Washington DC, May 14, 2004 - The Embassy of Croatia, the Croatian House and the Association of Alumni and Friends of Croatian Universities - National Capital Group (AMAC) have the honor to present the distinguished Croatian artists, Tanja Simic, Mezzo-Soprano, and Natasha Dukan, Pianist.
The concert will be held at the Embassy of Austria (3524 International Court, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008-3027) on Friday, May 14th, 2004, at 7:30 p.m.
The program includes works by Robert Schumann, Giacomo Rossini, Gabriel Faure, Henry Duparc, Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninov, Josip Hatze, Ivan Zajc, Edward Boatner and Margaret Bonds.
Admission: $15 and $8 (students) Proceeds will be donated to the Croatian House project.
Tanja Simic, Mezzo-Soprano
A native of Croatia, Tanja Simic was accepted in the Zagreb Academy of Music, but she came to New York 1998 to study at Mannes College of Music, where she graduated in May 2002 as a voice student of Beth Roberts. In the Opera Program of the Mannes College of Music she studied with distinguished artists such as Joseph Colaneri, Suzan Woodrof Versage, Ted Taylor, Suzan Caldwell, Laura Alley, Jey Lessanger and Regina Resnik, where she had performed in many opera scenes. She was a finalist of the Westminister College competition in 1998. Ms. Simic is a recipient of the Mannes College Scholarship Award and Artist International Young Artist Award, 2003. Her performances include solo recitals in Croatia, recitals at Mannes College of Music, Tishman Hall, Kaye Play House Theatre, Croatian Center in Chicago, Williamsburg College in Mississippi, Bach Festival 2000, La Belle Époque Festival 2002. Ms. Simic is currently finishing her Master of Music program major voice as student of Beth Roberts. In February 2004 Ms. Simic performed in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York. She is accepted to participate in IVA summer opera program with coaches and the artist from the Metropolitan Theater.
Natasha Dukan began her musical studies under Jelka Bakasun in her native city of Split, Croatia, where she won numerous national competitions. During her university years while studying under Jokuthon Kadirova-Mihailovich and the virtuoso Kemal Gekich, she performed frequently with national orchestras and in recitals. After appearing at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, she went on to win first prize in Stresa, Italy, and her appearance at the 1995 Chopin Competition in Warsaw led to numerous subsequent concert engagements throughout Poland. Her festival appearances include the Split, Ohrid, Skopje and Hvar summer festivals, and she has given concerts in Germany, Spain, Poland and Russia. She has recorded for radio and television in her native country and Italy. In 1996 Ms. Dukan received a full scholarship to study with Julian Martin at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. She received Performance Diploma in 1998 and was immediately admitted (on full scholarship) to the prestigious Artist Diploma Program. Her North American appearances include the 1998 American Liszt Society Festival in Hamilton, Canada and the Texas Festival of Young Artists, where she first appeared in 1997 and was immediately invited to return in 1998. In the Washington area, Ms. Dukan recently appeared in the Church of the Epiphany Tuesday Concert Series, the Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center and the Fairfax Concert Series. Ms. Dukan also performed in Sandy Spring Museum, Lyceum Series in March 2003 and this is her second appearance in The Croatian Musical Heritage Series at the Embassy of Austria. Ms. Dukan currently teaches piano at the Academy of Music in Gaithersburg, Maryland and she is a recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council 2004 Individual Artist Award.