Pustički, Branimir

Cellist Branimir Pustički (Zagreb, 1981) graduated from the class of Valter Dešpalj at the Academy of Music in Zagreb and furthered his studies with Reinhard Latzko in Vienna and Jakob Kullberg in Stavanger, Norway. He is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions and awards, among which stand out the Young Musician of the Year Award of the Zagreb Philharmonic and American Express, First Prize and Audience Award at the international “J. Brahms” Competition in Austria, and First Prize and the Croatian Composers’ Society (HDS) Award at the “Boris Papandopulo” Competition in the chamber music category.

As a soloist, he has performed with the Zagreb Philharmonic, HRT Symphony Orchestra, Zagreb Soloists, Croatian Baroque Ensemble, Ukrainian State Philharmonic, Varaždin Chamber Orchestra, Human Rights Orchestra, Zadar Chamber Orchestra, and the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. He regularly appears at major festivals and venues in Croatia, including the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Osor Musical Evenings, Music Biennale Zagreb, Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, and the Rector’s Palace in Dubrovnik. For the HRT Music Archive, he has recorded works for cello and orchestra by Croatian composers J. Tkalčić, M. Ruždjak, M. Kelemen, K. Seletković, G. Tudor, and R. Matz, and recorded Pavao Dešpalj’s Cello Concerto with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra.

Alongside his long-standing collaboration with pianist Petra Gilming and Trio 1887, he frequently performs with distinguished artists in Croatia and abroad. In addition to regular appearances throughout most European countries, he has given concerts and tours in Japan, Mexico, and the United States. He serves as principal cellist of the HRT Symphony Orchestra and collaborates in the same role with the Copenhagen Philharmonic, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Zadar Chamber Orchestra, and the Human Rights Orchestra. He is Assistant Professor of Cello at the Academy of Music in Zagreb and teaches masterclasses in Croatia, Norway, and Sweden.