Page 389 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2020. Konservatoriji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela ▪︎ The conservatories: professionalisation and specialisation of musical activity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 4
P. 389
socio-political discourses of the development of music education ...
to the early years of the Academy, Ivana Perković reproduces an archival
document about the purchase of three grand pianos “by the best brands”;16
in addition to ten pianos gifted by Prince Pavle, that would bring the total
number of grand pianos at the Academy to 13 – as indeed confirmed by the
newspaper article cited above. Unbelievably, some of these Stainway pianos
acquired in 1937 are still used at the Academy up to this day!
Emil Hajek, the long-standing Head of the piano department, wrote
in 1962:
The environment in which the Music Academy in Belgrade be-
gan to work in 1937 was beautiful, attractive and stimulating. The
building assigned to host the academy was carefully and skillful-
ly adapted for the new purpose, and the first Dean, Kosta Mano-
jlović, managed to secure considerable funds for its external and
internal equipment. […] Teachers at the piano department were
most inspired and excited by a set of first-rate grand pianos, pro-
duced by the world’s leading companies. I think that, when it comes
to pianos, at that time the Music Academy in Belgrade was the best
equipped music-educational institution in Europe.17
Hajek then regretfully remarked that the ensuing World War II, which
brought about the destruction and impoverishment of the country, resulted
in the Academy being unable to maintain such high standards established
in its earliest days.18
Teaching Staff at the Piano Department and Their Pianistic
Upbringing
Aside from the three founding fathers of the Academy – Manojlović, Hris-
tić and Stojanović – five additional professors were recruited until Decem-
ber 1937. Three of those five were hired to teach piano: Emil Hajek and Ciril
Ličar as Associate Professors, and Jelica Krstić (Popović) as Junior (Assis-
tant) Professor – thus the piano department immediately became the big-
gest one.19 Additionally, three pianists were hired to teach piano full-time
16 See Perković, “Dva početka. Godine 1937–1957,” 30.
17 Emil Hajek, “Perspektive mladih pijanista” [Perspectives of Young Pianists], in Dva-
deset pet godina Muzičke akademije u Beogradu 1937–1962 [Twenty-Five Years of the
Music Academy in Belgrade 1937–1962], ed. Predrag Milošević (Belgrade: Music
Academy, 1962), 45.
18 Ibid.
19 Manojlović, Muzička akademija u Beogradu, 43.
387
to the early years of the Academy, Ivana Perković reproduces an archival
document about the purchase of three grand pianos “by the best brands”;16
in addition to ten pianos gifted by Prince Pavle, that would bring the total
number of grand pianos at the Academy to 13 – as indeed confirmed by the
newspaper article cited above. Unbelievably, some of these Stainway pianos
acquired in 1937 are still used at the Academy up to this day!
Emil Hajek, the long-standing Head of the piano department, wrote
in 1962:
The environment in which the Music Academy in Belgrade be-
gan to work in 1937 was beautiful, attractive and stimulating. The
building assigned to host the academy was carefully and skillful-
ly adapted for the new purpose, and the first Dean, Kosta Mano-
jlović, managed to secure considerable funds for its external and
internal equipment. […] Teachers at the piano department were
most inspired and excited by a set of first-rate grand pianos, pro-
duced by the world’s leading companies. I think that, when it comes
to pianos, at that time the Music Academy in Belgrade was the best
equipped music-educational institution in Europe.17
Hajek then regretfully remarked that the ensuing World War II, which
brought about the destruction and impoverishment of the country, resulted
in the Academy being unable to maintain such high standards established
in its earliest days.18
Teaching Staff at the Piano Department and Their Pianistic
Upbringing
Aside from the three founding fathers of the Academy – Manojlović, Hris-
tić and Stojanović – five additional professors were recruited until Decem-
ber 1937. Three of those five were hired to teach piano: Emil Hajek and Ciril
Ličar as Associate Professors, and Jelica Krstić (Popović) as Junior (Assis-
tant) Professor – thus the piano department immediately became the big-
gest one.19 Additionally, three pianists were hired to teach piano full-time
16 See Perković, “Dva početka. Godine 1937–1957,” 30.
17 Emil Hajek, “Perspektive mladih pijanista” [Perspectives of Young Pianists], in Dva-
deset pet godina Muzičke akademije u Beogradu 1937–1962 [Twenty-Five Years of the
Music Academy in Belgrade 1937–1962], ed. Predrag Milošević (Belgrade: Music
Academy, 1962), 45.
18 Ibid.
19 Manojlović, Muzička akademija u Beogradu, 43.
387
