If one could have recorded an ancient culture, how would it have sounded? Croatian conductor Antoaneta Radočaj-Jerković and two all-female choirs under her lead pursue this question. The result is HORIZON, a haunting performance of the eponymous work by contemporary composer Dalibor Bukvić.
Today, Antoaneta is our featured artist in the “Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn about her persistent desire for artistic growth, and the engulfing love for creation that drives her forward…
What have been your biggest inspirations on your musical journey?
My greatest inspiration have been my teachers and mentors, who sparked in me a curiosity, receptiveness, and interest in various musical expressions. Early on, I learned that freedom in interpretation, as long as it is stylistically justified, is a good thing, and this allowed me to begin creating original interpretative solutions. I find inspiration in the rich tradition of vocal music because I equally love choral works from the Renaissance era and contemporary music.
I am fascinated by the universality of the voice as a means of conveying emotions from the performer to the audience. Indeed, we can be grateful to have such a powerful means of communication at our disposal.
But I also draw inspiration from the obstacles and challenges I encounter because whenever I think I won’t be able to achieve something, I consciously put in extra effort to make it happen. Does that mean that stubbornness can be inspiring too?
What advice would you give to your younger self if given the chance?
The most important advice I would give my younger self is to always believe in yourself and trust your hard work. Also, in life, don’t view obstacles as something inherently bad. It’s precisely because of the obstacles, the glass walls I had to break through, and the people who made my journey harder that I was able to build myself into a persistent and resilient person. The difficulties around us and the people who create them may change, but we are the ones who decide how we will navigate through them. Some people sink in troubles, while others are cast onto shores they could never have dreamed of. I’m happy to have the opportunity to see new shores!
What emotions do you hope listeners will experience after hearing your work?
I hope that by listening to the album HORIZON by composer Dalibor Bukvić, listeners will feel the primordial sound of the universe that is eternal. The warm voices of my choir blend with nature and bird songs, and in certain movements create a sense of mystical, timeless feminine energy — warm, comforting, brave, strong, combative, and fragile at the same time. A woman who is both a seductress and warrior.
Certain movements suggest the layered sound of a collective, which is so important in choral art and increasingly needed as a source of comfort in today’s distanced and overly individualized society. I hope listeners will feel that the ensemble performing the work is connected and aligned on many levels, primarily musically but also on a human level, almost leading the listener toward a certain kind of catharsis through the harmony and synchronization of the performers’ shared breath.
How have your influences changed as you’ve grown as a musician?
I still strive to grow as an artist every day. Every new score and every new performance is an opportunity for growth. I have dedicated myself to choral art from four perspectives — conducting, singing, teaching, and research. I cannot omit any of these perspectives when preparing a new project. These perspectives are all woven into my artistic identity and my work with the ensemble, especially when it comes to presenting new works, as was the case with this composition.
Where and when are you at your most creative?
I am most creative during rehearsals — while the ensemble sings, I react to the sound, either changing it on the spot, experimenting with it, or noting what I would change in the next phases. I am happiest when I can bring new creative solutions to life during a performance, not just technically but when the ensemble and I achieve a state of flow where, through joint effort, we bring the composer’s ideas to life. This has often been the case during live performances of this piece. Since we performed it in different performance spaces, we tried to establish communication between the composition and not only the audience but also the space in which it was performed. The moments of satisfaction with original interpretation among the performers are priceless moments of joy.
What are your passions beyond music?
My greatest passion is still music. Everything else in my life is subordinated to music and my ensembles, and it is impossible to compare their significance in my life to any other area of my existence.
I am proud of that, though it is sometimes demanding, but the joy and excitement that creating and performing music brings me are incomparable to any other life joys. When I am engulfed in creating, I feel fully alive and know that I am fulfilling my life’s purpose. We are all put on this earth for a reason, and I truly feel that I am here because of my choirs. Choral singing is a powerful means of connecting people and building communities; it changes and enriches many lives. Do I have the right to desire a greater passion than that?
