Ante Grgin (1945, Serbia) completed his clarinet studies at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. For a number of years he had was the lead clarinetist at the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and in 1995 he became professor of clarinet at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. As a soloist and chamber musician he gave performances in many cities of the former Yugoslavia, in France, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Belarus and China. He has won numerous recognitions in contests in Geneva, Munich and Prague and he has served on the jury of many national and international contests. Among the numerous national awards he has received for his performance skills and pedagogy, the Association of the Musicians of Serbia Lifetime Achievement Award stands out. His composition opus with interwoven elements of jazz, evergreen and classical music has enriched the literature for wind instruments.

Kapričo br. 5 (Capriccio No. 5) features an ABA type of structure. It is dominated by blues and swing elements. The opening segment features a blues-like kind of gloom, in the clarinet’s low register, with an occasional virtuosic passage and discrete nuances of vibrato, typical of blues performers. The middle section (B) provides a contrast to the opening blues. It consists of virtuosic passages scattered across the range of the clarinet and a swing-like rhythmic pulse. This is followed by a slightly modified reprise of the opening section, which concludes the piece.

The piece is dedicated to Stojan Krkuleski, one of the best students in the class of Ante Grgin. Since Krkuleski is unable to première Kapričo br. 5, which is dedicated to him, he will be substituted by his professor, in what will be his farewell public performance.