Female choir “Menada” Conductor: Ivica Zoric, North Macedonia

Founded in 1981 in Tetovo, the “Menada” choir has continuously been led by its founder-Ivica Zoric. The varied repertoire of the choir includes works from all epochs from the North Macedonian and world choral literature both a-cappella and vocal-instrumental music. “Menada” is winner of numerous prizes and accolades in North Macedonia, countries of former Yugoslavia and Europe including prizes from the choral competitions and festivals in Dobrich, Celje, Litomysl, Bad Ischl, Preveza, Neerpelt, Krakow and Rimini.  Numerous tours speak of the quality of the ensemble which has performed among other countries in Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, Kosovo etc..   Ivica Zoric- conductor   Ivica Zoric earns his graduate, MA and PhD diplomas from the Faculty of Music in Skopje becoming the first Doctor of music performance in the Republic of Macedonia. In 1977 he founds the children’s choir “Lale” and several years later in 1981 the female choir “Menada”- both in his hometown of Tetovo. Both choirs have a large and varied repertoire encompassing over 500 works in 18 languages. With the two ensembles he has conducted over 1000 performances at festivals, tours and competitions in 17 countries where they have won numerous prizes including the prize for Most successful conductor from the International choir festival in Hajnowka (Poland) in 1999. Ivica Zoric is president of the board of International Choir festival “Teho” in Tetovo, he is the initiator and founder of the Balkan Choir Forum in Tetovo in 1998 that has participants from Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Serbia and Romania He is a member and North Macedonian representative in the European Choral Association. In 1979 he is awarded the city  of Tetovo award “19 November”, in 1982 the prize “Kiril Pejcinovic” and in 2005 the highest accolade the State award “11 October” for accomplishments in the field of culture. The Association of Music Pedagogues of North Macedonia has also awarded him their yearly award for his years dedicated to the development of music pedagogy in 2007.