Tonight, the “Ohrid Summer” festival will host a special concert titled “Evening Bell,” dedicated to celebrating the 65th birthday of the esteemed Macedonian composer Goce Kolarovski. The event will take place in the renowned “St. Sophia” church at the festival’s standard time of 9 PM.
The performers for the evening include musicologist Viktorija Kolarovska-Gmirja, pianists Marija Vrškova and Marija Gjosevska, violinist Vladimir Kostov, flutist Strašo Temkov, soprano Gonca Bogomorova, and a string quartet consisting of Eva Bogoevska (violin), Ivana Zdravkova (violin), Leona Kondratenko (viola), and Maja Mihajlovska (cello).
About Goce Kolarovski
Born on February 5, 1959, in Skopje, and passing away on November 30, 2006, Goce Kolarovski was a significant figure in the generation of Macedonian composers whose creative formation occurred during a period of continuous advancement in professional music creation and the solidification of the Macedonian national composer school. He received his compositional education at the Faculty of Music Arts in Skopje under the tutelage of academician Prof. Vlastimir Nikolovski and at the “N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov” Conservatory in Saint Petersburg (Leningrad), studying with Prof. Sergei M. Slonimsky. Later, he completed his postgraduate studies with Vlastimir Nikolovski, becoming the first to earn a master’s degree in composition from the Faculty of Music Arts in Skopje.
Kolarovski’s work, deeply rooted in the national musical tradition (Macedonian musical folklore, ancient Orthodox chanting), also reflects various trends in contemporary Western music, drawing influences from Bartók and Stravinsky’s folklorism, as well as avant-garde techniques through the lens of the Polish school. In his later period, Webern and Ives became particularly influential to him—the concentrated expression and rationality of Webern and the vastness and complexity of Ives’ content.
Kolarovski had a special interest in exploring sound based on the phenomenon of bells, a distinctive feature of the acoustic environment of the Orthodox tradition. His compositional oeuvre, though not extensive, includes works that are highly regarded and frequently performed by musicians and ensembles in Macedonia and abroad.
Legacy and Contributions
Kolarovski remains a pivotal figure in Macedonian musical culture, known as a promoter of new ideas, understandings, and standards. As a longtime professor of composition and theoretical subjects at the Faculty of Music Arts in Skopje, and serving two terms as its dean, he inspired creativity among young people, generously sharing his knowledge and creative energy. He initiated the first international summer schools for composition in Macedonia. His pedagogical activities extended to numerous seminars and master classes, and he was also an invited professor at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Niš.
As a scholar and publicist, Kolarovski promoted new theoretical concepts, delving into the questions of contemporary music and music education, presenting his findings at numerous scientific gatherings domestically and internationally. His societal contributions were reflected in his involvement with the Composers’ Association of Macedonia, where he was a long-time member of the presidency and a selector for the “Days of Macedonian Music” event, enhancing its international character.
Kolarovski received several awards and recognitions for his contributions to compositional work. His symphonic music, chamber works for various ensembles, and solo compositions are performed successfully at concert and festival stages in Macedonia and other countries, always leaving a lasting impression with their deep thought, emotional depth, and compositional mastery.