ACCORDION ORCHESTRA OF “SONJA MARINKOVIĆ” ACADEMIC CULTURAL ARTISTIC ASSOCIATION, NOVI SAD
Conductor GORAN PENIĆ

Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor (arr. Goran Penić)
Stevan Divjaković: Overture
Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Goran Penić)
Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2 (arr. Goran Penić)

The Accordion Orchestra of “Sonja Marinković” Academic Cultural Artistic Association was founded in 1951. The idea to create such an ensemble came from the realization of the popularity of the accordion as a “folk instrument”. The Orchestra soon assumed an important role in the cultural life of Novi Sad and beyond. Margita Baračkov, one of the pioneers in the pursuit of concert emancipation of the accordion in the former Yugoslavia, became the first artistic leader of the Orchestra. At the beginning, the ensemble had few members and it performed, under the title „The Mosquito“, popular melodies and folk songs. Later, in parallel with the growth of the ensemble, the repertoire is enlarged by including arrangements of the most popular works by well known classic composers. At that moment the baton is passed to the fourteen-year old Milana Baračkov Malenica, who will lead this ensemble for over fourty years, winning the top prizes in the country.
Since 1957 the Orchestra begins to gain reputation internationally, becoming the golden laureate of the competitions in Palermo (1959), Luzern (1962), Evian (1969), Lyon (1977), Geneva (1980), Tarciento (1984), Castelfidardo (1994)...
The repertoire of the orchestra encompasses the works of different styles and from different epochs, originally composed or arranged for this ensemble (works by Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Korsakov, Ravel, Liszt, Bernstein, Ginastera and others). Among many composers who have written for this ensemble there are Karl Krombholc, Rudolf Brucci, Petar Osghian, Bruno Bjelinski, Ivan Kovač, and later on Slavko Šuklar, Stevan Divjaković, Wolfgang Russ-Ploetz etc.
One unusual feature and tradition of the Orchestra which has remained up till today is that entire concerts are played by heart, in which way they achieve the best possible communication with the conductor, following his every move and mime.
Since 1999, first as an assistant conductor and later as a conductor, Goran Penić has continued to search for the most convincing interpretations, widening the expressive range of the ensemble by including various percussion instruments, electronics and even the piano.
Many of the former members of the Orchestra are today renowned music teachers, composers, conductors, music editors. Today, the ensemble is comprised of the students of the School of Music Isidor Bajić in Novi Sad, of their teachers who are not engaged in soloist careers, but also of accordion lovers who play in the Orchestra as a hobby. These people come from the wide range of professions: business entrepreneurs, students of literature, economy, law, pedagogy, farmers, etc. Today the ensemble enumerates over forty members and it is frequently invited to artistic festivals in the country and abroad.
Conductor Goran Penić was born in 1970 in Novi Sad. He completed his elementary and secondary music education in the class of Dragica Tomašev, at the School of Music „Isidor Bajić“, Department of Accordion. He took part in competitions for young musicians in the former Yugoslavia, winning many first awards. He graduated from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Department of Music Pedagogy. He attended master classes of renowned Serbian and foreign pedagogues. Since 1993 he has taught at the School of Music Isidor Bajić, Department of Accordion. His students are winners of top awards at the competitions in Serbia and abroad.
Since 1999 Goran Penić has worked with the The Accordion Orchestra of “Sonja Marinković” Academic Cultural Artistic Association, as well as the Accordion Orchestra of the School of Music Isidor Bajić. Besides conducting, he was a member of the World Music ensemble La campanella led by Boris Kovač, performing all over the world with this band. Penić is a juru member at Serbian and international competitions of accordionists.