Dr. Sinisa Ciric
Dr. Sinisa Ciric is the concertmaster of Savannah Philharmonic, Gwinnett
Ballet Orchestra, and a former concertmaster of New Atlanta Philharmonic,
Jackson Symphony and Rome Symphony. He appeared as a soloist with Savannah
Philharmonic, Rome Symphony Orchestra, Georgia Philharmonic as well as
LaGrange Symphony and Bach Festival Orchestra and many other regional
orchestras in USA.
Dr. Ciric is a founding member of Balkan Quartet with whom he performed in
many concerts promoting rich musical heritage of his native Serbia and
countries of Balkan Peninsula. Performances took quartet to Piccolo Spoleto
Festival and Kennedy Center in Washington, DC among others, as well as to
many colleges and universities across Southeast. Their concerts were also
broadcast on NPR and streamed live on internet. Balkan Quartet recently
released their first CD that includes pieces written specifically for them
as well as Sinisa’s arrangements of several traditional melodies from
Eastern Europe.
Dr. Sinisa Ciric received his undergraduate degree from the Academy of
Arts, University of Novi Sad (Serbia), masters and doctoral degree in
violin and viola performance at University of Georgia in Athens where he
studied with distinguished professors Levon Ambartsumian and Mark Neumann.
Dr. Ciric is Artist Affiliate with Emory University and had taught violin,
viola and chamber music at Oxford College of Emory University. He also held
a position of Violin and Viola Instructor at Georgia Perimeter College,
Atlanta GA.
Between January 2016 and December 2020 Mr. Ciric was Director of Strings
Conservatory Program at Savannah Classical Academy.
Sinisa was Artistic Director of Larsen Spotlight Chamber Music Series of
Savannah Philharmonic. As of January 2021 Dr. Ciric took position as
Director of Artistic Operations at his beloved Savannah Philharmonic.
Danijela Žeželj-Gualdi was born in Croatia where she began to study violin in 1984. By eleven, she had already become the youngest member of the Zadar Chamber Orchestra. Together with this orchestra she performed at important Croatian venues and festivals such as Musical Evenings in St. Donat and the Zagreb Academy of Music.
Her higher-level education began at The Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Serbia, when she began her studies with Professor Eugenia Tchougaeva in 1993. It was here that Dr. Žeželj-Gualdi became a member of the chamber orchestra Camerata Academica, which afforded her the opportunity to perform throughout Europe. In 1998 she graduated from the Academy and became a member of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra.
A year later, she was awarded a full scholarship to study at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she graduated with a Masters Degree in 2001. In 2006, Dr. Žeželj-Gualdi graduated with the doctoral degree in Violin Performance at the University of Georgia. There she studied violin with Dr. Michael Heald and her second instrument, viola with Dr. Mark Neumann. Additionally, she studied with world-renowned musicians Pamela Frank, Andres Cardenes, Carolyn Huebl, Chris Wu, Katie McLin, Mischa Amory, Marina Jashvilli, Timothy Baker and members of the Quarteto Latinoamericano.
As an active performer she played both the violin and viola extensively in solo recitals throughout the U.S and Eastern Europe. She has been featured as a concerto soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Tennesee, University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Wilmington Symphony Orchestra, Tallis Chamber Orchestra and DeKalb Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Žeželj-Gualdi is also a passionate interpreter of contemporary music. In 2013 she premiered Peter Vaskis “Distant Light” with Wilmington Symphony, and is an annual guest artist at the New Music Festival in Wilmington NC, where she will be performing newly composed piece “Returning Souls” by Shih-Hui Chen in February 2014. In 2004 she was a featured soloist in the Composer in Residence concerts at Hodgson Hall, Athens (with renowned contemporary composers Augusta Reed Thomas and James MacMillan.)
Since her youth, Dr. Žeželj-Gualdi has consistently impressed audiences in numerous chamber ensembles. In the fall of 2004, Dr. Žeželj-Gualdi joined guitarist John Huston and formed Duo Lunaire, a chamber group that performed a diverse repertoire of contemporary and historical music. In January 2008 she became a founding member of the Balkan Quartet, a string quartet which focus is to involve and inspire composers to create new music that would use an indigenous Balkan language, reviving the rich Balkan folk heritage on a high artistic level. Together with Balkan Quartet she performed at the Kennedy Center, Millenium Stage, Washington DC in September 2009. In 2004 Dr. Žeželj-Gualdi performed at Carnegie Hall with the ARCO Chamber Orchestra.
Dr. Žeželj-Gualdi has also been an avid performer of early music. In Croatia she played with the chamber group “Zadarski Madrigalisti” which specialized in music from the Renaissance. In 2006 she joined the “New Trinity Baroque Orchestra” from Atlanta, performing on period instruments featuring early music from the Baroque era.
Her involvement as an orchestral musician has been varied and diverse. As a member of the Carnegie Mellon University Symphony Orchestra she performed at Carnegie Hall in 2001. Recently she has served as both assistant concertmaster and also principal viola in the UGA Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra, Feyetville Symphony Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra PRO ARTE from Vienna, Novi Sad Opera Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Augusta Symphony Orchestra, Gwinett Ballet Orchestra, Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of University of Gratz, Symphonietta Belgrade, and Voivodina Youth Orchestra.
Prior to current position as a Violin and Viola Instructor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Dr. Danijela Žeželj-Gualdi served on the faculty of Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Martin Gueorguiev
Dr. Martin Gueorguiev has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player throughout Europe and the United States. As a founding member of the Balkan Quartet, Dr. Gueorguiev has appeared with the quartet at Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Series in Washington, DC, the Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, SC, and the Arts Club in Washington, DC. The quartet’s performances have been broadcast on NPR, and their concert at Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage was streamed live online.
Dr. Gueorguiev has participated in numerous chamber music festivals such as the Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop where he worked intensively with Itzhak Perlman, the Sarasota Music Festival, the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival, and the South Carolina Chamber Music Festival.
Dr. Gueorguiev is on the faculty of the William Pu Music Academy, the Atlanta Music Academy in Atlanta, GA, and he also serves as an Artist-Affiliate and teaches cello at Oxford College of Emory University. In the summer, he teaches at the Atlanta Festival Academy.
Dr. Mirna Dinovic
Dr. Mirna Dinovic, is one of today’s most inspiring orchestral conductors and violin/viola teachers in Atlanta. She has been praised for her passion and devotion to music, and her fresh and vibrant leadership and teaching skills. Currently, Dr. Dinovic is the Director of Orchestras and Guitar Ensembles at North Springs Charter High School. Previously she served as the Music Director of the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, a full time faculty member at Berry College, where she conducted the Berry College Symphony Orchestra and taught conducting and violin/viola lessons, and an artist affiliate at the Oxford College of Emory University as well as Agnes Scott College.
Born in Croatia, Dr. Dinovic grew up in Belgrade, Serbia, where she received her violin performance degree from the School of Music at the Belgrade University of Arts. Upon earning her degree, DInovic was appointed Associate Concertmaster of the Symphonic Orchestra of the Serbian Radio Television in Belgrade.
In 2001, Dr. Dinovic moved to the United States to continue her studies in conducting. She received a Master’s Degree in orchestral conducting from Georgia State University in Atlanta, where she studied with Dr. Julian Shew. She earned her doctoral degree in conducting from the University of Georgia, under the tutelage of Mr. Mark Cedel. While at UGA, Mirna conducted the University Philharmonia and was the assistant conductor for the UGA Symphony Orchestra. For her work at UGA she was recognized with the Director’s Excellence Award.Dr. Dinovic guest conducted the ARCO Chamber Orchestra in a Carnegie Hall performance with violinist LevonAmbartsumian as soloist in music by renowned Russian composer Mikhail Bronner. The music was later recorded on a CD entitled “Haven’s Gate,” published by the Artservice label in 2008.
As a conductor, Dr. Dinovic made a lot of influence in the cultural life of Atlanta and Georgia. Dr. DInovic was the Music Director and Conductor of the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, where she was making a great impact in a community, making Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra one of the fastest growing ensembles in the Atlanta area. In the four years of her leadership, the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra’s emerged as an orchestra of note among Atlanta’s ensembles. Under her baton, the Berry College Symphony Orchestra has presented many exciting projects and continued to make a resounding impact in the community of Rome, Georgia.
Dr. Dinovicis also a member of a Balkan Quartet, a professional string quartet that promotes music of the Balkan countries. With the quartet, Dr. Dinovic performed in many important venues and events, such as Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC, Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston, SC, and numerous colleges and universities across the nation.
Dr. Dinovic has devoted her life to teaching and education of young generations. In addition to teaching position at the North Springs High School in Atlanta, she maintains a successful private violin and viola studio in East Cobb area. Her students frequently win competitions and auditions across the state of Georgia.
