WEDNESDAY 11:15 Alfi Kabiljo (1935 - 2025)
Hrvatski Katolicki Radio
4/2/2025
At the age of 90, Alfi Kabiljo - composer, conductor, arranger, pianist, songwriter, librettist and producer who left a mark all over the world with his talent, dedication to work and high level of professionalism and touched the hearts of audiences of various musical affinities - has passed away. In honor of this composer, at 11:15 a.m., HKR reruns the show "Author's Signature" from 2023, in which we remembered the character and work of this famous Croatian music artist, as well as his greatest musical hits and musicals.
With his music, he represented Croatia in the world, with his achievements he became a role model for new generations of composers who greatly respect him, he supported the work of his colleagues and was a regular guest at all important concerts, and he spent his free time in various sports from an early age. Music was Kabiljo's life's calling, not just a profession.
He has left an indelible mark on the Croatian music scene with the music of numerous musicals, which is why he has been called the 'king of the Croatian musical' in the press. Since its premiere in 1971 in Zagreb, the cult musical Yalta, Yalta has been performed more than 1500 times in the interpretation of various theatres and their ensembles, and has also been translated into German, Italian and Norwegian. Other musicals were also very successful: The Great Race (1969), Hairy Life (1976), Red Island (1981), The Marriage List (1986), Emperor Franz Joseph in Zagreb (1989), The King Is Naked (1994) and Who Sings Evil Doesn't Think (1998), which he usually produced in collaboration with Milan Grgić, Vlado Štefančić and Drago Britvić.
Numerous famous Croatian singers have won awards interpreting his compositions: Radojka Šverko, Ivo Robić, Tereza Kesovija, Vice Vukov, Krunoslav Kićo Slabinac, Betty Jurković, Ana Štefok, Miro Ungar and others.
He has composed music for about 40 films, including Scissors (with Sharon Stone), Sky Bandits, Fear, Gymkata, The Girl, You Understand My Old Man, Peasant Revolt, Deps, The Journalist, The Fall of Italy, Occupation in 26 Pictures, Lea and Dario, and for a large number of television series Nikola Tesla, Don't Give Up Floki, Unconquered City. He was awarded the Golden Arena for film music (1976, 1981 and 2010), his music for the film Sky Bandits was nominated in the 'Best original score' category at the BAFTA (British Academy Film Awards) and the American Film Academy (Oscar), and the highest recognition Camille Award was awarded to him in 2022 by the European Federation of Composers' Societies (ECSA) for lifetime achievement.
He is the author of the comic opera Casanova in Istria (CNT Rijeka, 2009) and the ballet Centaur XII (CNT Zagreb, 1979), as well as an extensive instrumental opus for solo music, chamber ensemble and orchestra. For string orchestra he transcribed Pictures from the Exhibition of MP Mussorgsky (published by Doblinger in Vienna, and performed, among others, by the ensemble I Musici de Montréal). It is interesting that at several Winter Olympics, world skaters have performed choreographies to his music.
He has received many recognitions and awards, including: Josip Štolcer Slavenski (1986), Charter of the City of Zagreb (1999), Milivoj Körbler (HDS, 1998), Porin Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), Status (Croatian Music Union, 2004), Kairos (Film Music Festival in Trogir, 2009), Boris Papandopulo (Croatian Composers' Society for Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, 2009), Vladimir Nazor (Ministry of the Republic of Croatia, 2016), Golden Octavian (Croatian Society of Film Critics, 2023) and many others. He is the holder of the state medal Order of the Croatian Danica with the image of Marko Marulić.
He composed numerous local popular songs
He will be remembered by the wider audience as the author of a large number of entertaining songs that have entered the anthology of Croatian popular music, such as the most performed patriotic songs Tvoja zemlja (Zagreb, 1971), The World Is Mine (Rio de Janeiro, 1970), Let the Whole World (Tokyo, 1971), The Day That Is Remembered (Opatija, 1978), I Want Some Tenderness and Love (Opatija, 1970), Everything Comes to an End (Zagreb, 1967), Mother, Don't Cry, Goodbye, Happy Path and a large number of chansons Parks (Zagreb, 1965), You Are a Rose, C'est la vie (Zagreb, 1983), You Know, My Old Man, Don't Look for Another Time.
His compositions have participated in all major festivals such as Zagreb (36 compositions), Split (18), Opatija (13), Krapina (7). A total of 76 of his compositions have been performed at a total of 76 festival editions. Alfi Kabiljo's compositions have won first places or taken a high place at numerous international festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Athens, Palma de Mallorca, Seoul, Los Angeles and other cities, in the period from 1968 to 1998 it participated in 30 international festivals and won 13 awards.
KABILJO, Alfi (Alfons Kabiljo)
Born: 12/22/1935, Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia
Died: 4/1/2025, Zagreb, Croatia
Alfi Kabiljo’s western – composer:
Sky Bandits - 1986