Goths and Vikings

Domagoj Ivanović, violin and Noel McRobbie, piano

Sunday, October 1 at 2pm

Our season opens with two superb soloists who form a formidable duo and are known for their bold programming. After their breathtaking debut in our 2021-2022 season, Croatian-born violinist Domagoj Ivanović and Canadian pianist Noel McRobbie return with virtuosic works by Polish composers Szymanowski and Wieniawski, as well as sonatas by Schumann and Grieg. Prepare to be captivated again by these two outstanding artists!

Programme

Biography

Domagoj Ivanović moved to Canada in 2007, after graduating with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance at the University of Miami, where he held the post of a Teaching Assistant, as well as served as an Assistant Concertmaster for the Miami Symphony Orchestra.
Since then, he has quickly established himself as a violinist and an educator in the greater Vancouver area. Aside from being the Co-Head of Violin Department at the Vancouver Academy of Music he is also the Director of Comox Youth Music Centre’s (CYMC) Classical program. As a performer he has shared the stage with some of the top ensembles in Vancouver, such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and Turning Point Ensemble. He also adjudicated a number of festivals and competitions, such as the North Shore Music Festival, Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Surrey Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, and University of British Columbia Concerto Competition, to name a few.
Originally from Zagreb, Croatia, he began studying violin at the age of seven. During his studies he was the recipient of numerous prizes and awards in violin competitions at the national and international level, the most important being First Prize in the National Violin competition and First Prize in the National Chamber Music competition.
As a soloist he appeared with several orchestras, most notably with the Zagreb Philharmonic orchestra, and the Miami Symphony orchestra. Described as a player with “clear technique and great sensitivity” he has performed all over Europe and North America, as well as China, Taiwan and Singapore.

Born in Winnipeg, Canada, pianist Noel McRobbie first received national attention after receiving top prize at the Eckhardt-Grammatté Piano Competition.  In addition, he has received prizes at the CBC Début Concert Artist Series, Grand Konzerteum International Piano Competition, Seiler International Piano Competition, and the University of Michigan Concerto Competition.

Noel’s solo performances include the Steinway Series at the University of South Florida, Vancouver Chopin Society, Eastport Arts Centre in Maine, Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Seoul Arts Centre, and the Asian Composers League at Sejong Chamber Hall.  As concerto soloist, he has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra, Jeonju Philharmonic Orchestra, Westcoast Symphony, University of Michigan Philharmonia, Dongduk Women’s University Symphony Orchestra and the New Westminster Symphony.  Recent performances include the Victoria Conservatory of Music Summer Piano Academy, Turning Point Ensemble, and Canadian Music Centre Concert Unaccompanied Series.  In addition, Noel is currently performing and recording works by Juno Award-winning composer Michael Conway Baker.  His performances have been broadcast on CBC radio, and he was featured in International Piano magazine and KBS television’s Classic Odyssey.

For many years, Noel was a student of Lee Kum-Sing at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the University of British Columbia, where he received an Artist Diploma and Bachelor of Music respectively.  Other teachers include Arthur Greene, Patricia Zander, and Svetozar Ivanov.  He received a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory.  Previously Noel was Assistant Professor of Piano at Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea, and faculty member at the Summer Music Festival for the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest.  Currently he teaches at the Vancouver Academy of Music, where he is on the college faculty, and Place des Arts.  His students have furthered their piano studies at institutions such as the Manhattan School of Music, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Mannheim University of Music (Germany), University of South Florida, and Roosevelt University.