Washington DC – On Tuesday, June 9, Croatian American tamburitza virtuoso and composer, Jerry Grcevich performed in front of a packed concert at the Trump – Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater for the Tamburitza Across America: Celebrating Croatian American Heritage Through Music. This evening concert was part of the Croatian Embassy’s flagship cultural events celebrating United States’ 250th anniversary of independence called America 250.
Jerry took 450 attendees on a journey of Croatia’s rich musical traditions from various regions, including Lika and Slavonia with artistic renditions of classic American songs. He performed with unique instruments like the dangubica or Samica from Lika. Each song told a story about his travels to Croatia which included songs collaborated with famous Croatian singers like Miroslav Škoro and timeless traditions that still resonate with Croatians today.
“Jerry paid tribute to generations of Croatian Americans who strengthen the U.S.,” stated from the Croatian Embassy’s post. “His performance was a moving reminder of the power of culture to connect communities, generations, and nations.”
“It was a truly magical evening that celebrated the rich musical tradition, history, and enduring contributions of Croatian Americans to the fabric of American life,” commented the Croatian Embassy’s Facebook page.
The Trump-Kennedy Center concert was the second event in the Croatian Embassy’s America 250 series, which began with a program and open house exhibit honoring Croatian American military veterans, their distinguished service, and Croatia’s ongoing military partnership with the United States Armed Forces.
The third and final part of the America 250 series is scheduled for the fall and will focus on prominent Croatian American athletes and coaches. The celebration of America 250 in the Croatian Embassy highlights the amazing contributions of Croatian Americans that have participated to the development and security of the United States while preserving the Croatian language and cultural heritage.
Among the 450 guests was a sea of Croatian football jerseys, worn by fans who had spent the afternoon greeting and cheering the Vatreni team upon its arrival in Alexandria, Virginia, before the concert.
Featured performances included Ivan Draženović, Ivan Grgurević (Grga), Kathy White, Angela White, and Steve Frassa, Julie Throckmorton, and singer Mark Milovats.
Jerry’s career as musician director and mentor is known to be the most prominent in Croatian American tamburitza and has composed and co-written some of Croatia’s best known tamburitza songs including Šumi, šumi javore, Ne dirajte mi ravnicu, and Moja Juliška. He also taught and mentored local junior and adult tamburitza groups in Steelton and Pittsburg and multiple Croatian Fraternal Union members.
The Embassy expressed its appreciation for the Croatian Americans who helped assist local community initiatives and its event sponsors which included Adriatic Strategic Partners, Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP), and the Croatian Fraternal Union of America (CFU), Gideon Brothers, and KiNRG.
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