Brina Jež

Brina Jež's work is characterized by the diversity of her search. However, she remains within the mainstream of contemporary trends in music. Often subtle expressiveness infused by innermost feelings is in the forefront. Some of her works focus on exploring the sound structures. Lately, the domain of her interest has been opening outward, emphasizing the reverence for the integrity of the human being as well as for the material and spiritual environment.

 

EDUCATION:

·         Music School (elementary and intermediate levels): piano with Darinka Bernetič

·         Grammar School Poljane, Ljubljana

·         Academy of Music in Ljubljana: piano studies and degree in composition (1981, class of Prof. Uroš Krek)

·         Faculty of Humanities, University in Ljubljana: studies of musicology

·         Took part in master classes and courses:

o    Pécs, Hungary - piano (1974)

o    Grožnjan, Croatia (1978)

o    Darmstadt, Germany (1984)

o    Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1985) and Graz, Austria (1988) - electro acoustic music.

In 1994, she worked independently at the CIRM studio in Nice and at the GRM studio in Paris, in the field of electro acoustic music.

CAREER:

·         assistant professor for music subjects at the Pedagogic Faculty in Ljubljana

·         co-founder and president of the Society for Encouragement and Progress of New Music MUZINA (1991-2000), later Sirius A B and Cosound.

 

Her compositions were regularly performed at:

·         Annual Tribune of New Music Works at Opatija, Croatia

·         Slovene Music Days and The Night of Slovene Composers (1988, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014)

·         Concert Atelier of the Society of Slovene Composers (1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2012)

·         Festival Druga Godba (The Other Music, 1985)

·         European Month of Culture (1997)

·         Radovljica Festival (1998, 2000, 2002)

·         Festival of Chamber Music in Radenci (2001)

·         Festival Unicum (2010)

·         Concerts of the MUZINA Society (1991 to 2000)

·         Music Biennale in Zagreb (1989, 1993, 2007)

·         Dora Pejacevic Memorial in Nasice (1987)

·         Europhonia in Zagreb (1988)

·         World Musicologists' & Composers' Convention "Arbeitstagung" in Darmstadt (1993)

·         An Author's Evening in Nice (1993)

·         Festival Musica Danubiana in Romania (1996)

·         the MittelFest in Cividale, Italy (1996)

·         Rostrum in Paris (1996)

·         "Klangnetze" Musica Femina in München (1998)

·         GEDOK and the Arbetiskreis Frau und Musik concerts in Stuttgart (1999, 2000)

·         "Musikmonat" in Basel (2001)

·         Peace Institute in Schleiningen, Austria (2002)

·         Concert Cycle "Echoes" in Frye Museum (2005)

·         "Capitol Hill Chamber Music Festival" in Washington D.C (2005)

·         80th Anniversary of Gedok Association in Munich (2006)

·         Concert Cycle Musikforum in Munich (2006)

·         Festival Iš Arti in Lithuania (2009)

·         ISCM Ljubljana (2015)

Concerts dedicated entirely to her works:

·         1991 at the Cankarjev dom Congress and Cultural Centre, Ljubljana

·         1993 in Darmstadt

·         1996 a recital of violin and piano music at the Town Hall, Ljubljana

·         2003 Composers' Portraits – an evening of electro acoustic music and commentary

·         2008 with ensemble Artemis in Stuttgart etc.

In 2007 her musical performance Shelters was performed at international festival Zagreb Biennale (MBZ). In adition – in 1999 her composition Sonsong for orchestra was played at the opening concert of Slovene Music Days and in 2012 her cantata for mixed choir and orchestra, Dreams of the Year on a poem by well known Slovene poet Gregor Strniša was premiered with APZ Tone Tomšič, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and conductor En Shao.

She wrote incidental music for theatre and film. She appeared in public as a pianist, mainly performing her own works and in duo with her husband, violinist Branko Brezavšček. They played in Ljubljana and elsewhere in Slovenia, at the Annual Music Tribunes in Opatija, at the Incontro Musicale in Cremona etc. She recorded for Radio Ljubljana and Radio Trieste. She writes articles both for daily press and professional magazines. From 2004-06 she regularly wrote reviews for the Slovene main daily newspaper Delo. As a pedagogue she is dedicated to introducing and developing musical creativity.

DISCOGRAPHY:

·         Double Cassette: String quartet Muzina,Chain, 1992; Electronic music, Orpheus for bass clarinet and electronics (bass clarinet: Ratko Vojtek): Muzina, Association for New Music

·         CD: Brina Jež Brezavšček: Songs and Compositions for Children (arrangements of children songs and instrumental compositions) 2001. Vocalists: Eva Hren, Anja Brezavšček, Maruša Brezavšček. Anja Brezavšček, flute, Melina Todoroski, english horn, Dejan Prešiček, saxophone, Tilen Majaron, horn, Franci Krevh, percussion, Vladimir Mlinarić, piano, Branko Brezavšček, violin, viola, Andrej Brezavšček, violin, Gregor Marinko, violoncello. Sirius A B, Association

·         CD:Oscilations in the Atelieur, Slovene electroacoustic music, Orpheus for basclarinet and electronics (bass clarinet: Ratko Vojtek). Ars Slovenica, Ed.DSS 20043

·         CD: Brina Jež Brezavšček, Towards a new Dimension, 2005. Poseidon, Meditation in Five Images, Five Atmospheres, Mobile Magico. Branko Brezavšček, violin, Rohan de Saram, violoncello, Marianne Schroeder, piano, Božo Rogelja, oboe, Alojz Zupan, clarinet, Boris Šurbek, percussion. Chamber ensemble RTV Slovenija, Kristijan Ukmar, conductor. Ars Slovenica, Ed.DSS 200551

·         CD: Touches, Barbara Jernejčič Fürst, Mezzo Soprano. Song G for Barbara for voice solo (selection) Feelings, Expressions, Passions. RTV Slovenia, Classic, 2010. RTVS 111891

·         CD: Brina Jež Brezavšček: A Piece of Blue Only, 2015. Moon in the Heart, Green Landscapes, A Piece of Blue Only. Reflection, Hope for Upanishad, Gandhi's Epigrams, Birds. Anja Brezavšček – flute,  Miran Kolbl –violin, Mojca Zlobko - harp, Branko Brezavšček - volin, Fulvio Drosolini – violoncello,  Luka Juhart - accordion, Franci Kosem - trumpet, Tomaž Sevšek - organ, Astrid Rönig - actress, Franci Krevh – percussion, Brina Jež Brezavšček - piano, Maruša Brezavšček - recorder, Martina Okoliš - harpsichord. RTV Slovenia, ZKP,  Classic, 2015. RTVS 114038.  In cooperation with Radio Slovenia, Program Ars.

Commentary for a string quartet Chain / 1991

I wrote my string quartet Chain at the beginning of the nineties. In this piece I wanted to link different techniques available to a composer into a chain. At the same time I have followed a feeling for the musical flow with all tensions and releases.

As I wrote in the commentary to the composition in 1992, in compositional procedure chain is reflected as a connection of parts, which are different, but also related with each other and are linked together. I meant that in this composition according to my previous works I used freedom of choice in given compositional manners most radically: e.g. simplified use of flowing rhythms, emotional »romantic« expressiveness, and parts in polyphonic deliberation. These procedures are followed by a part with alloy of minimal music. In second movement I was searching expressiveness in static clusters and interesting sound in fifths performed con legno battuto; after a simple unison in different instrumental doublings appears a slow, choral posted four voice part, which leads to the concluding solo passages in upward direction. Composition is dedicated to in that time newly established group, string quartet Muzina.  Chain was first performed in January 1992 at the initial concert of the association also named Muzina, which I initiated and ran to 1999 and  was afterwards active to 2003.