Vuk Krakovic (violinist/composer)
editBiography
editVuk Krakovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1973. He started playing the violin at the age of 4. After winning many national competitions in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, the young violin prodigy pursued further studies in Slovenia and Austria where he received his Bachelor of Music degree. In 1997, he moved to London to study violin at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama with distinguished Professors: Takeno and Yfrah Neaman, and composition with Professor Malcolm Singer, Music Director of Yehudi Menuhin School. Subsequently he received his Masters of Music degree from the London College of Music & Media in 2001. Vuk has also completed masterclasses with ProfessorGrigory Zhislin, Igor Ozim and Amadeus Quartet.
In music competitions, he won 1st Prize in Santiago de Compostela in Spain for the Rodrigo” International Competition in 1996, and was additionally awarded the Best Interpretation of Spanish Music prize. He also won 1st Prize in Slovenia’s National Music Competition in 1992 and was named the Best Violinist in All Categories.As a result he performed as a guest soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1999, the Piano Society of Europe awarded him 2nd Prize for the Violin & Piano Competition for his rendition of Beethoven Sonatas.
As guest soloist, Vuk has performed with orchestras in the UK, Germany, Austria, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia. He has recorded for BBC, RAI (Italy), Austrian, Slovenian and Serbian television. Apart from London, he has given numerous recitals in Paris, Tokyo, Santiago de Compostela, Ljubljana, Belgrade, Cologne and Klagenfurt. These include the renowned Royal Naval College with M. Rostropovich, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Royal College of Art , St. John's Wood Hall and Regents Hall.
Vuk is also a classically trained composer who has composed music for films, theatre, dance performances, and rock and pop bands. These include the legendary Slovenian punk rock band 2227, ethno-pop band BAST, Dance Theatre Ljubljana, Edward Klug’s Sacre du Temps, Production: Station Zuid in Holland, FourClore Physical Theater Group in Slovenia, Cirque du Soleil's performers : Anton Chelnokov with his acrobatic net act, and Serguei and Julia Volodine’s acro-sport act.
With his band [1], Vuk has played in many music festivals throughout Europe, including opening for Pumpkins and playing alongside American hip-hop band Roots and Grammy Award-winningThe Klezmatics. He has also played and recorded for the Sound of London and British indie bands & Sebastian and Delgados.
In 2003, the music which he composed and performed for Resonance, a short film produced in collaboration with BBC Wales and College of Art's Professor Len Massey, was nominated in Cardiff’s Short Film Festival for Best Soundtrack.
Since 2004, he has been working for du Soleil’s show: [2], as a solo violinist, touring over 70 cities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Russia and Asia. He has over 2000 performances under his belt and performed for over 6 million spectators.
References and Articles
editVuk Krakovic plays Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen"
Vuk Krakovic and David Saliamonas play Brahms d minor sonata Op 108