Composed: 1933
Premiered: 1933, Strasbourg
Duration: 6 minutes
Considered the most creative and influential Serbian composer of the 20th century, Ljubica Marić began her musical studies in Belgrade, before furthering her education at the State Conservatory in Prague under Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk. Her works combine Byzantine church music (used for the first time in non-liturgical compositions), folk music, and modern techniques.
Music for Orchestra was first composed during her time at the State Conservatory in Prague and premiered at the Strasbourg Music Festival in 1933, but it was lost to the public for 65 years until it was published in 1998.
Marić’s works have been praised by many of her contemporaries, including Béla Bartók, Witold Lutosławski, and Hermann Scherchen. Dmitri Shostakovich said of her music: “Ljubica Marić makes use of the entire arsenal of contemporary music in order to attain a high goal. She speaks from her innermost soul, in a clear and impressive language.”