Isidora Žebeljan (1967–2020) was one of the most original composers of classical contemporary music at the beginning of the 21st century, which is why she remains the most performed Serbian composer abroad. She drew attention of the international audiences with her opera Zora D. which was commissioned by the Genesis Foundation London, and which had its premiere in Amsterdam in 2023. Since then, Isidora Žebeljan continually received commissions of the most important music institutions such as the Foundation of the Berliner Philharmoniker, La Biennale di Venezia, Bregenzer Festspiele, Opera in Gelsenkirchen, Dutch Chamber Choir, Accademia Musicale Chigiana Siena, City of London Festival, etc.  She wrote for exceptional music ensembles such as the Wiener Symphoniker, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Brodsky Quartet, London Brass. She wrote about 100 compositions, including five operas created for the opera houses in the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, and Italy, as well as incidental music for 38 theatre plays. Zora D. is the first Serbian opera which had its premiere performance abroad (in the Netherlands), while her opera Due teste e una ragazza (Dve glave i devojka) is the first Serbian opera which was sung in Serbian language at its premeiere abroad (in Siena, Italy). Foremost music soloists and ensembles have performed approximately 70 of her compositions on concert podiums and in opera houses in 40 countries on all continents.

About the piece

Dark velvet, in memory of Gustav Mahler, is a piano miniature, composed in 2005 for a theatre production of Thomas Berhnard’s play Heldenplatz, directed by Dejan Mijač, at the Atelje 212 theatre. In its original versions, for piano and string quartet, the piece is widely performed and recorded. Isidora’s brilliant former student and an exceptional young composer Veljko Nenadić made the version for violin and piano (2021) for the violinist Julija Hartig, and also the version for violin and string orchestra for the violinist Daniel Rowland Nenadić (2023). Rowland gave its premiere with the European Union Youth Orchestra. The score was published by Donemus (the Netherlands).

Dr Borislav Čičovački