Ivan Zajc

Ivan von Zajc (also , ; ; August 3, 1832 – December 16, 1914), was a Croatian composer, conductor, director, and teacher who dominated Croatia’s musical culture for over forty years. Through his artistic and institutional reform efforts, he is credited with its revitalization and refinement, paving the way for new Croatian musical achievements in the 20th century. He is often called the Croatian Verdi. Life Childhood years Ivan Dragutin Stjepan Zajc was born in Fiume, Austrian Empire (modern-day Rijeka, Croatia). His family migrated from Pressburg, Kingdom of Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia); his father, Johann Zaytz (Jan Nepomuk Zajitz), was of Czech descent, and his mother, Anna Bodensteiner was of German descent. His musical talent was evident very early on in his life, as he began to study the piano and violin at the age of five, performed in public by the age of six, and even began to compose his own music by the age of twelve. Nevertheless, despite his early musical success, his military bandmaster father was opposed to the idea of a career in music and wanted him to study law instead following the completion of his secondary education. In the end, Zajc’s professors prevail