Tivat Music Festival
Tivat
Tivat Music Festival
2026
July 12, 9 p.m.
Grate Hall of the Tivat Cultural Center
SERENADE TO THE ADRIATIC
Koncert horske muzike
Akademski hor Ivan Goran Kovačić
Dirigent Ivan Šćepanović
PROGRAM:
Jakov Gotovac (1895–1982)
To the Adriatic
Krešimir Magdić (b. 1952)
Not a Single Fairy in the World
Vladimir Berdović (1906–1980)
Linđo
Jakov Gotovac (1895–1982), arr. A. Vrbatović
The Loveliest Girl in the Village – My Mato Is from Drač
Traditional (Scotland), arr. Jonathan Quick
Loch Lomond
Franjo Dugan (1874–1948)
Hymn of Gratitude
Emil Cossetto (1918–2006)
Mura, Mura – Csárdás – Kyrie Eleison
Jakov Gotovac (1895–1982)
Lament for a Calf
Traditional (Scotland)
Shenandoah
Krešimir Magdić (b. 1952)
Farewell
Boris Papandopulo (1906–1991)
When the Kolo Is Danced
Artists
The Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir was founded in 1948 and is one of the most prestigious and most awarded Croatian choirs, with a tradition spanning more than 75 years. Throughout its history, the ensemble has left a significant mark on both the Croatian and international music scenes, performing masterpieces by the world’s greatest composers. The choir has appeared before Pope John Paul II and Margaret Thatcher, at the inaugurations of Croatian presidents, and alongside distinguished artists such as Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, Gábor Bretz, Barbara Hendricks, Ivo Pogorelić, Sonja Šarić, and Vladimir Ruždjak, among others. It is the recipient of two Porin Awards – the highest musical recognition in Croatia. The choir has collaborated with renowned conductors including Zubin Mehta, Yehudi Menuhin, Krzysztof Penderecki, Ennio Morricone, Kurt Masur, Valery Gergiev, and Neville Marriner. It regularly performs with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra and Choir, as well as with acclaimed soloists from both classical and popular music scenes, including Josipa Lisac, Maksim Mrvica, and Toni Cetinski. More than 2,500 singers have passed through the ensemble, contributing to a strong tradition of artistic excellence and collective music-making. Today, the Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir operates under the artistic direction of Ivan Šćepanović.
Ivan Šćepanović, conductor, completed the Organ studies within Church Music Studies (2018) under Professor Mirta Kudrna. He graduated in Organ Performance from the Academy of Music in Zagreb in 2020 and completed his Conducting studies in 2025. During his studies, he received numerous awards, particularly at the Croatian Competition of Music and Dance Students (HDGPP, 2014 and 2019), where he won first prizes under the mentorship of Professor Ljerka Očić. He is also the recipient of the Dean’s Award and the Rector’s Award for his contributions to academic projects. Ivan Šćepanović has attended masterclasses with renowned conductors and organists such as P. Rofe, M. Korović, D. Rees, T. Ospital, and V. Kogert. He has collaborated with the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra and Choir, the Wind Orchestra of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, and the Orchestra of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb. At the Academy of Music, he conducted performances of Handel’s oratorio The Resurrection and Boris Papandopulo’s opera Amphitryon at the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb. Since 2022, Ivan Šćepanović has served as Conductor and Artistic Director of the Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir, with which he has collaborated with the Zagreb Philharmonic, the HRT Symphony Orchestra and Choir, and numerous other Croatian ensembles.
Useful information
Time
9 p.m.
Location
Grate Hall of the Tivat Cultural Center
Tivat Music Festival
TMF was formed with the mission to contribute to the branding of Tivat as a Montenegrin port of music, through the realization of a wide range of quality music and opera programs.
