Slobodan Cvetičanin
1962
Baritone Slobodan was born in Niš, and graduated in vocal science, music theory and education in Skopje. Just before the war began, he had come to Osijek and became part of the Opera ensemble of HNK Osijek. Between 1991 and 1994, he was the choirmaster and conductor of the Opera ensemble in Osijek, and also its Director in the season 2007/08. He played a series of main roles in operas and operettas. He retired in 2019, but still works with young people as a mentor of singing and vocal technique.
In autumn of 1991, all of the conductors – Croats – left Osijek. They left the city because of the war. Since I had also graduated in choral conducting alongside graduating in vocal studies, the then General Manager offered me to gather together the rest of the ensemble so as to preserve the Opera, since without the Opera and the Ballet, it would no longer be the Croatian National Theatre, but rather the city theatre. Since we couldn’t work in the edifice of HNK after its rooftop burned down, we barricaded ourselves in Central Hotel and held concerts for the citizens and our soldiers, the excerpts from the operas, the operatic arias.
Over the last 35 years, Slobodan Cvetičanin has been faithful to the theatre in Osijek. He played a series of main roles in operas and operettas. Between 1991 and 1994, he was the choirmaster and conductor of the Opera ensemble in Osijek, and also its Director in the season 2007/08. Today, he assists young people as a mentor of singing and vocal technique.