As one of the leading pianists dedicated to New Music, Branka Parlić is performing the music of minimalist and postminimalist composers from the second half of the 20th century, and the first decade of the 21st century. With over five million views on YouTube, her performances of Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, Wim Mertens, Arvo Pärt and others, are making Ms. Parlić a synonym for New Music.
Her concerts have a specific visual identity, with special attention paid to the light design and visualizations, even design of concert flyers and posters.
Since 2004, British television CLASSIC FM TV started broadcasting a video work titled “Chaos”, created by Charles Stewart, on the music of Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No.1, performed by Branka Parlić, and the same TV Chanel was broadcasting a recording of her concert performance of Philip Glass’ Metamorphosis No.2 since 2005. In 2011, the awarded British television C Music TV started broadcasting videos of two Branka’s concert performances: Philip Glass’ Opening and Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel, the latter becoming a highlight videos of January and March 2011.
Branka Parlić regularly performs around Europe on solo recitals and various music and film festivals, but also holding lectures about the development of New Music, starting from Erik Satie, John Cage and finishing with contemporary composers, but also on the music of Philip Glass. She is a frequent guest in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Holland, England, Denmark etc. She participated on renowned classical music festivals in her region, such as Music Biennale Zagreb, Gandusiana Festival and Motovun Film Festival in Croatia, Theatre city – Budva in Montenegro, Skopje summer and Bitolj Festival in Macedonia, NOMUS Festival in Novi Sad, Ring Ring festival, Festival Jazz in Church in Bucharest/Romania, NIMUS Festival in Niš, Film Scenario Festival and Exit festival in Serbia, and many more.
Upon graduation at the piano department of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade in 1979, under Professor Olga Mihailović, Branka also worked with the renowned Professor Pierre Sancan at the International Summer Academy in Nice, France. Since 1980s, she is devoted to promoting and performing the music of the French composer Erik Satie, as well as minimalist and post minimalist composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The first recording of Erik Satie’s music in the southeastern parts of Europe was an LP titled Initiés, and consisted of Satie’s piano works performed by Branka Parlić. First edition was published in 1988 by M Production from Novi Sad, Serbia, and the second print by PGP RTS from Belgrade. In 1999, Radio 021 published both old and new recordings of Branka’s performances of Satie’s works, on a CD titled Initiés ’88 – Initiés ’99. She also recorded piano solo works by Philip Glass on the CD Metamorphosis, released by the B92 Production from Belgrade back in 2006. On November 2012 she has recorded new material for the vinyl Satie & Beyond in the Concert Hall of the Harmonie Center in Leeuwarden, Holland. The vinyl record was released in January 2014, by Sing-Sing Studios in Netherlands (http://sing-sing-studios.nl/contact.html) and by Odličan hrčak in Serbia http://www.odlicanhrcak.com/izdanja/, presenting the music by Erik Satie, Graham Fitkin, Jeroen van Veen and Philip Glass. On November 2013 she was presenting this program on two concerts in London (Covent Garden) and Liverpool (Hope University) in England.
Besides the solo piano and chamber music repertoire, Branka also performs music made for films, often performing live music with the broadcasting of original silent films, or with appropriate video works and visualizations. These include the film Entr'acte (music Erik Satie, directed by René Clair) and film music by Michael Nyman, Philip Glass, Nino Rota. During 2011, she was performing a series of concerts dedicated to the Centenary of the birth of film music composer Nino Rota.
She premiered 20 Piano Etudes by Philip Glass together with two pianist Nada Kolundzija and Natasa Penezic at the concert Self Portrait in Belgrade/ Serbia 2015. The same year she played a Lunchtime concert Satie & Beyond at Royal Festival Hall in London. She organized and participated together with pianist Natasa Penezic the very first integral performance of Erik Satie's famous piece Vexations in Aarhus/Denmark 2016. In honor of Philip Glass's 80th birthday she plays at the concert Dreaming Awake in Belgrade/Serbia 2017.
She gave two concerts in London: St Martin in the Fields in 2019 and in St John’s Smith Square 2020.
New double vinyl Initiés 2017 was released in 2019 by label Triston Master Recordings SCHOPPER in Switzerland and by co-publisher “Odličan hrčak ” for Serbia. For this record she received Silver Medal from Global Music Awards in 2020.
Branka Parlić acts as Artistic director of the concert serial New Ears for New Music and is often holding lectures and seminars on New Music. She is a member of Ensemble for Different New Music a multi-keyboard group.
For further information and bookings please contact:
parlic.branka@gmail.com