The Ensemble
Nika Bauman, flute
Nika Bauman (HR) is the founder of Synesthetic Project— an interdisciplinary team of musicians and artists. She also a founding member of Ensemble Illyrica, Bauman-Ferlan duo, and guest solos with Mimika Orchestra. Through these projects, Nika performs across Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Belgium, and Ireland.
As a soloist, Nika performed at the Alpenarte Festival Schwarzenberg in Austria, and won many national and international prizes. Most recently she was a finalist at the 2019 HUGO competition for concert dramaturgy (Feldkirch), and Bauman-Ferlan duo won 1st Prize for chamber music in the 2018 Premio Citta di Padova (IT).
Nika has played in orchestras in concert halls such as V. Lisinski (Zagreb), Brücknerhaus (Linz), and Musikverein (Vienna) under Z. Mehta and F. Welser-Möst.
Nika received her masters at Zagreb Academy of Music and at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna.
Hiwote Tadesse, viola
Croatian-Ethiopian violist Hiwote Tadesse holds the co-principal viola position in the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, and is also a member of Ensemble Illyrica and Max Bruch Trio.
Hiwote has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Croatia, Austria, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands under conductors such as Dirk Brosse, and T. Fačini, and played with artists such as T. Samouil, G. Hoffman, A. Dumay, A.Zemtsov.
She graduated with the highest honors from Elly Basic Music Academy (Croatia), Royal Conservatory (Belgium), Maastricht Conservatory (the Netherlands), and was artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel (Belgium), mentored by M. Kugel and M. da Silva.
Marko Ferlan, guitar
Marko Ferlan (SLO) plays in the Bauman-Ferlan duo, Pool of Invention, and is a founding member of Ensemble Illyrica.
As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in concert halls across Europe, including Konzerthaus (Vienna), National Concert Hall (Dublin), Schloss Belvedere Hall (Weimar), The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra (Ljubljana), and the Croatian Music Institute (Zagreb).
Marko won several prizes in international competitions, most recently 1st Prize for chamber music in the 2018 Premio Citta di Padova (IT) with Bauman-Ferlan duo.
As a jazz musician, Marko plays in different bands in Croatia and Austria, such as the Lana Janjanin Quartet, Oscar Antoli Quartet as guitarist, bassist, double bassist and percussionist.
Marko began his musical education in Brežice (SLO), and continued it at the GU Elly Bašić (Zagreb) with A. Čagalj, and earned his masters at University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna in the class of G. Schneider.
Iva Casian-Lakos, cello
Cellist, singer, and improviser Iva Casian-Lakoš is a first-generation American of Mexican-Croatian descent. She has toured across North America and Europe with interdisciplinary, genre-bending ensembles such as Bang on a Can All-Stars, Synesthetic Project, Ensemble Illyrica, eco|tonal, PinkNoise Ensemble, and Unheard-of//Ensemble. Iva’s versatile repertoire ranges from classical cello to boundary-stretching new works involving choreography, singing, acting, improvisation, and more.
Iva collaborated with legendary vocalist and composer Joan La Barbara on a new work for singing-cellist commissioned by Bang on a Can and performed at their virtual marathon, Long Play Festival, and Noguchi Museum series. Iva also enjoys collaborations with visual artists, videographers, and dancers in interdisciplinary projects, often via the Vienna-based collective Synesthetic Project. Recently, Iva toured Europe with the Bang on a Can All-Stars and performed Terry Riley’s “In C” with Sasha Waltz & Guests dance company.
Iva won top prizes in national competitions, such as Hellam Young Artists Competition, and gave concerto performances with Columbus Symphony Orchestra, New Albany Symphony, and SEO Symphony Orchestra.
She has collaborated with members of JACK, Emerson, Argus, Calidore, Rhythm Method, and Ying quartets in chamber performances, and appeared in concert halls around the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center (Bruno Walter Auditorium), Kennedy Center (Millennium Stage), and Jordan Hall.
Photos by Toni Mijac