Composer of the Month 3/2013: Krsto Odak (selected by Peter van Dessel / Belgium)

Croatia 22.1.2008 The video shows the Split Academic Choir under the direction of Ivan Lukacic with the anthem "Hvali duse Gospodaie moja" (Bless the Lord, O my soul) by Krsto Odak. The Croatian composer Krsto Odak was born on 20th March 1888 in Siveric. He attended a school of Franciscan monks, studied theology in Munich and completed a musical education in parallel. 1913 he returned to his home and became a priest in Sinj. In 1919 he went to Prague, where he studied at Vítezslav Novák. At the alumni concert, he won the first prize with a sonata for violin and piano. From 1922 until his retirement in 1961 Odak was composition teacher at the Music Academy of Zagreb. He composed four symphonies, two Passacaglias, a suite for strings and other orchestral works, a piano and a saxophone concert, opera and theater music, chamber music, a cantata, two Old slavic masses, motets, madrigals and songs. Krsto Odak died on 4 November 1965 in Zagreb. In March 2013 his birth anniversary comes up for the 125th time. More composer can be found in the members only section