Written by Monique Jacques
Petar Jankovic, an established and award-winning concert guitarist, will perform Wednesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in the Administration Auditorium as the final musician in this year’s Classical Lyceum. Tickets will be $3 at the door.
“Jankovic is a young, engaging performer who emphasizes the emotional nature of his playing,” Dr. Cliff Ganus said. “We probably have more guitarists than pianists on campus, so I think he’ll connect well with the audience.”
Jankovic was born in Serbia and began his learning guitar at the age of 8. He trained in both his home country and the United States, and was teaching at a collegiate level by the age of 20. He performs concerts all over the world, sharing his talent with thousands each year.
Throughout his career, Jankovic has been awarded both nationally and internationally for his talents. His award collection includes Bronze Medals from both the H.R.H. Princess Cristina 13th International Guitar Competition in Madrid, and the M.M.Ponce International Guitar Competition in Mexico City, as well as the First Prize in the Performance of Hispano-American music competition in Bloomington, Ind. and in 1997, he was the first guitarist to win the First Strings award from the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale.
When he is not on stage, Jankovic teaches at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University.
This evening’s performance will feature works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Federico Moreno-Torrobba, Isaac Albeniz, Jose Luis Merlin, Roland Dyens and Astor Piazzolla.
“I hope that students will be encouraged to think outside of their traditional entertainment, to embrace forms and ideas that challenge them. Instrumental music is an abstract art, one that defies verbal description, and one that opens our minds to a different level of communication,” Ganus said.
Harding’s Classical Lyceum Series began more than 50 years ago. Along with Jankovic, the 2011 series has featured the Saint Louis Brass, Octarium, and Layali El Andalus. Jankovic will be available to sign CDs in the lobby after the performance.
