About IPEW

“The idea was to create a real winter festival, which would serve as a counter-balance to the rich summer offer but would also bring first-rate musical accomplishments outside Zagreb as well!”

Igor LEŠNIK, founder and Artistic Director of IPEW

And truly, for the sixth season in a row the International Percussion Ensemble Week is turning Bjelovar into an international centre of percussion art. During the festival week, Bjelovar is by far the liveliest city in Croatia, despite the fact that it is the coldest period of the year. Artistic achievements and international character of the festival are best seen in the names of the artists who performed in Bjelovar in the past four years. Let us think of a few names: Fernando Hashimoto (Brasil), Jean Geoffroy (France), ensemble Perkustra (Spain), Angel Omar Frette (Argentina), Studio Percussion (Austria), Tomoyuki Okada (Japan), Anders Astrand (Švedska), John Beck (SAD), Evaristo Aguilar (Mexico)…

What is the recipe for creating a musical manifestation that has had such artistic exclusiveness and has earned the trust from the audience but also experts in the field right from the start? The secret lies in the balance between high-profile professionalism and casual manner, in giving equal importance to the performing as well as the pedagogical segment, but primarily in freeing itself from any prejudice concerning art. IPEW atmosphere shows the attitude of understanding art which states that the boundaries between genres are not to be taken seriously!

Vatroslav Lisinski Music School, the host of IPEW headed by the principle Sonja Štefanec, Igor Lešnik and Identitet production have joined forces for the sixth time to make Bjelovar in January 2009 the center of contemporary percussion scene on international level.
So, the best thing You can do is to put on your boots and between 8th and 11th 2009 be a part of this Bjelovar winter sensation!