Žuraj, Vito

Born in 1979 in Maribor, Slovenia. Having graduated in composition and music theory from the class of Marko Mihevc at the Music Academy in Ljubljana, he continued his composition studies with Lothar Voigtländer at the Carl Maria von Weber High School of Music in Dresden and with Wolfgang Rihm at the High School of Music in Karlsruhe, where he also completed an MA course in music technology with Thomas A. Troge. In 2009-10 he took part in the International Ensemble Modern Academy and at the Academy Opera Today held by the Deutsche Bank Foundation.

Vito Žuraj has collaborated with renowned ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Stuttgart Radio Symphony, Hessische Rundfunk Symphony, Slovenian Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, Scharoun Ensemble, ensemble recherche, and RIAS Kammerchor, under conductors such as Matthias Pintscher, Johannes Kalitzke, Beat Furrer and Emilio Pomarico, among others. His compositions have been performed at Salzburg Festival, New York Philharmonic Biennial, Ultraschall Berlin, Darmstadt Summer Courses, Gaudeamus Music Week, Manifeste Paris, Takefu Festival Japan, as well as MoMA in New York, Mozarteum Salzburg, Berlin and Cologne philharmonics, and the Semper Oper in Dresden. His first opera Orlando. The Castle was premiered in 2013 at the Bielefeld Theatre. Vito Žuraj's intensive work in the field of electronic music resulted in collaborations with the SWR Experimentalstudio in Freiburg i. Br., IRCAM, and ZKM in Karlsruhe.

Vito Žuraj's numerous accolades include the 1st prize in the Stuttgart Competition for Composers and the prize for an orchestra composition granted by the German Radio Philharmonic in Saarbrücken. In 2016 he received the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize from the Berlin Philharmonic. Vito Žuraj lectures in instrumentation and Gregorian chant at the High School of Music in Karlsruhe and since 2015, at the Music Academy in Ljubljana. In 2014 he was artist-in-residence at the German Academy Villa Massimo in Rome.

Selected works: Torklja Overture for orchestra (1999), Space Echoes for flute, synthesizer and five percussionists (1999), Divertimento for ensemble (2000), Burlesque for orchestra (2000), Memento mori for soprano and piano (2000), Musica da camera for ensemble (2001), Cloop for musical saw, alto flute and percussion (2001), O magnum mysterium for mixed choir (2001), Kontra for ensemble (2002), Pianophonics for piano and four-channel electroacoustic projection (2002), Want to Practise... for flute and horn (2003), In medias res for orchestra (2004), Die Katze for soprano and piano (2004), Tango for flute and orchestra (2005), Last Hope for ensemble (2005), Concertino for horn and four woodwinds (2005), Pegam & Lambergar for mixed choir, organ and six-channel electroacoustic projection (2005), Sprich auch du for mixed choir (2006), Perpetuum for organ and two-channel electronics (2006), Fragment for string quartet (2006), Vocalise for soprano, viola da gamba and harpsichord (2006), Reections for ensemble (2007), Airphones for saxophone quartet (2007), iSlider for eight-channel tape (2007), Octet (2007), Relief for saxophone and ensemble (2007), Movement for organ (2007), Quadriptich for ensemble (2008), Odtrg for eight-channel tape (2008), Crosscourt for ensemble and electronics (2008), Deuce for saxophone and percussion (2008), Trilogus for three female voices (2008), Fluctus for eight-channel tape (2009), Concerto for saxophone / clarinet and orchestra (2006-9), Ruée for clarinet (2002-10), The French Open for horn (2003-10), vergrip for orchestra (2010), Tiebreak for orchestra (2010), Net Cord for string ensemble (2010), Court no. 2 for ensemble (2010), Dropshot for two horns and ensemble (2010), Zur Freude for children's choir and brass quintet (2010), Zgübleni for alto, ensemble and electronics (2010), Čmrlj for piano (2011), Framed for ensemble (2011), Best­of­Five for organ (2011), Top Spin for percussion trio (2011), Changeover for instrumental groups and large orchestra (2011), Introitus for string quartet (2012), Contour from wind quintet (2012), Silhouette for accordion (2012), Restrung for ensemble (2012), Re­slide for trombone and ensemble (2012), Warm­Up for horn and two percussionists (2012), Recitativi for high voice and cimbalo cromatico (2012), Orlando. Das Schloss, music theatre for voices, choir, electronics and orchestra (2012-13), Matrix for disklavier and electronics (2013), Übürall for soprano and ensemble (2013), Fired­Up for ensemble (2013), Insideout for two voices and ensemble (2013), Hawk­Eye, concerto for horn and orchestra (2013-14), Round­Robin for accordion and electronics (2014), Quiet, Please for three mouthpieces (2014), Chrysanthemum for clarinet, cello and piano (2014), Runaround for brass quintet and ensemble (2014), Overhead for string ensemble (2014), Schub'rdy G' for soprano, accordion, percussion and piano (2015), A ertouch for ensemble (2015), Moonballs for wind quintet (2015), La femme 100 têtes for soprano and double bass (2015), i­Formation, concerto for two orchestras and two conductors (2016), Etouffée for prepared piano (2016), Ueaueoi for six male voices (2016), Ubiquité for soprano and instrumental groups (2013-17), Stand­up for orchestra (2017).