Mladen TarbukMladen Tarbuk, Croatian conductor and composer acclaimed a wide international recognition conducting Tristan und Isolde on the stage of Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb where he was by that time its general director. Leading European opera magazines wrote enthusiastically about his efforts to raise the artistic skill of this ensemble close to the highest international standards and values.
In the same time, after the great success of Macbeth at the German Opera at Rhine in Düsseldorf, he was invited to conduct next three titles at this theatre.
His international career brought him to many important opera companies and symphony orchestras all over the world.
Since 2000 he works as the principal conductor of Symphonic Orchestra of Croatian Radio and Television. With this orchestra he recorded hours of Croatian classical and contemporary music. On its concert series he conducted many famous as well as less known works of 20th century music, such as The Rite of Spring, Petrouchka or Weill''s 2nd Symphony.
As experienced opera conductor, he worked with famous singers. He was awarded with the Special Award for the best interpretation of Janaček''s Sinfonietta at the Smetana-Dvořak-Janaček International Conductors Competition in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
At the field of composition his first international success was performance of his Medida del Tiempo in Konzerthaus Vienna under baton of Friedrich Cerha. This composition was selected on the First International Composers Competition Vienna 1991 (artistic director Claudio Abbado). Later on he received numerous international and Croatian Prizes for composition. He wrote over sixty compositions in various forms, compassing from piano pieces to large symphonic and theatre forms. They have been performed at the most important festivals of contemporary music. Finally, he drew particular attention of international audience with his ballet A Streetcar Named Desire, which opened World Music Days 2005 in Zagreb.
