Tomislav Fačini
Tomislav Fačini (1975) completed his studies in Zagreb in 1996 with a Rector’s Award – he continued his training at the Hans Swarowsky Academy in Milan and at the Karlsruhe High School of Music. In 1996, he received both the 2nd and the Special Prize at the Antonio Pedrotti International Conducting Competition at Trento. He is presently engaged as an assistant lecturer at the Conducting Department of the Zagreb Academy of Music.
Between 2003 and 2009, he was the chief conductor of the Croatian Army Symphony Wind Orchestra. From 1994 to 2008, he conducted the St. Mark Church Oratory Choir in Zagreb – with which, in addition to numerous accolades, he also attained an almost professional quality and engagements. He is the artistic director of the Antiphonus ensemble, which achieves one success after another in independent concerts, but also in concerts in which they collaborate with top musicians and vocal soloists. He was the artistic director of St. Donatus Music Festival in Zadar from 2006 until 2009.
He is developing his conducting skills both on the concert and opera scenes. He was a guest performer at many festivals in the region, as well as at practically all Croatian festivals – Osor Music Festival, Music Evenings in St. Donatus, Zagreb Summer Festival, Festival of St. Mark, Zagreb Music Biennale, Osijek Summer Festival, etc. He performed numerous times at Dubrovnik Summer Festival and in 2003 he conducted the Opening Ceremony of this major international festival. At the Varaždin Baroque Evenings Festival he conducted the premiere of Paisiello’s The Barber of Seville, and assisted Paul Eswood in the modern first performance of Cavalli’s opera Pompeo Magno. In 2001, he conducted the premiere of Traviata and Puccini’s Triptych at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. He staged Zajc’s Nikola Šubić Zrinjski at the Sarajevo National Theatre in 2006, and the very next season he conducted the premiere of Bizet’s Carmen there with great success, followed by the opening of Baščaršija Evenings and the Cinderella, Coppelia and Giselle ballets.
He has been the chief conductor of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra since 2014.
He worked and performed with the majority of Croatian ensembles, and with the Symphony Orchestras of the Croatian Radio and Television and of the Slovenian Radio and Television he also realised numerous audio, video and phono-archive recordings, in addition to concert performances. For the fourth year in a row, he has been conducting the International Youth Orchestra, which brings together young musicians from ten countries and is based in Neumarkt. He premiered many contemporary performances of old Croatian masters, as well as numerous new works of art, always promoting Croatian music to the best of his ability. Aside from conducting, he is also a composer and a producer.