Biography

The Montenegrin Guitar Duo consists of two eminent classical guitarists from Montenegro – Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović. The duo is frequently invited to prestigious international venues around the world, such as Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Manuel de Falla Hall in Madrid and Saint Petersburg Philharmonia Hall. Presenters including Koblenz Guitar Festival, Festival Internacional de Musica y Danza de Granada, KotorArt Festival, Shaldon Festival, Ohrid Summer Festival, Guitar Foundation of America Convention, Istanbul Classical Guitar Festival, Guittaras del Mundo (Argentina), Qinling Mountains International Guitar Festival, Shenyang International Guitar Festival and Daejeon International Guitar Festival regularly engage the Montenegrin Guitar Duo to give recitals, deliver lectures and masterclasses, and adjudicate important competitions.

They also regularly perform concerti for two guitars, such as J. Rodrigo’s Concierto Madrigal. The Duo has a large repertoire, comprising transcriptions of ancient music and original compositions written in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, with a special emphasis on contemporary music written for two guitars. Their two principal aims are to broaden the guitar repertoire and to further integrate the guitar into chamber music. Their education work has taken them to Toronto University and Montreal Conservatoire in Canada, Chapman and Metropolitan universities in the USA, Maastrich Conservatoire in the Netherlands and Tianjin University in China. Their debut CD comprising pieces by C. Domeniconi, A. Piazzolla and D. Bogdanović was published by the Montenegrin Music Centre in 2013.

In 2015, Naxos released the first of two volumes of J. S. Bach’s English Suites, transcribed by the duo for two guitars. Completing this unique project to transcribe and record the entire set of English Suites, Volume 2 was released in June 2018. The duo’s performances are always enthusiastically received, both by their audiences and the press, and these historically-informed performances of their own two-guitar arrangements of J. S. Bach’s English Suites have received particular praise from the critics.

The duo is currently preparing for their next CD, featuring works by A. Piazzolla.

Guitar virtuoso Goran Krivokapić has been lauded as “showing an astounding virtuosic and interpretative artistic maturity” (Akustik Gitarre) and “in total control of his huge talent, a fully- fledged artist” (Classical Guitar Magazine).

Overall winner of nineteen international competitions, his focus lies on the development of repertoire for guitar, mainly through making his own transcriptions and collaborating with composers. He has performed across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Russia, appearing at major festivals and concert halls such as Tchaikovsky Hall, Lubkowitz Palace, Concertgebouw and Auditorio Conde Duque.

Passionate about teaching, Goran Krivokapić has given masterclasses and lectures at universities and festivals worldwide. Having taught previously at the Koblenz International Guitar Academy, The Lemmens Institute and Prince Claus Conservatoire, he now teaches at Detmold University of Music and is professor of guitar at The Cologne University of Music.

Danijel Cerović is an internationally acclaimed recording artist, touring musician and pedagogue from Montenegro. A versatile solo and chamber musician, he also gives frequent masterclasses, lectures on Bach transcriptions, and has adjudicated at Universities, festivals and competitions in Europe, USA, Canada, China and South Korea.

He is often invited to perform at international concert series, festivals and concert halls, which have included Guitar Foundation of America Convention, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Manuel de Falla Hall (Madrid), Granada Festival Music y Danza, Koblenz International Guitar Festival, Shenyang Guitar Festival (China) and Daejon Guitar Festival (South Korea), A Tempo, Kotor art festival (Montenegro).

Since 2003, Danijel Cerović has lectured in guitar and chamber music at the Music Academy in Cetinje, University of Montenegro, and is also a guest professor at Sarajevo Music Academy.

Danijel is the Artistic Director and a co-founder of the International Nikšić Guitar Festival and Competition.