Gotovac passed away on Thursday the 21st of September, 2017.
As Index reports on the 22nd of September, 2017, the prominent and highly respected Croatian composer, conductor and music producer, Pero Gotovac, died at the age of 91 yesterday in his hometown of Zagreb.
The exceptionally gifted Pero Gotovac was born in Zagreb on February 12, 1927. He studied at the Music Academy in Zagreb until 1955 and was then the only student who chose the topic of ethnomusicology for his postgraduate thesis. After studying, he was employed in the Jugoton recording company, where he worked for 17 years as a composer. In 1973, he moved to Komedija City Theater where he was a conductor until his retirement in 1996. Gotovac was rightly awarded the PORIN Award for a Special Contribution to Croatian Music Culture.
"Almost all of his singing numbers from theatrical performances remained alive even off the stage. He actively participated in regional festivals of popular music, he took particular care when it came to the literary value of the verses he accorded with, and often worked with elements of ''ethno'' sources. In 1996, he [technically] retired but remained active, particularly within the Croatian Composers Society as a Repeated Presidency Member and Vice President and President (2000-2004), and especially when it came to the organisation of publishing practices,'' reads Pero Gotovac's biography on the website of the Croatian Composers Society.
During his long and fruitful career, the talented Gotovac composed film, TV and theatrical music, he was the respected author of successful chansons, and two cult-tier series' "Naše malo misto" and "Velo misto" were accompanied by his infectious music.
The news of his death was announced by Croatian Radio Television (HRT) on Thursday evening, and music producer and editor Siniša Škarica said a heartfelt tribute and farewell to the one and only Pero Gotovac on Facebook.
