Music of the Bandmasters of the Pula Naval Orchestra
CREATIVE TEAM
Lada Duraković and Marijana Kokanović Marković
Conductor: Petar Matošević
Musical Arrangements: Branko Okmaca and Petar Matošević
PERFORMERS
Istrian Chamber Orchestra
Duration: 60 minutes
The programme features marches, waltzes, polkas and other dance pieces that reflect the musical life of nineteenth-century Pula and the city's close ties with the European musical and cultural currents of the period. The compositions were discovered through archival research conducted as part of the project Researching Compositional Heritage: Musicological, Educational and Performance Potentials of Juraj Dobrila University of Pula. New music transcriptions and arrangements were prepared specifically for this concert.
Combining scholarly research with artistic interpretation, the concert offers audiences the opportunity to discover a previously unknown segment of Pula's musical heritage. At the same time, it contributes to the preservation and promotion of the city's cultural identity by recalling the period when Pula was one of Europe's leading naval centres and a city with an exceptionally vibrant musical life. The programme will be accompanied by a multilingual projection featuring historical photographs, archival information and fascinating insights into the compositions and their composers.
The Istrian Chamber Orchestra brings together graduate musicians educated at renowned European institutions and is committed to the highest standards of performance and a distinctive artistic identity. Its repertoire spans from the Baroque period to contemporary music, with a particular emphasis on Croatian and Istrian composers. The orchestra regularly performs newly commissioned works by contemporary composers while also reviving lesser-known musical heritage. During 2025, the orchestra presented its inaugural concert season in several towns across Istria. It regularly collaborates with distinguished artists and cultural institutions and performs at festivals throughout the region.
