Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

June 19, 1885

Death

:

August 21, 1958

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Stevan Hristic was a Serbian composer who was born on December 11, 1885, in Belgrade, Serbia. He was the son of a prominent Serbian lawyer and politician, and his mother was a pianist and music teacher. Hristic showed an early interest in music and began studying piano and composition at a young age. Hristic's musical education began at the Belgrade Music School, where he studied piano with Josip Slavenski and composition with Stjepan Sulek. He continued his studies in Vienna, where he studied with Franz Schreker and Joseph Marx. Hristic also spent time in Paris, where he studied with Nadia Boulanger and attended the famous Ecole Normale de Musique. Hristic's early compositions were heavily influenced by the music of his Serbian heritage, as well as the music of his European contemporaries. His early works include the orchestral suite "Serbian Dances" and the opera "The Legend of Ohrid." These works were well-received and helped establish Hristic as a rising star in the world of classical music. In the 1920s, Hristic became involved in the cultural and political life of Serbia. He was a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and served as the director of the Belgrade Music School. He also worked as a music critic and wrote extensively about the role of music in Serbian culture. Hristic's most famous work is his opera "Koštana," which premiered in 1931. The opera is based on a play by Serbian writer Borisav Stankovic and tells the story of a young woman who is torn between two suitors. The opera was a huge success and is still performed regularly in Serbia and other parts of the world. Hristic continued to compose throughout his life, and his later works show a greater influence from the music of his Serbian heritage. His later works include the orchestral suite "Serbian Rhapsody" and the choral work "The Legend of the White Angel." Hristic died on October 21, 1958, in Belgrade, Serbia. He is remembered as one of the most important Serbian composers of the 20th century and a key figure in the development of classical music in Serbia. His music continues to be performed and celebrated by musicians and audiences around the world.

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