English

HISTORY AND CURRICULUM OF ENSEMBLE
PRVI KOMIN SNJEŽANIN

PRVI KOMIN SNJEŽANIN is a Zagreb-based mixed vocal ensemble founded in 2004 by its art director maestro Dinko Fio. Ensemble is combined of 14 members, 7 male and 7 female voices, something like joined male and female clapa (the word clapa is synonymous for a determined folk music phenomenon in a definite geographical region – the urban and mixed rural-urban milieus of the coastal part of Dalmatia and its islands).

Although originally formed to focus on traditional music of Dalmatia, cultivated for four or more voices, the ensemble now encompasses a wide a cappella repertoire.

The unusual name of the ensemble has its own history. Komin means built in fireplace inside the living space. In the memories of maestro Fio, who was born at the island of Korčula 85 years ago, komin represents heart of the home, place where gathering of the family members, friends and neighbours were held. People brought some food (usually of their home production), host offered the wine and they spent time together, often singing their local songs, improvising, mixing voices – young and old, male and female, everybody according to his or her vocal possibilities. So, the idea of maestro Fio was to introduce a new form of a cappella singing named komin. Snježanin means “one which belongs to Snježana”. Ms. Snježana Špiljak is the hostess and spiritus movens of this ensemble, so this komin definitively belongs to Snježana. Prvi means “first”, so far it is first and only komin.

As we said, the ensemble consists of 14 members, which is sometimes disadvantage, because it is hardly enough for competition in the chorus category, such as in Azzano Decimo, and in the same time almost too much if they try to fit in the world of clapas. However, “Prvi komin Snježanin” actively participate in many projects, CD recordings, gatherings and festivals of clapas in Zagreb, Istria and Dalmatia. And advantage of such a combination of 14 mixed voices is that they can sing heterogeneous a cappella repertoire, from early polyphony, cultivated traditional tunes from different regions of Croatia, up to popular music and evergreens.

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LIST OF NAMES OF THE ENSEMBLE “PRVI KOMIN SNJEŽANIN” MEMBERS

SOPRANOS:
Nada Drenški
Stanka Pupić
Nada Kruljac

ALTOS:
Snježana Špiljak
Mirna Ilić
Nataša Rukavina
Sanda Bramberger Ostoić

TENORS:
Marijan Špiljak
Aleksandar Zakošek
Vlatko Panić

BASSES:
Ivan Grgasović
Mario Čapelj
Milan Tonković
Franjo Šandrk