Igor Šajatovic was born in Zagreb (Croatia), and received his first musical tuition at the age of ten, when he began to play the guitar. Two years later, he took up the double bass, studying with Stanislav Lotko and Borna Dejanovic at the “V. Lisinski” music school in Zagreb. Shortly afterwards, he was introduced to Professor Mario Ivelja at the Academy of Music in Zagreb, who soon recognised his talent. At the age of just fifteen, Igor Šajatovic was accepted as a junior student at the Academy of Music in Zagreb. In the winter semester of 2016/2017, he began his studies with Professor Dorin Marc at the University of Music Nuremberg.
He has taken further musical inspiration from internationally renowned double bass players, such as Roman Patkoló, Božo Paradžik, Alberto Bocini, Giuseppe Ettore, Petru Iuga, Matthew McDonald, Dominik Greger, Stefano Sciascia, Hans Roelofsen, Josef Niederhammer, Jirí Hudec, Duncan McTier and Dorin Marc. He also received a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein.
At the age of just thirteen, Igor Šajatovic won the 1st prize at the Croatian National Competition. In both 2014 and 2016, he reached the finals of the international competition “Eurovision Young Musicians” in Croatia. He was also awarded the 1st prize at the “20th Grand Prix Competition” held by the Lions Club Rijeka, and was a prize-winner at the international “Double Bass Convention” competition in Amsterdam. He also won the 2nd prize at the “3rd Boris Papandopulo Competition”, a 1st prize at the “Wiener Klassik Wettbewerb” of the “Sommerakademie Semmering” and a 1st prize at the “International String Competition Rudolf Matz” in Cakovec (Croatia), and participated in the “50th International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen”. In addition, he received the “Dean’s Award”, as the most successful student.
The young bass player has already performed as a soloist with orchestra on numerous occasions, including performances with the “HRT Rundfunkorchester” under the batons of Alan Bjelinski and Ivan Skender, and the concert of the Croatian Young Musicians in the “Vatroslav Lisinski” concert hall in Zagreb, under the baton of Tonci Bilic. He performed Sergei Koussevitzky’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, and Johann Baptist Vanhal’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra with the Zagreb Soloists, under the baton of Sreten Krstic, leader of the Munich Philharmonic.
Igor Šajatovic has performed as a soloist at the “Days of Francis Krežma”, and at the “Bassomania” festival in Belgrade (Serbia), and gave four major recitals within two weeks, including a performance of Adolf Mišek’s third Sonata in F Major. He has also been invited to perform at the FESTIVAL NEXT GENERATION Bad Ragaz. Further invitations for solo performances have led him to Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.
Igor Šajatovic has gained orchestral experience helping out in various orchestras, including the “Nürnberg Symphoniker”, the Chamber Orchestra of the University of Music Nuremberg under the baton of the legendary Siegfried Jerusalem, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Stefan Lano, the Zagreb Soloists, and in the National Theater in Zagreb. He has also been solo double bass player in the symphony orchestra of the Academy of Music in Zagreb, under the batons of Mladen Tarbuk and Uroš Lajovic, and in the Zagreb Youth Orchestra and the EUphony Orchestra, with which he performed for example Richard Strauss’ tone poem “Ein Heldenleben” (A Hero’s Life) in Zagreb, Ljubljana, Graz and Budapest. Igor Šajatovic is currently a member of the Liechtenstein Symphony Orchestra.
He has gained chamber music experience with the “L'Elephant Double Bass Quartet” and as a member of the ENSEMBLES ESPERANZA, an ensemble made up of scholarship holders from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein.
January 2018