Martina Filjak, pianist
News archive
August 2010
On August 6, Martina Filjak performed the 5th piano concerto of Beethoven as soloist with the Southeast Europe Youth Orchestra under the baton of the legendary cellist and conductor Heinrich Schiff. The concert venue was the big hall of the Konzerthaus in Berlin and was also the opening night concert of the popular Young Euro Classic Festival.
The German reviewers responded with praise for the ensemble as well as for Filjak’s performance of the Beethoven concerto. Here the critic of the renowned Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote : “Martina Filjak's influence was so wakeful, so decisive, sovereign, and full of contrasts…. with such playing she has already left behind some perhaps more famous young pianists of her generation.” Also , the Märkische Oderzeitung assures that ” the young Croatian pianist Martina Filjak did not leave us a single doubt of her musicality , neither in the virtuoso passages through the entire keyboard in the first movement, nor in the lyrical melodies of the 2nd movement.” Additionally, the Kasselere Zeitung reported that “ in the 5th piano concerto of Beethoven, the pianist was the main focus - the Croatian Martina Filjak has quickly gained attention and fondness for her [art ], not because of her long red dress . Her playing was convincing from the very first moment, mostly because of the fact that alongside her undoubted technical capabilities she managed to give interpretative accentuations that made a well-known piece interesting . The young Croat possesses a talent seamlessly melting the strong passages with the lyrical….”
After a successful recital performance at the Chopin Festival in Duszniki, Poland, Martina Filjak headed for Chautauqua, New York , where she performed the Ravel Piano Concerto in G-major with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Stefan Sanderling . The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s critic , Zachary Lewis , who was guest reviewer, noted on that occasion “ of a sensational realization by Filjak keenly attuned to Ravel’s unique blend of sensuousness and rhythmic vitality. At one moment , the pianist would be spinning out a long , luxurious phrase with inimitable elegance , only to turn around the next and drive home a contrasting point or a spine-tingling volley of trills with sizzling articulation . A particularly fetching example of her playful spirit was the final Presto , in which Filjak yielded to the music’s improvisational quality, allowing its non-stop rollicking energy to reach and eventually spill over its bounds. But where Filjak truly shone was in the Adagio Assai. Its first few minutes , with Filjak sounding the only tones , were completely engrossing. All attention was focused on her poetic and deeply expressive pianistic voice .”
On August 27th and 28th Martina Filjak made her debut in Santiago, Chile, performing the Schumann piano concerto with the Chilean National Symphony Orchestra , Michal Nesterowicz conducting. The Chilean reviewers reported : “The Croatian pianist Martina Filjak surpassed all expectations”.
July 2010
The 2009-2010 season was very exciting and successful for Martina Filjak . It began with First Prize and additional Special Prizes (best performances of Beethoven as well as best of contemporary music) at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, continuing with successful debuts and performances at venues such as the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Musikverein in Vienna, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa .
Described as “versatile and adventurous” by Donald Rosenberg; a “pianist to watch” by Anthony Tomassini in the New York Times; and as giving an “impressive debut “ at the Wiener Zeitung , Martina Filjak also gave numerous concerto performances as a soloist performing concerti by Mozart , Beethoven , Grieg , Schumann , Chopin , Rachmaninov , Tchaikovsky , Hindemith and Bartok with orchestras such as the Bilbao Symphony, Tenerife Symphony, Torino Philharmonic, and the South Carolina Philharmonic .
Her 2009 Buenos Aires debut received the Argentinian Music critics Award. Additionally, in the Autumn of 2009, she was awarded the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize.
June 2010
On June 6th Martina Filjak performed with great success the 4 Temperaments by Hindemith with the Cantus Ensemble in Zagreb Croatia .
Shortly afterwards , on June 11th she performed a joint solo and duo recital with Alexander Ghindin at the Severance Hall in Cleveland .
On June 19th , Martina Filjak was a soloist in the 2nd concerto by Chopin at the Strasbourg Festival , accompanied by Sinfonia Iuventus and Theodor Guschlbauer , and on June 26th she performed a joint recital evening together with the renowned pianist Ewa Kupiec at the Festival Eusopäische Festspielwochen in Passau . Both concerts earned excellent reviews :
May 2010
During July and August Martina will perform the 5th concerto by Beethoven with the South East Europe Youth Orchestra under the baton of Heinrich Schiff , the Schumann Piano Concerto at the Dubrovnik Festival as well as with the Chile National Symphony Orchestra , the Ravel Piano Concerto with the Chautauqua Symphony and Stefan Sanderling and recitals at the Santa Cristina Festival in Spain and at the Duszniki Festival in Poland . The exact schedule will soon be published in the Concert section .
April 2010
Martina Filjak succesfully finished her USA tour that included several recitals and a performance of Bartok's 3rd piano concerto with the South Carolina Philharmonic on April 24th . The Bartok performance earned her excellent reviews describing the concert as a 'heavenly performance' and ' one of the best soloists we've had in a long time ' . Read the entire review on the following link