Nina Perović

Nina Perović (b. 1985, Montenegro) completed her BA and specialist studies in composition at the Academy of Music in Cetinje, in the class of Professor Žarko Mirković. She also studied piano, completing the undergraduate studies in the class of Aleksandar Serdar, and specialist studies in the class of Vladimir Bochkarev. As a recipient of the Basileus scholarship, she continued her studies of composition at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, in the class of Professor Uroš Rojko, where she obtained her MA degree. She completed the Doctoral academic studies of composition with Srđan Hofman at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. She also finished the specialist studies at the UMDK Graz with Klaus Lang.

Nina Perović works in the sphere of accoustic and electronic music. Her opus so far includes pieces for symphony orchestra, vocal and chamber ensembles, as well as soloist instruments (with electronics or without it). She works as a teaching associate at the Music Academy in Cetinje. She is a member of the Council for music of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts.

About the piece

The piece Blur is dedicated to Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, and it is inspired by the work of Georg Gurdjieff. It is based on the lyrics by Sylvia Plath (The Moon and the Yew Tree). Several elements elaborated by Gurdjieff, as well as by Peter D. Ouspensky (another of his followers), and finally by Olgivanna in her book knjizi The Struggle Within, inspired the approach to composition of this piece. It is reflected in the treatment of the music material during repetitions, in relationship of the layers of music which are all connected to one of the functions of a man’s ‘mechanicness,’ as well as in the very dramaturgy of the piece. The electronic part (‘live electronics’) encompasses a prerecorded solo voice (based on a written score), piano improvisation, and their futher elaboration. This piece initiated numerous other processes which originated from getting to know the work of Gurdjieff.