CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF JEUNESSES MUSICALES “SASHA NIKOLOVSKI-GJUMAR” Artistic leader/conductor: Oleg Kondratenko

Sofija Nikoska-violin Ivan Trajanoski- saxophone   The Chamber orchestra of Jeunesses Musicales Macedonia was established over 30 years ago as the main segment of JMM Summer music camp in Ohrid in 1986. It is the only ensemble of its kind in South-East Europe. To this date the orchestra has welcomed more than 350 young musicians mostly from Macedonia but also guest musicians from other countries and it has become one of the highly professional string ensembles in the country.  Artistic directors and conductors of the orchestra include: F. Muratovski, G. Korunovski, S. Nikolovski-Gjumar, V. Nikolovski-Gjumar, M. Spasov, B. Canev, A. Remereit, B. Chadlovska, O. Kondratenko, Misha Katz, Gianluca Martinenghi, Elena Mitrevska, and the orchestra is dedicated to the promotion of young Macedonian conductors (Dijana Imei Ilkoska, Ivan Eminovic). In 1995 recognizing the orchestra’s qualities and impact the ensemble was invited and featured in the celebrations of the 50 years Anniversary of the International Federation of Jeunesses Musicales in Budapest. Recordings include numerous concerts for Radio and TV as well as its own CD production with 5 CD’s to date. For 32 years the final concert of the summer session of the orchestra is part of the official programme of the Ohrid Summer Festival, and for 12 years the young musicians also perform at the Skopje Summer Festival and Bitola Summer Festival. Since 2018 the orchestra carries the name of the Macedonian conductor Sasha Nikolovski-Gjumar, and this year for the second time in a row the summer session and concerts are conducted by the Macedonian violin virtuoso and pedagogue Oleg Kondratenko.   Sofija Nikoska- violin Violinist Sofija Nikoska was born in 1991 in Prilep where she starts her music education. She continues to study at the Music High School in Skopje and starts her graduate studies at the Faculty of music in the class of Oleg Kondratenko at age 15 which makes her the youngest freshmen in the history of the Faculty.  She earns her BA degree with highest marks Cum Laude and goes on to earn her Master’s degree. From 2011 to 2017 Sofija studies at the Royal College of Music in Madrid in the class of renowned professor Zakhar Bron with a scholarship provided by the Albeniz Foundation.  Since she was 9 years old she has been competing at international level winning the international competition “Cornelia Bronzetti” in Kampina, Romania, and continuing to win prizes at competitions in Skopje, Zagreb, Ohrid, Haskovo, Malaga etc. She has attended numerous master-classes held by Yuri Volgin, Vadim Gluzman, Gerard Poulet, Ferenc Rados, Alexander Bondurianski, Valentin Erben, Eduard Grach, Dora Ivanova, Ivo Mirkovic, Peter Shepard, Isabela Golovina, Blagoja Dimchevski etc.  She has performed in concert and recital in Macedonia and abroad including performances with the Macedonian philharmonic, Orchestra of the JMM and as a laureate of the competition organized by “EMCY” she was part of the “Rising stars” tour with concerts in Germany and Austria.  As a scholarship holder of the “Albeniz” foundation she was invited to the Festival “Interlaken classics” in Switzerland where she performed as part of the Zakhar Bron Chamber orchestra.   Ivan Trajanoski- saxophone Saxophone player Ivan Trajanoski was born in Skopje where he begins his musical education. He finishes high school in the class of his father Vladimir Trajanoski continuing to study at the Music Academy in Ljubljana in the class of prof. Matjaz Dervenshek.  He also is takes part in master classes led by Phillip Geiss, Jean-Denis Michat, Miha Rogina, Nicolas Prost, Signum Saxophone quartet etc. He has won numerous awards as a soloist and a chamber musician (Belgrade, Smederevo, Pozharevac, Skopje, Struga, Bitola, Tolmin) and with the quartet “Eutherpa” he wins first prize and special merit at the State competition “Temsig” in Slovenia (2015). As a soloist or as a chamber musician Trajanovski has performed in Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Austria and Germany. He has taken center stage as a soloist with the Macedonian philharmonic, with the City of Skopje wind orchestra, chamber orchestra “Amoroso”, the wind and chamber orchestra of the Music school “Ilija Nikolovski-Luj”, the wind ensemble of the Academy in Ljubljana and the Radio Slovenia Symphony orchestra. He is an active member of the Big Band of the Macedonian Association of Jazz musicians and with pianist Dominika Robe they form the duo “Con Fuoco”.