar Orchestra: Relampiños by Adam Del Monte . This is Classical Guitar . Werner Editions . 7 December 2020.
  17. News: Podplesky . Azaria . Classical guitarist Mak Grgic brings variety to Friends of the Guitar Hour . 3 August 2019 . The Spokesman Review . 10 May 2017.
  18. Web site: Jerobear . Mak Grgic: Balkanisms . Review Corner . 2 August 2019.
  19. Web site: Distler . Jed . Mak Grgic's Microtonal Guitar Recital . Classics Today . classicstoday.com . 2 August 2019.
  20. Web site: KUSC . Staff . Celebrate La Buena Vida with Spanish and Latin American Guitar Music . KUSC . kusc.org . 2 August 2019.
  21. Web site: Narezzo . Kai . Mak Grgic - Cinema Verismo . Guitar Salon International . guitarsalon.com . 2 August 2019.
  22. Web site: Cardall . Paul . Silent Night Album Release . All Heart Records . All Heart Publishing . 7 December 2020.

External links