Vlado Sunko is a conductor and a composer. He has been conducting Brodosplit Male Chorus since 1988 and he is also  the director of the Art Academy Mixed Chorus. For 15 years, he is professor of the Split Arts’ Academy. He is a member of the juries of numerous competitions (festivals of Dalmatian harmony-singing groups at Omiš, festivals of mandolin players, county, national and international competitions of the amateur choirs). Vlado Sunko is also a regular member of the HDS (Croatian Composers’ Society).

He was awarded for his creative and reproductive work by the City of Split in 2000, and was granted a wide range of acknowledgements and awards for his compositions on competitions and festivals.

So far he has released twelve CDs: eight with Brodosplit, two with the Art Academy Chorus from Split and two with the mandolin orchestra “Sanctus Domnio”.

Workshop led by Vlado SUNKO: F. Equal Voices 2 - TTBB

Interview with Vlado Sunko

Vlado Sunko, composer and co-conductor of Workshop „F".

- Is this the first time that You are in Hungary?
- No, I have been here before, two times with the Male Choir „Brodosplit" in a Wine Song Festival. The artistic director was Dr. Tamás Lakner - we made good friends. I was honored when Dr. Lakner invited me to work together with him in the workshop „Roundabout the Wine"
- Why was this workshop shared?
- Dr. Lakner had many other tasks during the festival. First of all, he was the artistic director of entire Pécs Cantat, then a particular challenge: the world premiere of János Vajda's Pannonii Carmen, and, in addition to this, he led the daily Open Singing sessions at Dóm square with great success.
- What was your experience with your group?
- There were only seventy people in my group coming from Serbia, Finland and of course Hungary among others, so we were not that many. However, I bet I had the most difficult task, because my singers were between 16 and 70! That's a real challenge musically as well as for the style of communication, including the different disciplinarian methods for almost every person. The elderly ones were always afraid a little of singing, since they would have need more time to adapt the different languages and styles, while the younger singers were apt at this point. The more matured singers were slower to react as well, so a lot of plus energy was needed to explain things, in a language that was foreign for me as well as for them... but that was okay, since every workshop-leader had an interpreter. I have to emphasize that none of the participants were professional singer, but all of them were committed and devoted - they came because of their love for music and many of them were really experienced and excellent singers.
- Any funny moments...?
- On the whole, we had very good time, often teasing one another, as it is quite common among men, and ease the stress of the hard work in the workshops. What I will never forget: a large group of singers, in the morning, during the warm-up, or rather instead: turning the head towards me - and all the eyes were closed...

The interview was made by Zoltán Major.