Piano maniacs triathlon

MATEJ MEŠTROVIĆ

Matej Meštrović (b. 1969) is undoubtedly the most versatile artist on the Croatian cultural scene, and an exclusive artist of PARMA Recordings. In 2018, he premiered the Danube Rhapsody for piano and orchestra in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, thus becoming the first Croatian composer to have his own work premiered in that prestigious hall.

He is the author of music for three Croatian pavilions at the world exhibitions EXPO: Shanghai 2010, Hanover 2000, and Lisbon 1998, for which he was awarded the City of Zagreb Award. He is the winner of numerous awards: Special awards from the mayor of Karlovy Vary, “Oktavian” at the “Days of Croatian Film,” “Baldo Čupić” for the best national tourist film, and four Global Music Awards. He is the author of music for over 400 documentaries.

His CD Vivaldi 4 SEASONS FOR 3 PIANOS was included in the Spotify list of 50 classical releases. Meštrović’s CD 3 RHAPSODIES FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA, published by PARMA Recordings, recorded with the Zagreb Philharmonic, and is the first official CD in the history of that orchestra for the American market.

American critics declared Meštrović the Croatian John Williams. In 2019, 3 RHAPSODIES FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA won the Global Music Award Gold Winner Best of Show. In April 2020, Meštrović’s CD PIANO WAVES won the award for Best Classical Music Album, and the award for Album of the Year in all categories on the prestigious American portal SoloPiano. In March 2022, Meštrović, together with the percussionist Borna Šercar, presented Croatia at the world exhibition EXPO in Dubai. This summer, Pelješki Most, the largest bridge in Croatia, was opened with Meštrović’s composition for choir, soloists, and symphonic orchestra.

MATTHEW MAYER

#1 Billboard Charting New Age Recording Artist, Matthew Mayer has released over 17 solo piano albums, since his debut album “Crossing the Bridge” in 1999.

Mayer had humble beginnings, growing up in small town South Dakota. He started by performing one-man shows in the waiting room of a chiropractic clinic in Canistota (town of 700 where Mayer grew up), to sharing the stage with Grammy Nominated and Artists from around the globe, including world renowned, Matej Meštrović.

His latest album, “Piano Lullabies” has reached over 10 Million Streams and is a prominent album on Amazon Music’s Official Instrumental Lullaby Playlist. Accolades include reaching the #1 spot on a variety of different charts including, #1 multiple times on Amazon’s Hot New Age releases and #1 on United Kingdom’s One
World Music Radio Charts.

Notable Milestones:

• Song ‘When Flowers Grew Wild’ became a Trending song on Instagram being added to over 32,000 Reels and counting
• Two Time Telly Award Winner
• Album ‘Beautiful You’ Reached #1 Billboard New Age
• Album ‘16670’ Received The 2020 ZMR Best Piano Solo Album
• Owner/Founder of SoloPiano.com, hosting over 500 Artists from around the world
• Producer of The Going Solo Podcast, interviewing notables such as Grammy Winner George Winston.
• 17 Solo Piano Albums & 20+ Single Releases since 1999
• Over 11,000,000 Amazon Music Streams
• Over 7,000,000 Spotify Streams
•  Over 1,000,000 Apple Music Streams
• Grammy Voting Member of the NARAS

Notable Reviews:

• “What I love most about Matthew Mayer’s music is that it, at once, stirs up emotions while offering peace. I feel an ache when I hear it.” – Faith Salie – CBS Sunday Morning, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
• “Matthew Mayer’s Metamorphosis is deep, beautiful, and gives a proper reflection on our ever changing lives. I love his music: haunting and poignant.” – Lydia Cornell – ABC’s ‘Too Close for Comfort’, HBO’s ‘Curb
  Your Enthusiasm’
• “Matthew Mayer’s music pulls off something remarkable: it is emotionally peaceful. Not sure how he does it, but I’m thankful he does!” – Tony Potts – Emmy-Winning Entertainment Executive

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lUFpolDE7BJirBW8Fub5z?si=W3I1wjJUQWesa6o2odCAUg
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/matthew-mayer/288606594
Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/matthew-mayer/ARcrJdfftbKzlcg
Official Website: www.matthewmayer.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mayersolopiano
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mayersolopiano

ANTONIJA PACEK

Native Croatian / Austrian Antonija Pacek is a cinematic music composer and pianist. Her newest Seasons of Life album was published in March 2022 by Australian Yellow Rose Records. Rebecca Cullen (for Stereo Stickman Magazine) reviewed the album: “Composer, artist and cinematically focused musician Antonija Pacek brings a refreshingly unpredictable edge of creativity to the neoclassical realm, with her superb, intimate yet powerful new album Seasons of Life.”

Antonija’s 4th album Forever was published in 2020 by the renown American label, Parma Recordings, and Take Effects Reviews wrote: “Forever often carries a captivating romantic spirit and an exceptional performance that will have you hanging on every note.” To promote her second album Life Stories (2017) and her third album Il Mare (2019), Antonija toured Italy in 2018-2019 and played in five cities, including the Auditorium Parco della musica in Rome and Teatro dal Verme in Milan. Her critically acclaimed, debut album, Soul Colours (2014) was published by Autentico Music in Germany and was signed by Warner Chappell (a publishing hand of Warner Music). German and Italian critics referred to Antonija’s compositions as follows: “a female response to Ludovico Einaudi”, “resembling Erik Satie’s as well as Keith Jarrett’s The Cologne Concert”, “a concert that goes directly to the soul”, “(it) creates an evocative poetic love”, “Symphony of Emotions”, “(music) close to meditation of angels”, “Pacek, Revival of the Great Classics”, and “music as beautiful as a radiant jewel”.  

Antonija’s music is being played at a number of radio stations around the world, including Classic FM radio in London, FM Classic in New York, Klassik Radio in Vienna, Shades of Classics in Canada and Whisperings Radio in the USA. She studied psychology in Vienna, Austria and at the University of Cambridge, UK. Antonija lives with her husband and three daughters near Vienna, and in her summer house on the island of Lopud, Croatia.