Mina Gajić & Zachary Carrettin
Biography Mina Gajić & Zachary Carrettin
Mina Gajić
A versatile pianist, Mina Gajić started her music career and education in Yugoslavia. She has performed as concerto soloist and recitalist in Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Montenegro, China, Bolivia, and in the United States. As duo partner with violinist Zachary Carrettín, she has performed on four continents, focusing on a diverse repertory spanning the centuries and various styles—on historic period pianos in addition to modern concert instruments.
Her awards include first prize at the International Competition Città di Stresa, Italy; third prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein Competition in Paris; first prize at the Competition of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic Competition of Serbia for five consecutive years; first prize at the Stanković Competition in Belgrade with special distinction for collaborative artistry, as well as semi-finalist at the Shanghai International Piano Competition.
Dr. Gajić holds degrees from the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she was awarded the prestigious Charles Ross fellowship, and was a winner of the Carl and Lillian Illig Scholarship, and the Diane Sacks Prize. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Notable performances have included critically-acclaimed period instrument renditions of works by Chopin, Brahms, Britten, Ives, Berg, Antheil, and Bartók. Her doctoral dissertation and subsequent research on the work of Yugoslav composer Josip Slavenski connect Balkan folkloric traditions and approaches to twentieth century music between the two World Wars.
Dr. Gajić has held teaching positions at Sam Houston State University School of Music, the University of St. Thomas Music Preparatory School, and Rocky Ridge Music Center Summer Academy.
Her performances of Brahms and Schumann (Érard, 1895) can be heard on the critically-acclaimed audio book, Escapement, by award-winning author Kristen Wolf. Additionally, Gajić and Carrettín's recording of Schubert sonatas on historical instruments was released in March, 2020 and became a Top 10 on Billboard Charts "Traditional Classical" the following month. Her recording of Balkan Dances & Tango Nuevo is set for release in 2021 on the Sono Luminus label.
Dr. Gajić is the founder and Artistic Director of Boulder International Chamber Music Competition—Art of Duo. In 2014 she became Director of Education at Boulder Bach Festival. After transforming BBF's education, community engagement, and fellowship artist programs she became Artistic and Executive Director, making her the first woman and immigrant artistic leader of the Boulder Bach Festival.
Zachary Carrettin
has performed as orchestral and choral conductor, violinist, violist, and cellist da spalla in more than twenty-five countries on four continents, and has established a reputation for presenting thoughtful, dynamic and diverse programs which feature repertory from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries. He performed as soloist at the opening ceremonies of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, the Dayton Center for the Performing Arts, the Museo del’ Arte Rovereto-Trentino (Italy), and was featured at the Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts Face of America Series, the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, at the Stavanger Festival (Norway), and in a private concert for the Sultan and Royal Family of Oman, in Muscat, in the capacity of Music Director of Project Bandaloop, (1999-2004). He has since conducted orchestras across the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, and the National Symphony Orchestras of Moldova and Bolivia. He conducted the first recording of Bolivian composer Gustavo Navarre’s Sinfonía, and conducted the first known performance of Capuzzi’s ballet music, L’Impostore punito. Carrettín has performed and recorded numerous works in manuscript following several research trips to archives in Bergamo, Milan and Venice.
In the field of historically inspired period instrument performance, Carrettín appeared several times as concerto soloist with the American Bach Soloists, and as guest concertmaster and soloist with numerous baroque period instrument ensembles including the GRAMMY-nominated recording of Hasse’s Marc’ Antonio e Cleopatra with Ars Lyrica Houston, the U.S. premiere of Vivaldi’s rediscovered opera Montezuma with Musica Angelica and Long Beach Opera, critically-acclaimed recording of baroque chamber music from the New World Villancicos y Cantidas with El Mundo, and several productions of opera, oratorio, and instrumental music with American Bach Soloists. He toured internationally performing Mexican baroque instrumental and vocal chamber music with the ensemble El Mundo, and toured the California mission churches performing baroque music of the New World with renowned choir, Chanticleer. Carrettín’s recording of Schubert sonatas on original instruments with pianist Mina Gajić was released in March, 2020 on the Sono Luminus label, and the following month hit No. 9 on Billboard Charts "Traditional Classical."
He recently recorded Bach Cello Suites #'s 1, 2, and 3 (on baroque viola) during Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. That recording, titled "Metamorphosis," is now available on all platforms.
In chamber music Carrettín has collaborated with the Tokyo Quartet, the Assad Brothers, Joyce Yang, Richie Hawley, Kenneth Goldsmith, Cho-Liang Lin, Ian Hobson, Martin Beaver, and in Baroque/Classical/Romantic period instrument ensemble performances with Giovanni Antonini, Richard Egarr, Nicholas McGegan, Monica Huggett, Mahan Esfahani, Manfredo Kramer, Reinhard Goebel, Sherezade Panthaki, and Nicholas McGegan. Formative orchestral experience included serving as a first violinist in the Bergen Philharmonic (Norway), as principal viola in La Jolla Summerfest Chamber Orchestra, and on period instruments as a first violinist with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Portland Baroque Orchestra, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival Orchestra, and as principal second violin with Houston Grand Opera baroque opera orchestra. An advocate of diversity in music, Carrettín toured one-hundred cities with Yanni and shared the stage with Ray Charles, the Black Crowes, Cake, Joan Jett and many others at festivals internationally, as soloist with Project Bandaloop. ...
