News from
Croatia
Short
summary about Suzuki in Croatia
Suzuki
method was introduced to us in the year 2003 by Veronika
Kimiti who was assigned responsible for Croatia by ESA and
we started teacher training program in the same year. After
training two teacher trainees (Danijel Zeljak – Level 2 and
Marko
Mađarić
– Level 1) for the examination in Remscheid 2004, who both
have passed (Zeljak at ESA and Mađarić at German Suzuki
institute), we continued the training program but due to the
financial issues we were not able to have regular visits
from mrs. Kimiti and the training was not regular. The
leadership of Croatian Suzuki association, at that time, was
not able to raise funds for regular training and the
sponsors were not interrested in financing this project any
more. After this unfortuante events in summer of 2004,
Danijel Zeljak resigned as Suzuki teacher, country
reperesentative at the ESA and as secretary of our local
association. Marko
Mađarić
took
over.
Some of
our pupils attended Suzuki summer camp at Sosto - Siofok
where they met prof. Jeanne Janssens and after explaining
the situation in our county she was generous enough to
offer her help and at the beginning of the next school
year. The new association board decided to continue training
with her, and she was assigned to Croatia by the ESA.
In the
year 2005/2006. we managed to organise 5 workshops in
Zagreb, Croatia and we have expanded the number of trainees
involved in the program to 5 (3 trainees from Croatia and 2
from FYR Macedonia). These workshops took place at the
Talent education center in Zagreb, which is the only Suzuki
school in Croatia and we had teacher training course with
mrs. Janssens as well as children workshop.
In the
same year Marko
Mađarić was invited to teach at the Hungarian international
Suzuki workshop in Jaszarokszallas and some of his students
attended this workshop.
At
the beginning of 2006. Marko Mađarić passed Level 1 and 2 in
Turnhout, Belguim with the ESA after attending the course in
Retie.
After
that success we have organized further development of Suzuki
in our country and have found funds to send 10 children to
Suzuki conference in Torino.
In
may 2006. weorganised a children workshop at the coast of
Croatia with prof. Jeanne Janssens and
Marko
Mađarić. The goal was to spread the Suzuki method to other
parts of our country. This was the first workshop organized
by Talent education centre outside the capital Zagreb.
The
concert for the end of school year was our biggest success
because most of our pupils had the opportunity to perform as
soloists at most famous Croatian concert hall accompanied by
Zagreb chamber orchestra (artistic leader mrs. Diane Pascal
– USA, who was also a Suzuki child).
In
the summer of 2006. pupils from
Talent
education center in Zagreb took part at Sosto - Siofok
Suzuki summer course and Marko
Mađarić was invited to teach there.
The
teacher training program continued in the next year at the
same tempo (5 times a year) and quality and the interest for
Suzuki is rising. In february 2007.
Marko
Mađarić passed level 3 in Turnhout, Belgium.
New
applicants signed in the program, some from Croatia and 2
new ones from Slovenia who all attended the teacher training
course in Retie, Belgium in April 2007. and have all
followed the courses with mrs. Tove and mr. Bela Detrkoy,
mrs. Barbara Parham, Felicity Lipmann, Marja Olamaa, Ilona
Telmany and Marianne Rygner. On this workshop we expanded
our Suzuki method in having a viola teacher trainee Marta
Bergovec who is, at the moment, studying for levels 1 and 2.
and is teaching at the Talent education centre since 2006.
Monthly organized concerts gave children a possibility to
present Suzuki method in the best way and number of students
was drastically rising. In that matter we have reached the
maximum of possible pupils and are now waiting for the next
examination for other trainees (possible in February 2008.
in Belgium) because the need for new teachers as
appreciable.
During school year 2006 / 2007. Talent education center
from Zagreb organized 1. international workshop in Selce
(coast) from 18 – 24. august 2008. where we had a pleasure
to study with some of the best Suzuki teachers in the world:
mrs.
Jeanne Janssens (Belgium)
mrs.
Tove Detrekoy (Danmark)
mr.
Bela Detrekoy (Danmark)
mr.
Peter Nys (Belgium)
At
this workshop the children from Croatia and abroad had their
workshop and concerts which were very successful, and 7
teacher trainees were trained for their levels for the
upcoming examinations.
Plans
for upcoming season are the same as last two years. We hope
to fund at least 5 visits from our trainer mrs. Janssens,
and we hope that the summer workshops become a tradition and
attract more pupils and trainees from abroad as well as
other great Suzuki teachers.
For
the Croatian Suzuki association
Country representative - Marko Mađarić
Croatia