MIRO BELAMARIC, Croatian composer and conductor with austrian citizenship, born in Sibenik.After graduating from high school he studied at the Zagreb Music Academy; conducting with Milan Horvat and composing with Stjepan Sulek.
Further studies in conducting with Lovro von Matacic in Salzburg and Sergiu Celibidache in Siena.As a student he was from 1965-68 assistant to Herbert von Karajan at the Salzburg Festival, 1975-77 assistant to Karl Böhm.
As a conductor Miro Belamaric has been working with the RTV-Symphony Orchestra Zagreb, then as head conductor of the Zagreb Komedija-Theatre, conductor at the Opera of the National Theatre Zagreb and from 1978-90 their chief conductor. After that he was director of the Dubrovnik-Festival until the begining of the war.
Beside his commitment in Croatia as conductor of operas and concerts he had the following performances abroad:
Japan (Tokyo, Osaka); Salzburg (Festival); Vienna (State Opera, Musikverein); Venice (Teatro La Fenice); Athen; Graz, Turin (Teatro Reggio); Bordeaux; Prague (National Opera); Brno (Janacek-Festival); Frankfurt; New Orleans; Kassel; Berlin (Deutsche Staatsoper); Luxemburg; Bremen; Kiev; Moscow (Bolschoi-Theatre), St. Petersburg; Hannover; Karlsruhe; Zurich (State Opera); Stuttgart (State Opera); Munich (Bayerische Staatsoper); Mexico City (Teatro Bella Artes), etc.As a composer Miro Belamaric has become known through a series of symphonic, choral and chamber works ("HOW TO KILL MOZART", in form of variations for piano and orchestra - 1968; CROATIAN LOVE POETRY, cycle for choir a cappella - 1959-81; PORTRAITS, for piano - 1979-82; 5 POEMAS DEL CANTE JONDO , for soprano and piano - 1983-84).
Public and critics paid special attention to his opera compositions:
THE LOVE OF DON PERLIMPLIN (after F.G. Lorca) had ist first performance in November 16 th, 1975 at the Croatian National Theatre Zagreb under the direction of the composer.
Within one year it was awarded 5 prizes, among them th prize for music of the city of Zagreb in 1975.
Further performances took place in May 1976 at the Festival Osijek, in November 1976 at the Czechoslovakian National Theatre
Prague, and in June 1983 at the State Theatre Kassel.He experienced one of his greatest success as a composer in October 1983 when he won the first prize in the Opera Competition at the State Opera of Vienna for his second opera work DON JUAN - REBELL FOR ALL TIMES (after T. de Molina) which is still awaiting its opening night.
His third opera TALES FROM THE VIENNA WOODS (after Ö.von Horváth), was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture of Baden Württemberg. The very first performance took place in April 4 th, 1993 under the direction of the composer at the State Theatre Karlsruhe with great success. For this opera he was awarded the critics prize J.S. SLAVENSKI as best Croatian composer of the year 1993.During preparation of his newly commissioned opera he returned to concerts and composed three symphonic poems between 1994 and 1998 about themes which he is moved at the moment:
First performance in Croatia: April 4 th, 1997. For this work he received as well the State - prize of the Republic of Croatia, the V. NAZOR - prize, as best Croatian composer of the year 1997.
CROATIA, for big symphonic orchestra (dedicated to his homeland).
Very first performance: in Zagreb 1994, Concert-Hall "V. Lisinski".
First performance in Austria: in Vienna 1994, Ronacher Theatre.
SPECTRUM, valses symphoniques en couleurs, for symphonic orchestra.
This work was commissioned by the Austrian Ministry of Culture (dedicated to his second home Vienna).
Very first performance: in Zagreb 1997, Concert-Hall "V. Lisinski".
POEM FOR DEATH LOVERS, for symphonic orchestra (dedicated to the young victims of the dying city of Sarajevo). 1998Frome time to time Miro Belamaric also successfully directs opera performances.
Very first performance: place and date are not yet set because of the devastating effects of the war in Sarajevo.