The concert dedicated to the prematurely deceased artist, flutist Ilija Zimbo, will take place tonight at 9 o’clock in the Church of St. Sophia as part of the music program of the ‘Ohrid Summer’ festival.
The ‘Piano Trio,’ composed of three established musicians, will perform. Tatijana Petrushevska-Karaskakovska, principal oboe of the National opera and ballet orchestra,Marjan Miloshevski, the principal bassoonist of the National opera and ballet orchestra and a professor of bassoon at the Faculty of Music Arts (FMA), and Petar Makarievski, a pianist and artistic associate at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDA).”
The trio had its concert debut at the concert and CD promotion in honour of the late flutist Ilija Zimbo in Skopje. This concert was followed by many more in nearly all cities in Macedonia, as well as a concert in Novi Sad, Serbia in the year when this city was the European capital of culture.
In 2022, Macedonian composers Vanja Nikolovski-Gumar and Filip Ivanov wrote pieces specifically for the “Piano Trio,” which premiered at the Chamber Music Festival in Novi Sad. In November 2022, the trio performed a recital program at the “Autumn Music Festivities” festival, featuring works from the world’s literature. In 2023, composers Kostadin Delinikolov and Goran Nachevski dedicated their compositions to the Trio.
Ilija Zimbo, an Ohrid-born musician, was a prominent Macedonian soloist, chamber musician, and the first flutist in the National Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Despite his premature passing, he left behind a rich concert biography and numerous awards from prestigious competitions worldwide. His repertoire encompassed works from various epochs, from the Baroque era to contemporary music. Due to his exceptional ability to experiment and push the boundaries of flute sound, several Macedonian composers, such as Tomislav Zografski, Pande Shahov, Ljubomir Branđolica, and Toma Manchev, composed pieces specifically for him.