Zvonimir Hacko, Music Director & Chief Conductor

American/Croatian conductor Zvonimir Hacko is known for his passion, artistic rigor, and inspiration — "a type of artistic commitment that transforms his orchestras into a superb ensemble" and creates "music that brings audiences to their feet." Critics and audiences alike have praised him for his masterful interpretation of both the standard and contemporary repertoire. He is an avid proponent of contemporary music and has given area premieres of many works by such composers as Peteris Vasks, Erkki-Sven Tuur, Arvo Paert, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Henryk Gorecki, John Tavener, John Adams, Giya Kancheli, and others.

Mr. Hacko has served as the Music Director and Chief Conductor of European Master Orchestra since 2006 and Artistic Director of the International Music Center of America (IMCA) since 1995.

He has performed extensively both in the United States and Europe and continues to be engaged in major artistic projects on both sides of the Atlantic. He has appeared with various orchestras including the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Schoenberg Orchestra, Kielce Philharmonic, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, the Warsaw Festival Orchestra and Choir, Ensemble International, and various orchestras and choir in the Czech Republic, countries of former Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, and Hungary. In the United States he has served as music director of Mid-Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Michiana Symphony Orchestra, Columbia River Music Festival, Orchestra & Choir of St. Michael the Great, Sacramento Chamber Orchestra, and Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. His recent and forthcoming guest appearances include work with Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina (Florence, Italy), Izmir State Symphony (Turkey), Orquesta de Camara de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), Orchestra Sinfonica Lccce (Italy), Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland), North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (USA), Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra (Dubrovnik, Croatia), Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana (Palermo, Italy), Croatian Chamber Orchestra (Zagreb, Croatia), State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra (Toluca, Mexico), Orchestra of Croatian National Theater, and Croatian Radio-Symphony Choir. In addition to the extensive tour schedule with EMO his upcoming schedule includes appearances with with Slovak Sinfonietta, Bratislava Symphony, Camerata Serbica, Oregon Mozart Players, Steierische Kammerphilharmonie, Athens Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra of Serbian Radio-Television, Zagreb Chamber Orchestra, and the orchestra of Wintergreen Music Festival (Virginia, USA). This season he will also make his debut with Belgrade Opera in a series of performances of La Traviata and serve as the resident conductor of Histria Festival (Croatia) where he will give a series of performances of great classics and performances of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Orff's Carmina Burana with Russian Imperial Ballet.

Upon the nostrification of his diploma by the prestigious Academy of Music in Zagreb, Mr. Hacko continued his studies of music, philosophy, and the visual arts in London and Reading (England). He went to America in 1971 to further his education and received a Master's degree in conducting from the University of Washington and a Doctorate in conducting from Indiana University School of Music (Bloomington). His main teachers include Herbert Blomstedt, Robert Porco, and Leonard Bernstein. Since 1999 he has lead an active international career and now divides his time between Europe and USA.

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