Andrej Ivanović
Biography
Andrej Ivanović is a prize-winning organist currently working as Musician in Residence at Hurspierpoint College, West Sussex, UK.
He studied at St Peter’s College, University of Oxford (where he was Organ Scholar), the Belgrade Faculty of Music, Royal Holloway, University of London (where he was Postgraduate Organ Scholar), and the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (University of Music and Performing Arts) in Vienna.
Among other places, he has performed in Austria, England, Germany, and Serbia, and has recorded for broadcasts by BBC Radio 3 and 4, Serbian national television and radio, and the ORF in Austria.
In addition to playing the organ, Andrej plays continuo, conducts, occasionally composes, and can often be seen either listening to or playing jazz.
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I think a lot of it had to do with my parents, my dad specifically! He would play me cassettes of rock bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Santana, to name a few… all very guitar-driven bands, ironically. But, the thing that stood out to me was Deep Purple’s keyboard player, the late great Jon Lord… the sound he got out of a Hammond organ was absolutely incredible—it was so powerful! I distinctly remember drawing a keyboard onto a bit of cardboard and “playing along” to the tracks as a kid.
Both my parents were very supportive of me taking up piano lessons, and subsequently I took up organ lessons once I moved to the UK—they’ve been following my musical journey with nothing but love and support. My sixth-form music teacher in the UK, Ellie Calver, was a deciding factor in me choosing music as a career, and I’m ever thankful for her support and guidance.
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Hmm, just one… it depends on what kind of day I’m having! I’ve been playing a lot of South German/Austrian repertoire, especially the Viennese court composers. Two pieces come to mind: Froberger’s second Toccata and Poglietti’s Toccata fatta sopra lassedio di Filippsburgo. To listen to? I’ve been listening to a lot of Frank Zappa lately…
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The pieces I play ‘best,’ I think, are the pieces I truly enjoy playing. I really love the music of 17th and 18th-century Viennese court composers and organists Johann Kaspar Kerll, Georg and Gottlieb Muffat, and Johann Jakob Froberger. On the other hand, there’s César Franck and Jehan Alain, two French composers from the 19th and 20th centuries, whose music is equally as incredible in completely different ways.
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My performance this year at the Joseph Gabler International Organ Competition in Ochsenhausen. The organ was incredible, the people were brilliant, and I won first place in the competition playing music I love. When you’re in an atmosphere like that, you can’t help but enjoy yourself!
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I’ve been influenced by a number of musicians throughout the years, both teachers and peers—too many to list all of them! However, the largest influence in the last year or so has been Jeremy Joseph, my organ professor at the MDW in Vienna and organist at the Viennese Hofburg, among other things. In addition to exposing me to the music of the Viennese court composers, he’s an astonishingly good player (and improviser!), a fantastic teacher, and a great friend. I’m very lucky and grateful to have worked with him; he’s really changed the way I play. Other organists who come to mind are Stephen Farr and Rupert Gough, both of whom were mentors of mine and with whom I’m still in touch.
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Mainly three things: I listen to a lot of different music, read a lot, and try not to limit myself in terms of genre or style. A lot of the music I find inspiring wasn’t written for the organ, nor is it classical in style, and the texts I find inspiring often have nothing to do with music.
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I usually learn pieces back to front, especially when I see that’s the most difficult part of the piece. Also, organ practice is quite a physical undertaking, so I try and stretch before and after a practice session to alleviate any tension that might have built up while I was practising.
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A few, but the one I’m most excited for by far is the concert at the church of St. Verena in Rot an der Rot in Germany next summer; the organ is an incredible 18th-century Holzhey, and the acoustics in the church are fantastic—a match made in heaven. Another recital I’m excited for is one I’m playing in July at St. Marylebone in London. Aside from those two, I’d also love to work on my jazz piano playing more and go to a few jam sessions at the local clubs.
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I talk to myself quite a lot while practicing, and I’m very glad nobody else is around to hear it.
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In terms of places I’ve already played in: Ochsenhausen monastery, the Schottenkirche in Vienna, Klosterneuburg abbey, and the Jesuitenkirche in Vienna—perhaps the most golden church I’ve ever seen.
I’d love to play in the church of St Ouen, Rouen. The organ in that building is by the renowned 19th Century French builder Cavaillé-Coll and is perhaps his finest instrument. There’s also the Franziskanerkirche in Vienna with its Wöckherl organ from 1642 - it’s a real time capsule.
