Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Interview with Jon Lewis of 6PR, Perth, 19th March 2004.
What are some of the things that either make or break an artist?
I find marketing to be an essential part of the big picture these days. Right from when I started, I realised that to be successful was going to take more than musical talent and so I developed ideas as to what it would take to place me at the centre stage.
You are certainly on the right track, then, as I hear that you have quite an array of sponsors.
I am privileged to be working with some of Australia’s top artists, including Sakshi fashion and Robi Szalay jewellery. I have also been supported by Kailis Australian Pearls on a number of occasions.
What do you think of child prodigies and would you consider yourself to be one?
I believe that there is no such thing as a ‘prodigy’. You may be born with a prodigious talent, but nobody is born with a guitar in their hands. True musicianship takes dedication and persistence.
Who is the person in music you admire the most?
I admire composers a lot, as it is a real legacy that is left behind. Also, I think that it is incredibly generous of people to be writing music that will be passed onto new generations.
We will now listen to a piece that you have composed. It has a peculiar title – Guitar Tickle. What inspired you to write this piece?
This is a piece I wrote late last year. I had an incredibly busy schedule of teaching and media related commitments that seemed to take over my practice time. And each time that I would sit to play the guitar, I felt that it was tiring rather than enjoyable. So I had to rethink why I was pursuing a career in music performance. And that is why, when you listen to this piece, the guitar part seems to be bursting out with joy.
The other reason behind this piece is that I wanted to create a lasting legacy of a well-balanced duet. People who have previously composed for guitar and violin, including Paganini himself, always seemed to leave the best bits to the violin and the guitar was always a fill-in part. This is not the case in the Guitar Tickle, as the two instruments and chatting away constantly.
What is a piece that moves you the most?
I like the cadenza of Aranjuez Concerto, by Rodrigo. I love playing it. There is a great emotion created in this piece.
You enjoy Spanish music then?
The guitar has always been Spanish, and since Spanish music is emotional, I have to say yes to that.
Your family originates from former Yugoslavia. Would you call Australia your home?
I have spent half of my life in each country and I believe that high school years are your most formative years, in which you really develop as an individual. I would have to say that Australia is my home.
You are soon leaving Australia for Europe. Where will you be working and is this the last that Australia will see of you?
In Australia, people are accepting and respectful of other cultures. It is the perfect place to make music. The environment is surreal, the beaches, the desert, it is incredibly unique. I can see myself living and composing in Australia, whilst performing overseas.
Where will you be based in the next two years?
As of April 2004 I will be living in the UK.
- 6PR
Discography
Rouge Guitar - Milica Ilic
Documentary and a CD with music by Milica Ilic, one of Australias hottest music talents. At the age of 23, she has already toured Australia and Southeast Asia with such legendary artists as José Carreras. Her debut CD Rouge Guitar has confirmed her place as an artistic tour de force, with Australian critics hailing Milica as a fiery combination of virtuosic skill and originality . Most recently, Milica was honoured as West Australian Citizen of the Year 2004. In Conversation and on Stage, documentary follows her: Turbulent escape from the civil war in Bosnia Excerpts from interviews with publicists and supporters Demonstrates her musical style
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Milica Ilic (pronounced Mel-itza Ill-ych)
Milica Ilic is one of Australias hottest music talents. At the age of 23, she has already toured
Australia and Southeast Asia with such legendary artists as José Carreras. Her debut CD
Rouge Guitar has confirmed her place as an artistic tour de force, with Australian critics
hailing Milica as a fiery combination of virtuosic skill and originality. Most recently, Milica
was honoured as West Australian Citizen of the Year 2004.
Milica entered the music school aged seven. She covered the first years work within three
months, and soon, the hard work began to pay off. At age 17, she graduated as the highest
ranking guitar student in Western Australia. Four years later she also received her first class
honours in Music. In tandem with all the hard academic work she put in, she fuelled her
passion for music with continual performances, which took her to exotic, tropical Darwin, the
mystifying Angkor Wat and saw her spend a bohemian winter in Prague.
Milicas mix of stage presence, ability to hold an audience and good looks attracted numerous
sponsors willing to align their business with a quality act. Offers of a lucrative modelling
career naturally followed, however Milicas passion for guitar kept her focussed on music.
In Focus and Promotion:
1. Debut CD release, Rouge Guitar features her solo, orchestral and duet favourites.
2. Short documentary, In Conversation and on Stage, available on DVD.
The documentary follows her:
Turbulent escape from the civil war in Bosnia
Excerpts from interviews with publicists and supporters
Demonstrates her musical style
Career Highlights:
2002 Accompanied the celebrated tenor, José Carreras in his tour of Southeast Asia, and
was a feature soloist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
2003 Invited to perform at Un Unforgettable Evening José Carreras in Concert, as
guest soloist in Perth, WA.
2003 Graduated with First Class Honours (UWA) completing music studies under the
renowned guitar teacher John Casey and Czech virtuoso Stepan Rak in Prague
2004 Awarded Citizen of the Year2004 in appreciation of her contribution to the culture
and people of Western Australia.
2004 Awarded the Flora Bunning Travel Scholarship for Musicians.
LATEST NEWS
Move to London
September 2004: Moved to London, to plan a major tour of Europe and the UK.
Heavenly Fantasy
August 2004, Milica held her first performance in Banja Luka, her birthplace. It was her first appearance
since leaving war-torn Bosnia for Australia. The outdoor concert was held in a courtyard of Kastel, a
Roman-Turkish fortress in the centre of Banja Luka. The performance drew an impressive audience.
Critics described the evening as a heavenly fantasy and Milica was formally received by the Lord
Mayor of Banja Luka, and presented with a crystal engraving of the towns emblem.
ARTIST IMPRESSIONS
Milica (On Rouge Guitar):
Rouge Guitar was made in four sessions and the DVD was recorded within three hours. I didnt want
magic effects, just the purity of the music to shine through, along with breathing and creaking chairs. It is
what makes the recording special.
Milica (On own work):
I was always interested in studying the greats, but this cant compare with the energy I get when I
compose my own music. It is when I play my own pieces that my true emotions are revealed, lifting my
music to the next level.
SPONSORS
Milica ilic is proudly suported by.
SAKSHI (WA Fashion designer of the Year 2001)
KAILIS AUSTRALIAN PEARLS
ROBY SZALAY Jewellery
SHERIDAN GUITARS
2 OF THE BEST Web Design and Research
PRESENTATION GRAPHICS AND ART (Perth and Vienna)
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