The music program of this year’s 63rd edition of the “Ohrid Summer” festival concludes tonight with a full-length concert by the professional mixed choir “Pro Ars,” which will take place at the St. Sophia Church starting at 9:00 PM, under the baton of conductor Sašo Tatarčevski.
Formed in 2011 by conductor Tatarčevski, the professional mixed choir “Pro Ars” emerged from years of engagement in the choral art field and analysis that revealed a need for such an ensemble that would professionally and primarily provide a high-quality response to the demands of the music scene in North Macedonia.
The advantages of the choir became evident as early as its first year of activity, showcasing high performance quality, mobility, and the ability to perform a wide repertoire spanning different genres. Special emphasis and dedication are given to the existing Macedonian choral repertoire, as well as to encouraging young composers to create new choral music. In its twelve years of existence, the choir has held independent concerts featuring artistic choral music, participated in events like “Days of Macedonian Music” with premieres of compositions by Macedonian and international authors, performed at renowned festivals such as “Ohrid Summer” and “Autumn Music Festivities,” collaborated with various foundations and associations to realize concert programs with diverse genre definitions.
Starting in 2018, the choir has been a regular guest at vocal-instrumental music concerts of the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, performing not only under the baton of Maestro Tatarčevski but also with conductors like Gustav Kuhn, Emil Tabakov, Gabriel Bebeshlea, Lubnan Balbaki, and more. “Pro Ars” has recorded numerous studio tracks for educational programs, solo albums, as well as film music for high-budget international films in the FAMES studio. Since 2017, the choir has initiated its international presence with performances on prestigious stages in Thessaloniki, Sofia, and Vienna.
The members of the professional choir “Pro Ars” are young, motivated, vocally trained choral artists, fully educated and prepared for effective and professional work.