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Mihael Paar
Clarinetist Mihael Paar (Zagreb, 1980) is a concert performer, composer, arranger, producer and teacher. After completing his studies at the Music Academy in Zagreb with Prof. Josip Tonžetić in 2002, he continued his education at Mozarteum University Salzburg with Prof. Alois Brandhofer and earned the title of Master of Arts cum laude in 2006.
He attracted attention as a 15-year-old for his impressive debut performance with the Windstrings Chamber Orchestra performing Weber’s Concertino. Since then, he has performed in prestigious concert halls in Croatia and abroad, as well as at international festivals, and has appeared as a soloist with the following orchestras and ensembles: the Franjo Krežma Chamber Orchestra, the Croatian National Television Tambouritza Orchestra, the Samobor Strings, the Zagreb Quartet, the Porin Quartet, the Sebastian Quartet, the Acies Quartet, etc. He has made notable performances at international competitions. He won the 2nd prize in Ohrid, the 3rd prize in Barletta and the 4th prize in Padua. He is a laureate of the international Solti Foundation, recipient of the City of Samobor Award, “Milka Trnina” Diploma and the Award of the Croatian Composers’ Society at the Darko Lukić Young Artists Tribune. His debut album entitled Premiere, published by Cantus, won a Porin Discography Award for the best classical music composition and was nominated for the best classical music performance.
As an orchestral musician, he has collaborated with the Zagreb Philharmonic, the Cantus Ensemble, the Samobor Music Autumn Festival Orchestra, the Bläserphilharmonie Mozarteum Salbzurg and others.
While prolific as an arranger, his composition output consists mainly of works for solo instruments. His Fantasy for Clarinet and Ballade for Piano have become part of the standard repertoire in Croatian literature. They have also been recorded on CDs and published as sheet music editions, and have received excellent reviews and accolades internationally. Mihael Paar regularly holds master seminars, participates in drawing up of competition rules and regulations and serves on juries of international competitions. He has also given his contribution to textbooks used in Croatian schools. He is a clarinet teacher at the Ferdo Livadić School of Music in Samobor, and holds the title of teacher advisor. He is also the founder, as well as the artistic director of Camerata Cantilly, a classical Harmonie ensemble, the only ensemble of its kind in Croatia.