Ana Vidović (born 8 November 1980) is a classical guitarist originally from

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. A child prodigy, she has won a number of prizes and international competitions all over the world.

Early life

Vidović was born on November 8, 1980, in Karlovac,

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. Her father, Ljubomir, played bass guitar and performed with his band nationwide in his youth. She has two older brothers:

Viktor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

is a classical guitarist, who inspired her to play, and Silvije is a concert pianist. She started playing guitar at age 5, went to music school in her hometown, and began performing at 8. By the age of 11, Vidović was performing internationally and showed such an extraordinary talent that at 13, she became the youngest student to attend Academy of Music in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

(the time of the Croatian War of Independence). She studied with Professor István Römer, graduating in 1998. Her reputation in Europe led to an invitation by world renowned classical guitarist and professor

Manuel Barrueco Manuel Barrueco (born December 16, 1952) is a Cuban classical guitarist. During three decades of concert performances he has performed and recorded across the United States and has been involved in many successful collaborations. In addition, he ...

to study at the

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, Maryland, from which she graduated in 2003.

Career

Her international career includes frequent recitals, concerto engagements, festival appearances, and tours all over the world. Vidović has performed with numerous orchestras. She often plays works by

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

, who is her favorite composer, and other composers such as

Federico Moreno Torroba Federico Moreno Torroba (3 March 189112 September 1982) was a Spanish composer, conductor, and theatrical impresario. He is especially remembered for his important contributions to the classical guitar repertoire, becoming one of the leading twe ...

Manuel Ponce Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (8 December 1882 – 24 April 1948) was a Mexican composer active in the 20th century. His work as a composer, music educator and scholar of Mexican music connected the concert scene with a mostly forgotten traditi ...

Francisco Tárrega Francisco de Asís Tárrega Eixea (21 November 185215 December 1909) was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist of the late Romantic period. He is known for such pieces as Capricho Árabe and ''Recuerdos de la Alhambra''. He is often calle ...

, and

Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the '' Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical gu ...

(including

Concierto de Aranjuez The ''Concierto de Aranjuez'' (, "Aranjuez Concerto") is a classical guitar concerto by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is by far Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the mos ...

). Ana Vidović has won over twenty awards at international competitions, in which she participated until she was 18 years old. Her accolades include first prizes in the Albert Augustine Memorial International Competition ( Bath, England) at the age of 13, the Fernando Sor competition (

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, Italy), and the

competition ( Benicàssim, Spain). Other top prizes include the

Eurovision Young Musicians The Eurovision Young Musicians (), often shortened to EYM, or Young Musicians, is a biennial classical music competition for European musicians that are aged between 12 and 21. It is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and broadcast ...

competition, the

Mauro Giuliani Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani (27 July 1781 – 8 May 1829) was an Italian guitarist, cellist, singer, and composer. He was a leading guitar virtuoso of the early 19th century. Biography Although born in Bisceglie, Giuliani's cent ...

competition in Italy, the Printemps de la Guitare competition in Belgium, and the

Young Concert Artists International Auditions Young Concert Artists is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting the careers of talented young classical musicians from all over the world. The competition, founded in 1961, allows artists from all over ...

in New York. In a review of one of her performances in 2006, Stephen Brookes of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' wrote: "her playing ..was virtually immaculate – detailed, precise and polished. But this was no mere virtuosic display. Vidovic's playing is nuanced and intensely personal, both deeply felt and deeply thought." ''Guitar Reviews Stephen Griesgraber noted "It is difficult to know where to begin when discussing the enormous talents of Ana Vidovic. Her dynamic range, beauty of sound, precision of articulation and virtuosity are such that listening becomes more of an absolute musical experience." She cites

Paco de Lucía Francisco Sánchez Gómez (21 December 194725 February 2014), known as Paco de Lucía (;), was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. A leading proponent of the new flamenco style, he was one of the first flam ...

as a role model, John Williams as a significant musical inspiration, along with many other composers and musicians. She mentioned

Jacqueline du Pré Jacqueline Mary du Pré (26 January 1945 – 19 October 1987) was a British cellist. At a young age, she achieved enduring mainstream popularity. Despite her short career, she is regarded as one of the greatest cellists of all time. Her care ...

's performance of the Elgar Concerto as one of her favorite classical CDs. Vidović plays a Jim Redgate guitar exclusively and said, " everalyears ago, I tried a Redgate ..and felt an immediate connection .. This is a very special instrument that you could explore for many years." She has released six CDs, two live DVDs, and has been featured on compilation albums. ''Guitar Virtuoso'' (2006) DVD is a performance of works by Bach, Torroba, Paganini, and

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingdo ...

; while on ''Guitar Artistry in Concert'' (2009), she performs the music of Torroba, Piazzolla,

Pierre Bensusan Pierre Bensusan (born 30 October 1957) is a French-Algerian acoustic guitarist. As Sephardic Jews, his family came from Spain, Spanish Morocco, and French Algeria. His music has been characterized as Celtic, folk, world music, New-age, and ch ...

Sérgio Assad Sérgio Assad (born 26 December 1952) is a Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger who often performs with his brother, Odair in the guitar duo ''Sérgio and Odair Assad'', commonly referred to as the ''Assad Brothers'' or ''Duo Assad''. T ...

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, Villa-Lobos, and Barrios.

Discography

;CDs * ''Ana Vidovic'',

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, 1994 * ''Ana Vidović - Guitar'', BGS Records (BGCD 103), 1996 * ''The Croatian Prodigy'', BGS, 1999 * ''Guitar Recital: Ana Vidovic'',

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...

Laureate Series (8.554563), 2000 * ''Ana Vidovic Live!'', Croatia Records, 2001 * ''Moreno-Torroba: Guitar Music, Vol. 1'', Naxos (8.557902), 2007 ;DVDs * ''Ana Vidovic: Guitar Virtuoso'',

Mel Bay Publications Mel Bay (February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997) was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of music education books. His '' Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords'' remains a bestseller. Biography Early life Melbourne E. Bay was bo ...

Inc. (21186DVD), 2006 * ''Ana Vidovic: Guitar Artistry in Concert'', Mel Bay Publications Inc. (21991DVD), 2009

References

External links

Official site
*

* *
Interview with NY Classical Guitar Society in 2007

Interview with Tokafi Guitar Magazine in 2007

Live Performance at the Kennedy Center in 2004

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vidovic, Ana Croatian classical guitarists Women classical guitarists 1980 births Living people People from Karlovac Croatian expatriates in the United States University of Zagreb alumni Peabody Institute alumni 21st-century women guitarists