BIOGRAPHY

Croatian/American conductor Zvonimir Hačko serves as the Artistic & Music Director of the International Centre for Contemporary Music (ICCM) in London, and Artistic Director of Oregon Music Festival (Portland, Oregon). A conductor with a thriving international career, Hačko has held various Music Directorships with orchestras in Europe and the United States. He currently divides his time between the two subscription seasons and continues active guest conducting work with ensembles in the USA, United Kingdom, European Union, South America and Asia.

Born and raised in former Yugoslavia, he came to the United States to complete advanced degrees in conducting at the University of Washington and Indiana University (Bloomington). Since the late 1980’s he has maintained an active international conducting schedule leading such orchestras as Haifa Symphony, Symphony Orchestra of Brazilian National Theater, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Tbilisi Symphony, Symphony Orchestra of Serbian Radio-Television, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Istanbul Chamber Orchestra, State of Mexico Symphony, Symphony Orchestra of Croatian Radio-Television, Poznan Philharmonic (Poland), Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana (Italy), Sacramento Philharmonic, and many others. His multicultural background and experience have contributed to his in-depth knowledge of the European classical tradition and a keen interest in contemporary music. As a proponent of new music, Hačko has been instrumental in securing numerous new commissions from dozens of contemporary composers and has given world and national premieres of the works of Krzysztof Penderecki, Pēteris Vasks, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Arvo Pärt, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Jennifer Higdon, Henryk Górecki, John Tavener, Witold Lutosławski, John Adams, Giya Kancheli, and many others.

Hačko maintains an ambitious recording schedule. His current recording projects include a Bohuslav Martinů series with Budapest Symphony Orchestra, an all-Italian CD with Roma Sinfonietta, a recording of contemporary Polish works with London Sinfonietta, a CD of Respighi’s tone poems with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the album Bouquet de Musique (Dobrinka Tabakova, Isidora Žebeljan, Bohuslav Martinů ) with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, an all-Casella recording with the Orchestra of the Roma Opera, a recording of the works by Gubaidulina and Lutosławski with London Symphony Orchestra, and a recording of Penderecki's complete symphonies with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Hačko records for Naxos, Signum and Supraphon.

Future concert engagements include work with English Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Sinfonia Varsovia, Roma Sinfonietta, Portland Symphonic Choir & Orchestra,  Philharmonia Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,

Upon the nostrification of his diploma by the Academy of Music in Zagreb, Hačko continued his studies of music, philosophy, and the visual arts in London and Reading (England). He went to America in 1971 to further his education and received a Master's degree in conducting from the University of Washington and a Doctorate in conducting from Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music (Bloomington). His main teachers included Herbert Blomstedt, Robert Porco, and Leonard Bernstein. Since 1999 he has led an active international career and now divides his time between Europe and USA.
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