Philipp Tomas

Who is KZIF (Chamber Choir Ivan Filipović)?

client | KZIF

Chamber Choir Ivan Filipović is one of the most successful a capella ensembles in Croatia that performs stylistically differentiated performances of very demanding works of the choral repertoire from the 16th to the 21st century. The choir won numerous international awards for its performances including the Grand Prix at the 14th International Choir Competition (Verona, 2003), Gold Medal at the 3rd Choir Olympiad (Bremen, 2004), Gold Medal at the 4th World Choir Games (Xiamen, 2006), Grand Prix at the International Choir competition "Musica Sacra a Roma" (Rome, 2007), Gold medal at the International Festival and Choir Competition (Istanbul, 2011).

In 2015 the choir performed at the UN General Assembly in New York on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

Over the years working with KZIF, I have created numerous photographs and videos of their performances. However, I believe that the projects we created during the coronavirus pandemic were the most challenging and the most interesting at the same time.

KZIF Choir Talks

The Pandemic

During the pandemic, the choir couldn’t rehearse or hold concerts because of social distancing measures in the country. Instead of reposting past performances, we decided to create new original content. That’s how “KZIF Choir Talks” was born - short, 10 to 15-minute interviews with musicians who have worked with KZIF in different capacities. In total, 8 videos were created.

We didn’t stop there! We also made a virtual choir video and held an online choir competition (Festival glazbe Zagreb).

Earthquake

As social distancing measures began to ease, an earthquake struck Zagreb, damaging the choir rehearsal rooms and several venues where upcoming performances were scheduled. Once again, the choir faced the disappointment of not being able to perform before a live audience. Instead, we filmed an entire concert at various earthquake-affected locations. Although the seats remained empty, the choir's performance reached thousands of viewers online.

Collaborating with other musicians

Working with KZIF opened doors to new creative ventures, allowing me to photograph and film a diverse array of talented musicians. The following images showcase some of these remarkable collaborations, highlighting the power of music to unite and uplift, even in challenging times.