VIKTOR
ČIŽIĆ

An aspiring pianist, also active as a composer, arranger and improviser - based in Zagreb, Croatia

GOT RHYTHM?

Got Rhythm? is my original project that combines piano recital and theater, with me doing everything by myself at the piano. Music used is entirely by George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, Cuban Overture, Preludes, Songs), and the theater bit is... Well... Some light stand-up, witty music trivia lessons, musical storytelling and musical sketches, pondering about connections between music and astronomy, and more.

ABOUT

From the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. to the Amphitheater in Pula, I'm always trying to make my musical life as interesting and creative as possible. Playing as a soloist with orchestra, solo and chamber recitals, improvising, composing..."...solo pianist Viktor Čižić distinguished himself with his highly engaged and passionate playing, demonstrating youthful energy..."
- Petra Pavić, glazba.hr"...his performance is so assured, and his approach so effortless and free, that it seemed as if he was playing one of his own compositions..."
- Helena Skljarov, glazba.hr

WORKS

Explore my original pieces for various ensembles, as well as some arrangements – which have been performed by the Astana Opera Orchestra (Kazakhstan), Croatian Radio Television Tamburitza Orchestra (Zagreb), several notable Croatian instrumentalists and singers...

2025 | Viktor Čižić

BIOGRAPHY

Viktor Čižić, born in 1996 in Zagreb, Croatia is a pianist with a dynamic approach to music – from solo and chamber performances to composing and the art of improvisation. He has performed both in Europe and the United States, at venues such as The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Vatroslav Lisinski Hall in Zagreb and the Amphitheater in Pula.As a soloist, Viktor has collaborated with numerous renowned orchestras in Croatia, covering a broad repertoire. Among the more traditional works, he has performed Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Zagreb Opera Orchestra, Béla Bartók's 3rd Piano Concerto with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Rijeka Symphony Orchestra, and Alfred Schnittke's Concerto for Piano and Strings with the Zagreb Soloists String Orchestra.Apart from standard repertoire, he also premieres new music for piano and orchestra, particularly by Croatian composers. He premiered Nexus, concerto for piano and ensemble by Juraj Marko Žerovnik with the Cantus Ensemble, Nachtmusik, for piano and string orchestra by Krešimir Klarić with the OMG Orchestra, as well as his own arrangement of Zlatko Potočnik's Bećarska Mozartkugla, for piano and tamburitza orchestra, with the Croatian Radio and Television Tamburitza Orchestra. He collaborated with conductors such as Valenin Egel, Tomislav Fačini, Berislav Šipuš, Simon Robinson, Vjekoslav Babić, Siniša Leopold, and others.Active in composition himself, Viktor's original works and arrangements have been performed by various ensembles and artists, including the Astana Opera Orchestra in Kazakhstan, the Croatian Radiotelevision Tamburitza Orchestra, baritone Jurica Jurasić Kapun, pianist Vladimir Babin, clarinetist Sebastijan Sarapa, harpsichordist Franjo Bilić, Turangalila Quartet and Viktor himself. Apart from serious music, he also wrote music for films, theater, and for radio. His master thesis was about improvisation in the context of contemporary pianism, which he often employs in his own programs, sometimes as standalone improvised sections of recitals. Apart from his own, he premiered numerous other solo and chamber pieces by Croatian composers.Active as a chamber musician, he performed with ensembles such as the Cantus Ensemble (with which he performed twice as a soloist, including at the Music Biennale Zagreb contemporary music festival), Serious Ensemble Zagreb (SEZ), Antiphonus Ensemble, Turangalila Quartet, Score Collective, and others. On multiple occasions he performed with the Croatian Radio and Television Choir, including Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, for two pianos and percussion.As an accompanist, as well as pianist on stage, Viktor performed in various opera, ballet and drama productions of many theaters (Croatian National Theaters in Zagreb, Rijeka, Varaždin, and Osijek, Kerempuh Theater, Erato Theater, Puppet Factory Theater, and other independent productions). Sometimes, he also plays jazz music. As a pianist of the Zagreb Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra, he recorded an album called Harmony of Dissonance, with eponymous vocal ensemble. He also performed with the Zlatko Potočnik Quintet, Mimika Orchestra, and Democrissy Trio, while two of his pieces got premiered at the JazzHR festival in Zagreb, Croatia.After graduating from the 15th Gymnasium and Vatroslav Lisinski Music School in Zagreb in the class of Branka Fačini-Vrhovski in 2014, Viktor enrolled at the Zagreb Music Academy, studying with Dalibor Cikojević initially, and later with Filip Fak. As part of a student exchange program, he spent a year at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, studying piano with Frank van de Laar and contemporary piano performance with Ralph van Raat. Upon returning to Zagreb, he completed his studies in 2021, presenting a Croatian premiere of Tristan Murail's 2018 piece Cailloux dans l'eau and a world premiere of his own composition, Uncertainty Miniatures for piano, as part of his master recital.Upon graduation, Viktor secured a position as an accompanist and collaborative pianist at the Zagreb Academy of Music's Department for Wind Instruments. Currently he works as a pianist at the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. He received several awards, including the Yearly Prize of the Society of University Teachers Zagreb, and the Darko Lukić Diploma.

2025 | Viktor Čižić

EVENTS

>BALLET
FIREBIRD / PETRUSHKA WITH THE ZAGREB OPERA ORCHESTRA
14 APR | Croatian National Theater in Zagreb
Playing piano parts in Igor Stravinsky's Firebird and Petrushka >>TICKETS
Additional dates: 16 APR

>CONCERT/PLAY
GOT RHYTHM? - SOLO PIANO
06 MAY | Croatian National Theater in Rijeka
My original project of George Gershwin's music in a guest performance on the big stage in Rijeka, directed by Ivan Đuričić

>CONCERT
RHAPSODY IN BLUE WITH THE ZAGREB PHILHARMONIC
16 MAY | Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall
As part of "FeelHarmonija" concert cycle, this free concert is conducted by Stjepan Vuger >>TICKETS

>BALLET
PEER GYNT, WITH THE ZAGREB OPERA ORCHESTRA
20 MAY | Croatian National Theater in Zagreb
Playing Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, with Vjekoslav Babić conducting >>TICKETS
Additional dates: 21 MAY, 22 MAY, 23 MAY, 24 MAY

2025 | Viktor Čižić

PAST EVENTS

>CONCERT
CANTUS ENSAMBLE AT THE MUSIC BIENNALE ZAGREB
09 APR | Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall
Premiering new pieces and playing contemporary music by Juraj Marko Žerovnik, Krešimir Seletković, etc. >>TICKETS

>THEATER PLAY
DJEVOJKE S ROGOVIMA / GIRLS WITH HORNS
01 APR | &TD Theater
A cabaret-esque play with original music and songs written by me - directed by Kristina Grubiša >>TICKETS
Additional dates: 02 APR, 03 APR

>CONCERT
KLAVIR, KAVALIR, KAVIJAR
13 MAR 2025 | MM Center
As part of the Serious Ensemble Zagreb (SEZ), concert with Janko Franković and actor Andrija Nazlić, with new music, as well as improvised music >>REVIEW

>CONCERT
UN INVITADO EN NUESTRA CASA
24 FEB 2025 | Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall
Cantus Ensemble concert, I was playing Concerto for Harpsichord and Ensemble by Manuel De Falla, with Fabian Panisello conducting >>REVIEW

>CONCERT/SHOW
GOT RHYTHM? - PREMIERE
15 FEB 2025 | Croatian National Theater
Most important works of George Gershwin in solo piano versions being brought to life through a fresh mix of concert and theater experience. Spoken parts written and directed by Ivan Đuričić

>CONCERT
PIANO RECITAL - NOVI VAL KLASIKE / NEW CLASSICAL WAVE
05 DEC 2024 | Culture Center Novi Zagreb
I played an all Croatian composers program (Dora Pejačević, Luka Sorkočević, Davorin Kempf, Berislav Šipuš, Rudolf Matz) and premiered my own new piece, Sonatina for piano >>REVIEW

>CONCERT
CONCERT WITH THE CANTUS ENSEMBLE
07 OCT 2024 | Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall
I premiered Juraj Marko Žerovnik's piano concerto Nexus, for piano and ensemble, with Berislav Šipuš conducting >>REVIEW

2025 | Viktor Čižić

WORKS

2025
Djevojke s rogovima / Girls With Horns, musical theater show
— to be premiered on 01 APR 20252024
Sonatina, for piano
— premiered by myself (Zagreb, Croatia, 2024)
The Jazz Notebook, suite for any small jazz ensemble
— Blues and Really? premiered at the JazzHR Festival (Zagreb, Croatia)ARRANGEMENTS
Vehni, vehni fijolica, for baritone and orchestra
— premiered by Jurica Jurasić Kapun and Astana Opera Orchestra, Alan Buribayev conducting (Astana, Kazakhstan, 2024)2023
Kiša (Rain), for choir a cappella (SATB)
String Quartet, for string quartet
Kako je Zora donijela proljeće (How Zora Brought Spring) - incidental music, for flute, tamburitza, violoncello, and piano
— premiered in Zagreb, CroatiaARRANGEMENTS
Dora Pejačević: Life of Flowers, Op. 19, for clarinet, violin, violoncello, and piano
— premiered by Turangalila Quartet (Zagreb, Croatia, 2023)
Gustav Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, for baritone, clarinet, violin, violoncello, and piano
— premiered by Jurica Jurasić Kapun and Turangalila Quartet (Zagreb, Croatia, 2023)2022
Improvizacijske igre (Improvisation Games), suite of improvised music for harpsichord and piano
— premiered by Franjo Bilić and myself (Zagreb, Croatia, 2022)ARRANGEMENTS
Alfred Schnittke: Gogol Suite, for harpsichord and piano
— premiered by Franjo Bilić and myself (Zagreb, Croatia, 2022)2021
Uncertainty Miniatures, for piano solo
— premiered by myself (Zagreb, Croatia, 2021)
Prizori iz Prigorske Svadbe (Scenes from the Prigorje Wedding), for baritone and piano
— premiered by Jurica Jurasić Kapun and myself (Čakovec, Croatia, 2021)ARRANGEMENTS
Zlatko Potočnik: Bećarska Mozartkugla (Bećar Mozartkugel), for piano and tamburitza orchestra
— premiered by Croatian Radiotelevision Tamburitza Orchestra, Siniša Leopold conducting, and myself at the piano (Zagreb, Croatia, 2021)
Sergei Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes for clarinet, violin, violoncello, and piano
— premiered by Turangalila Quartet (Osijek, Croatia, 2021)2020
Konstrukcija glazbe (Construction of Music), for piano and audience
— premiered by myself (Čakovec, Croatia, 2020)
Improvisations on Croatian Folksongs for piano solo
— premiered by myself (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2020)earlier...
Zagrebačka rapsodija (The Zagreb Rhapsody), for piano solo
— premiered by Vladimir Babin (Zagreb, 2020)

2025 | Viktor Čižić

GOT RHYTHM?

"GOT RHYTHM?" is a performance that sits somewhere between a concert and a theatrical play. The concert portion features the most famous works of American composer George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, Cuban Overture), along with a selection of his most popular songs – Summertime, I Got Rhythm, The Man I Love, S'Wonderful, and more. Everything in between is a witty mix of musical sketches, astronomy lectures, unimportant (but interesting) anecdotes from Gershwin's life, and similar elements.

Having collaborated for several years on the show From Silence to Music – and sharing a fascination with Gershwin’s music – actor/director Ivan Đuričić and pianist Viktor Čižić created this original "one-man show," in which the only performer is the pianist, and the only prop is the piano! Beyond performing Gershwin’s masterpieces, the piano occasionally serves as background music in a lounge, sometimes sets the mood, at times acts as a musical commentator, and even "plays" Gershwin’s own piano in a mini-sketch, reenacting the moment he composed his first song.

The premiere of "GOT RHYTHM?" took place in a packed foyer of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb on February 15, 2025.

2025 | Viktor Čižić