The BEHIND THE SCENES program is designed to present Croatian music to young audiences through a personalized approach—placing the audience at the center of the music performance process. This initiative is realized through concerts organized by the Croatian Composers’ Society (HDS) and its partner institutions, as well as additional educational and creative workshops.
Behind the Scenes provides a platform for extracurricular education on contemporary (Croatian) music, supports general educational institutions in teaching about musical art, collaborates with organizations and individuals promoting Croatian creativity, and contributes to the overall development of the audience.
In this project, the YOUNG AUDIENCE consists of classroom students who are offered a unique opportunity to meet the COMPOSERS and PERFORMERS, gain first-hand insights into the music they will hear, participate in interactive workshops on selected topics, attend curated concerts free of charge, and creatively reflect on the concert experience. Through this initiative, HDS seeks to better understand young listeners and incorporate their ideas and needs into the programming and communication of future projects.
The preparation of young audiences for concerts begins with INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM WORKSHOPS, designed with a tailored and professional approach in collaboration with subject teachers. These workshops are led by concert participants—composers, conductors, and musicians—under the guidance of moderator and musicologist Srđana Vrsalović. During these sessions, they share their stories about the music they perform, offering insights into the “BEHIND THE SCENES” aspects of their work. This setup provides young audiences with the opportunity to interact with artists and learn about the music in a familiar environment.
Prominent artists who have led workshops as part of the program include composers such as Berislav Šipuš, Mladen Tarbuk, Ana Horvat, Ivan Josip Skender, Davor Vincze, Sanja Drakulić, Frano Đurović, Boris Jakopović, and Daniel Legin; violinist Eva Mach; saxophonists Miro Kadoić, Vojkan Jocić, and Lovro Merčep; trumpeters Vedran Kocelj and Zvonimir Bajević; percussionist and composer Borna Šercar; composer and pianist Lana Janjanin; guitarist Davor Doležal; vocalist Lela Kaplowitz; pianist Joe Kaplowitz; and conductor Tadej Tomšič.
The Behind the Scenes project is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb.
