Dora Pejačević

A major composer from the Balkans, Dora Pejačević introduced the symphony, concerto, and orchestral song to Croatian music. Compositions by Pejačević in a late Romantic idiom began to appear before 1900; one of the earliest was the Berceuse for piano, Op. 2. Gradually, Pejačević began to attempt larger forms. Her Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 33 was the first Croatian concerto of any kind, and her Symphony in F sharp minor for large orchestra is thought to be the first Croatian symphony. One step toward her rediscovery came from a fictional biopic, Countess Dora, released in Croatia in 1993, and interest in her work developed along with growing efforts to perform music by women and with the efforts of the Croatian Music Information Center. Pejačević published more than 100 works, and as of the early 2020s, more than 50 of them had been recorded.