Conductor, composer, pianist, music director and university professor Žarko Prinčič encompases a particularly varied range of activities demonstrating a rare talent of injecting any musical work with intuitive depth, lucid comprehension and creative passion brought forth by his complete and personal dedication to music.

He was born on 27 January 1956 in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia (Central Europe), started studying piano at the age of eight, and started to compose at the age of eleven.

From 1970 to 1974 he studied at the Secondary School of Music piano (Jarc, Timakin), counterpoint and harmony (Ciglič), as well as flute and oboe. He performed as a pianist (Beethoven, Liszt, Debussy and others), composed for piano, chamber music and incidental music. As a pianist and composer he led jazz-sextet.

Prinčič studied conducting, piano and as well as violin at the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana (1974-1977). During his studies he worked as a répétiteur at the Slovenian National Opera and as a pianist in the Opera Orchestra. As a pianist he performed with various singers and ballet companies. During the same period, he directed a mixed choir, a youth choir and a children's choir.

He attended summer composition courses and the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth (Germany) and Marly-le-Roi-Paris (1975).

At the age of 19, Prinčič made his debut as a symphonic conductor at the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall (Mozart, Haendel) in Ljubljana (1975). In the same year, he made his debut as a conductor and music director with "The Threepenny Opera" (Weill/Brecht) at the Slovenian National Drama Theatre in Ljubljana. He conducted performances from the piano.

At the age of twenty-two, Žarko Prinčič took over the position of chief conductor and artistic director of the Ljubljana Symphony Orchestra, performing works by Beethoven (Symphony No.8, Egmont), Sibelius, Berlioz, Puccini, Tajčević and others.

From 1977 to 1981 he studied conducting at the Academy of Music, University of Zagreb (graduated as a conductor); and at the same time worked with Maestro Lovro von MATAČIĆ (conductor of the Vienna Opera, Berlin Philharmonic, La Scala, Opéra de Paris and many others).

"Žarko Prinčič has shown great activity and talent for the conductor's profession through four years of study. He is incredibly musical, and he takes his call seriously, and with responsibility. His deep knowledge and appreciation of music and music literature is of distinction." (Lovro von MATAČIĆ)

In Zagreb (Croatia), Prinčič conducted the Zagreb Philharmonic (Dukas-The Sorcerer's apprentice, Beethoven-Leonora nr.3, Tchaikovsky, Schumann and others) and the Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Music (Wagner-Siegfried Idyll, Dvořák-Symphony "From the New World", Bach...), as well as the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra.

He went to Vienna in 1983 for the period of two years to study conducting at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien with Reinhard Schwarz (ex-assistant of Herbert von KARAJAN). Prinčič assisted Rozhdestvensky, von Karajan and von Matačić in rehearsals at the Musikverein and Konzerthaus. While studying in Vienna, he conducted Symphony Orchestra of Radio Television Slovenia (Shostakovich) and wrote incidental music.

1985-1993 Paris

Prinčič spent his first year studying conducting at the École Normale de Musique de Paris with Gérard Devos. He graduated the same year with honours (Diplôme Supérieur de Direction d'orchestre à l'unanimité du jury avec felicitations).

"Conductor Žarko Prinčič has the natural gestures and perfect technique that enable him to express the sensitivity and vigor of his temperament with great effectiveness. His strong but amiable authority at the conductor's desk and his incontestable influence on an orchestra are undeniable." (Gérard Devos, chief conductor of the "Orchestre Pasdeloup" Paris)

During his Paris years Prinčič has been assisting conductors such as Solti, Barenboïm, Giulini, Ozawa, Celibidache, Lutoslawski, Boulez, Jochum, Rostropovich... for many years in rehearsals at the Opéra de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Ellysées and Théâtre du Châtelet.

He worked also with Sir John PRITCHARD at the Cologne Opera (Germany).

In Paris, Prinčič took the post of chief conductor and artistic director of the "Orchestre Symphonique de Conservatoire du XV.arr.-Paris" (Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 "Choral" at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Debussy-Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Strauss, Rimsky-Korsakov, Haydn, Gershwin, MOZART's REQUIEM...), conducted the "Jeune Philharmonie" (Saint-Saëns, Franck, Chausson, Poulenc, Bizet, Mozart, at the Salle Gaveau and others), the "Orchestre Symphonique de Picardie" (Mozart, Haydn, Marcello) and the "Orchestre Symphonique de l'École Normale de Musique de Paris" (Villa-Lobos, Roussel, Shostakovich). Also, he took post of artistic director of the "Ensemble de Guitares de Paris".

"Žarko Prinčič, attentive and precise, conducted the Carmen Suite. A Carmen bursting with life, full of panache, brilliant. But Carmen of flesh and blood, jumping, dancing drunk with freedom, a sensual Carmen, of fire and ember." (Est-Éclair, France)

Žarko Prinčič founded, artistically directed as well as conducted the "Orchestre d'Harmonie de la Ville de Paris" (Bruckner, Holst, Shostakovich, Gershwin, Orff), conducted the "Orchestre Symphonique des Conservatoires de la Ville de Paris" (Milhaud, Beethoven, Bizet and others). He founded and led "Orchestre de la Cité International des Arts-Paris" (Schoenberg, Mozart). He held post of professor of conducting at two Paris conservatoires.

In the south of France (Béziers), Prinčič conducted the "Youth Orchestra of European Countries" (Beethoven - symphonies, Mendelssohn, Stravinsky, Ives, Copland, others). In the town of Senlis, he conducted "Orchestre Antonio Vivaldi" (Vivaldi). In Berlin, he appeared as pianist and répétiteur in opera Magic Flute (Mozart) in the "Wilmersdorfer Oper".

He conducted the "Orchestra Sinfonica-Arturo Toscanini" in Italy-Parma (Rossini, Shostakovich, other) and in Zagreb the "Symphony Orchestra of the Croatian Radio Television (Tchaikovsky, Klobuchar, other).

"The young Žarko Prinčič showed certainty, good preparation and conducting flair. The Zagreb Symphony came to life, showing in 'Romeo and Juliet' a concentrated and homogeneous execution, a part of its ambitious, unfortunately for many years unresolved potential." (Vjesnik, Zagreb)

Žarko Prinčič returned to Ljubljana in 1993 excepting post of General Manager and Artistic Director of the Slovene National Theatre Opera Ljubljana. There, he conducted La Traviata and VERDI's REQUIEM. As a conductor he also collaborated with "Zagreb Philharmonic" (Beethoven - Symphony No.5, Liszt), "Macedonian Philharmonic" (Prokofiev - Symphony No.7, Beethoven – Symphony No.3 Eroica, Mendelssohn...) and "Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra" (Beethoven - Symphony No.4, Mozart, Schumann).

"The Slovenian conductor, Žarko Prinčič, is a really talented musician who successfully led the concert. In the works of Mozart, Schumann and Beethoven, he skilfully, musically and devotedly interpreted the musical fabric. Good coordination with the orchestra was felt, and the musicians resolutely followed him in presenting the musical content." (Franica Vidović, Dubrovnik).

With the "Symphony Orchestra of Radio Television Slovenia" Prinčič has recorded two outstanding symphonies by important Slovenian composers: 'Sinfonia appassionata' by Ciglič and Symphony No.4 by Škerjanc. He also performed among others Gershwin's Cuban Overture, Beethoven's Symphony No.7, works by Strauss, Puccini, as well as film music by Slovenian composers.

With the "Big Band of Radio Television Slovenia" he has performed and recorded Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin) in the original version for 'Jazz Band', as well as the musicals City of Angels, Chicago...

As a conductor and musical director Žarko Prinčič has conducted over 400 performances in Slovenian National Theatres (The Threepenny Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, Traviata, Chicago, Cabaret and others).

"Žarko Prinčič is undoubtedly one of the most important and most recognisable creators of contemporary musical theatre in Slovenia today. As a conductor and musical director he has worked on most of the most important musical performances in Slovenian drama theatres, and it is thanks to him that the interest in musical genres within drama theatre institutions has significantly increased and the quality level of this field has risen". (University of Ljubljana)

Throughout his career, Žarko Prinčič was constantly complementing and enriching his work in the demanding field of classical music by working in other genres, such as jazz and contemporary musical theatre. Among others, he played in the famous artistic cabaret "Lapin Agile" in Montmartre in Paris, toured jazz festivals with his own Žarko Prinčič Trio (Corea, Jobim and others) and improvised as a pianist at silent film retrospectives (Eisenstein, Dovženko...) at the Slovenian Cinematheque in Ljubljana.

He is also committed to working with young talents. He worked with the "Youth Orchestra of European Countries", the "Orchestre Symphonique de Conservatoire"-Paris etc. In Slovenia, he took post as a professor at the University of Ljubljana. With university students he presented the famous musical theatre works such as The West Side Story, The Baker's Wife, Die Dreigroschenoper, My Fair Lady, Latino Voyage, I Love my Wife and others.

Žarko Prinčič has also made a significant impact on Slovenian National Drama Theatres as the author of incidental music for W. Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, H. Pinter's Betrayal, A. Miller's The Crucible, E. O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, A. Miller's All My Sons and other works. His stage compositions are distinguished by a precise attention to the basic dramaturgical idea, in which he is able to sovereignly place his musical interpretation of dramatic work.

He has toured France, Italy, Austria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Russia (St. Petersburg), the Czech Republic, and Berlin.

Most of the sound recordings of the musical works that Žarko Prinčič co-created as a conductor, pianist and composer are available at RTV Slovenia, which has also broadcast and archived concerts such as Beethoven's Symphony No.7, Shostakovich's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra; Slovenian composers Ciglič (Sinfonia appassionata), Škerjanc and others. There is also Verdi's Requiem, which was recorded at the Slovenian National Theatre Opera in Ljubljana.

"Conductor Žarko Prinčič proved his high professionalism as well as an exceptional sense of cooperation with a numerous ensemble. His arrangement work can be denominated as absolute, like his sure conducting of orchestra, soloists and choir. Undoubtedly, he is a man of theatre capable of bringing the most complicated projects to a successful close." (Stanislav Moša, director, Brno)