Serbs lose powerful music chief, 55
RIPThe pianist Ivan Tasovac, formative Director of the Belgrade Philharmonic and former Serbian Minister of Culture, died today at 55, apparently of a heart attack. He had previously undergone cancer surgery.
A pianist and television personality, Tasovac was the driving force behind the new Belgrade Concert Hall, enlisting Zubin Mehta to convince the Serbian government.
The conductor Daniel Raiskin writes:
I am profoundly shocked and heartbroken after learning today about untimely passing of Ivan Tasovac…
It is hard to imagine a person filled with life, passion, vision and a real sense of purpose the way Ivan was.
A true and natural leader, he was a great friend and a uniting force on so many levels.
And his unrivaled sense of humor could light up the darkest place at once…
Maestro Raiskin is absolutely right.
Ivan Tasovac was a larger than life figure and a towering personality in not only the Serbian musical scene but throughout the Balkans.
A pianist, politician, orchestra administrator, TV celebrity and cultural guru he was the quintessential polymath. I recently heard him narrate The Soldier’s Tale in Belgrade in a translation he wrote himself.
One hopes that a fitting tribute to his extraordinary legacy would be to name the new Belgrade Concert Hall after him.