- So why is it then, that the songs play such a prominent role in my production? Quite simply the fact that I, like other mortals, once in mye life was highly gifted. And that gift was Love. I loved a young girl with a beautiful voice and just as beautiful a delivery. This girl became my wife and life partner to this very day. I venture to say that for me she is still the only true interpreter of my songs! My songs came about as of necessity and were all made for her... (From Griegs diary)
Rastko Popović (born 1983, in Belgrade) graduated from Prof. Gorica Dimitrijević’s violin class in 2001 and from Prof. Tomislav Milošević’s viola class in 2002 of the Josip Slavenski Music School in Belgrade
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In 2007 he completed his BA degree in music performance at the University of Arts in Belgrade’s Faculty of Music under Prof. Dejan Mladjenović. In 2008 he completed his MA degree in music performance at the University of Stavanger, Norway, studying under Elisabet Skaar Sijpkens and Wouter Raubenheimer. In 2008 he also completed postgraduate studies – Specialization in music performance – Viola at the University of Arts in Belgrade. He has completed his schooling with highest grades.
Rastko Popović is currently a PhD student at the University of Arts in Belgrade in the class of Prof. Dejan Mladjenović.
He has won several first prizes at Serbian and Yugoslav youth music competitions, and a second prize in the 8th Petar Konjović International Competition for Young Musicians. In 2004 he won second prize in the 3rd category of the Jeunesses Musicales First International Competition of Music in Skopje, Macedonia, and an award by the Association of Macedonian Composers for an outstanding performance of a piece by a Macedonian composer. He was awarded the Mary Žeželj-Mayer academic award, as the best student of the string cathedra in the 2004/2005 school year.
He was the principal viola player in the Borislav Pašćan Belgrade Youth Philharmonic and the school chamber orchestra Slavenski. During the 2002/2003 season he became a member of the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra, and in the next season 2003/2004 the principal viola player of the Faculty of Music Art Symphony Orchestra. He played in St. George Strings, Symphony Orchestra of the Serbian Broadcasting Company, and the Belgrade Philharmonic as a substitute musician on a number of projects.
In 2006 he was approved as a substitute viola player for the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and has been participating in many performance projects in seasons 2006/07 and 2007/08.
Rastko Popović has also taken part in numerous chamber music and orchestral projects that range from concerts and studio recordings to film and theatre music. In 2002 he started the Jo & Ja duo with pianist/cembalist Jovana Bojović. He was a regular member of The Bansha Quartet - a student string quartet which took part in several master classes with members of prestigious string quartets such as the Amadeus Quartet, the Alban Berg Quartet, the Bartok Quartet, the Smetana Quartet and the Vertavo Quartet. During his studies in Stavanger he cooperated with pianist Hans Petter Tangen on regular basis, with number of concert appearances.
He attended two viola master classes (in 2004 and 2005) by Prof. Björn Sjögren (Sweden/Norway) and a chamber music master class by Prof. Viola Mokrosch (Germany). He participated in a series of master classes held by Swedish musicians Predrag Novović and Peter Lönnerberg and later performed in many concerts devoted to Baroque music. In 2008 he attended a viola master class by Prof. Lars Anders Tomter (Norway) and a master class of the Austria Barock Akademie.
In addition to baroque music, classical viola, chamber, and orchestra repertoire, Rastko is also exploring the world of contemporary and alternative music by experimenting on his electric viola. In this vein, he started his I'm my own merry-go-round project.
. PROGRAM in DETAIL
Performed in KORSKIRKEN (Church of the Cross)
Korskirkeallmenningen
(150m from Tourist Information)
BERGEN CITY MAP
GRIEG'S CULINARY
SYMPHONY Before the concert, enjoy typical norwegian food at the restaurant Holberg Stuen, the menu made especially for the Grieg-audience.
Rastko Popovic, viola 
