Miroslav Tadić and Vlatko Stefanovski
World-class internationally acclaimed Guitarists
July 7-14, 2019

Heaven To Earth invites you to join Miroslav Tadić and Vlatko Stefanovski in an intimate setting for an incredible 8-day comprehensive Music Retreat exploring the Art and Science of Music. Our eight day Retreat is uniquely designed to facilitate an extraordinary body-mind-spirit transformational and educational experience -  this is your chance to spend one on one time with the two truly exceptional and brilliant guitarists.

Two men playing guitars in front of a crowd.

MIROSLAV TADIĆ

Guitarist, composer, improviser and music educator Miroslav Tadić completed his formal studies of music in the United States after studying in Italy and his native Yugoslavia. He has performed and recorded in a wide variety of settings and musical styles, ranging from music of the Baroque and Classical periods to Blues, Jazz, Rock and World music. Tadić’s performing and  recording credits include projects with Mark Nauseef, The Los Angeles Opera with Placido Domingo, London Symphony Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Symphony, The Philharmonic Orchestra of Monte-Carlo, Howard Levy, Joachim Kühn, L. Shankar, Markus Stockhausen, DuÅ¡an Bogdanović, Vlatko Stefanovski, Teofilović Brothers, Wadada Leo Smith, David Torn, Maria João, Jack Bruce, The Grandmothers of Invention, Theodosii Spassov, Kudsi Erguner, Djivan Gasparyan, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and Ustad Ashish Khan, among others. Tadić has recorded worldwide and his music can be heard on CMP Records, M–A Recordings, Third Ear, Avalon, Croatia Records, ENJA, Nine Winds and Sony/BMG. He performs regularly in Europe, North and South America and Japan. In recent years Tadić has concentrated on developing an approach to improvisation which combines and juxtaposes musical material drawn from many diverse sources, including Baroque, European classical and North Indian classical music, Flamenco, Eastern European folk traditions, Blues, Jazz, and Rock. He is noted for his pioneering work in applying the elements of classical and flamenco techniques to the electric guitar. He has composed solo and chamber music which is published by Les Editions Doberman-Yppan. Tadić has written music for numerous experimental film, dance and theatre works and most recently completed music for Croatian feature film “Seventy Two Days†by Danilo Å erbedžija. Since 1985 he has been a professor at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles.

VLATKO STEFANOVSKI

Vlatko Stefanovski was born in 1957 in Prilep / Macedonia in a theatrical family. He started playing guitar at the age of 13. In his late teens he formed the group LEB I SOL which became one of the most important names in the music scene of former Yugoslavia. LEB I SOL had released 14 albums and had toured around the world. Since the mid- nineties Stefanovski has developed a very successful solo career. He has recorded remarkable solo releases, like Cowboys & Indians, Sarajevo, Vlatko Stefanovski trio, Kula od karti, Thunder from the blue sky etc. The collaboration with Miroslav Tadic, on the albums Krushevo, Treta majka, Live in Belgrade, and Live in Zagreb put a new light on Vlatko’s acoustic guitar work, and his further exploration of the Macedonian traditional music. In the last several years he has played and recorded all around the world with many top artists like Tommy Emmanuel, Stochelo Rosenberg, Gibonni, Jan Akkerman, Theodosii Spassov Stefan Milenkovic, Kudsi Erguner, Bojan Z., Manu Katche, Toni Levin, Big Band of the Slovenian Army, and many others. His recent work also includes music for films, theatre and ballet. As a soloist Vlatko has performed and recorded with numerous orchestras and enesmbles, like London Simphony Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Simphony Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philcharmony Orchestra, Tonkunstler orchestra from Vienna, Simphonieta Orchestra from Sophia, Slovenian philharmony orchestra – Ljubljana, Student symphony orchestra from Skopje Macedonia, FoolCool Jazz big band, RTV Ljubljana Big Band, Croatian HTV big band, RTV Srbija Big band etc. Stefanovski is well known for his unique guitar technique and tone. With his Vlatko Stefanovski Trio he has performed around the world. In 2007 Stefanovski was honoured a Doctorate honoris causa in the fields of art at the University St. Kiril and Metodij / Skopje. He lives in Skopje/Macedonia with his family and owns a well-equiped project studio name  Esoteria Sound Studio

Miroslav Tadić
&
Vlatko Stefanovski

Inspirational Lectures:

  • Improvisation
  • Guided Listening
  • Practice Discipline and Methodology
  • Physics of sound
  • Working With Other Musicians
  • Traditional Macedonian Folk Music
An image of a cross on a green background.

Itinerary

Day One Sunday July 7, 2019

Checking into Hotel starts at 2pm
*Guests are welcome to arrive earlier and leave their luggage at Hotel Neptun reception area until their room is ready. 7:00pm-9pm Hotel Neptun meet & greed group dinner

Day Two Monday July 8, 2019

morning tea/coffee light snacks/fruits provided starting 6am
Breakfast served 7:30am-10am
7:30am-9am Dharma Yoga with Martina
10:30am-12:00noon Stefanovski/Tadić Lecture
Improvisation– follow the path of extemporaneous musical creation from a simple idea to a fully realized piece of music. We will demonstrate and guide you through our process of improvising within existing pieces or completely “from scratch, in real time†with no pre-conceived musical theme
12noon-5pm free time – beach/swim/snorkel/bike
3pm-3:30pm Brijuni sightseeing tour train optional
5pm-6:30pm Stefanovski/Tadić Lecture

Guided Listening – by learning how to listen to music in a focused and concentrated way will reward you with the experience of hearing very deeply and discovering sounds and moods that you never heard before even if you’ve heard a piece a thousand times previously. 7pm-9pm group dinner

Day Three Tuesday July 9, 2019

morning tea/coffee light snacks/fruits provided starting 6am
Breakfast 7:30am-10am
7:30am-9am Dharma Yoga with Martina
10:30-12:30 Stefanovski/Tadić Lecture:

Practice Discipline and Methodology – it is often said that it takes about 10.000 hours of practice in order to develop into a high-level musician. Practicing a musical instrument is similar to mental and physical training of high-level athletes and applicable to achieving excellence in any field. Each musician’s approach to practicing is unique and it depends on the type of music, type of instrument and the individual’s physical and mental personality. We have very different ways of practicing and we will talk about and demonstrate our practice routines and their history throughout our lives.

12:30pm-2pm free time
2pm-6pm Excursion: Brijuni Archeology Pearls (duration 4 hours including 30min break)

TOUR DESCRIPTION:
Professionally guided sightseeing tour of the most important archeological sites of the Brijuni introducing the visitors to the rich past of the islands through various cultural and historical periods, from prehistory, through antiquity, Late Antiquity and Byzantine period to the Venetian era. The tour includes a visit to the most layered and the longest inhabited Brijuni site, the Byzantine castrum, and the nearby St. Mary’s Basilica, the oldest Christian building on the island, continuing with a hill-fort from the Bronze Age and a sumptuous Roman residential villa from the 1st century in Verige Bay. The tour ends with a visit to the church of St. Germain from the 15th century which houses a part of the original mosaic from the Roman villa in Verige Bay. The Roman villa in Verige bay is part of the Roman Emperors Route which has received a certificate of the Council of Europe and the European Institute of Cultural routes. Route that is 3,5 thousand kilometers long stretches through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania and promotes archaeological tourism. It covers 20 archaeological sites important for the period of imperial Rome and related to the lives of 17 Roman emperors.

ITINERARY:
A tourist train ride to the Byzantine castrum and St. Mary’s Basilica. After sightseeing, the train continues the ride towards the hill-fort. Sightseeing continues as a walking tour. A visit to the hill-fort and the Roman villa in Verige Bay and return to the centre. After the break, the final visit to the little church of St. Germain.

NOTE:
Archeological tour requires that visitors wear solid and sturdy footwear, adequate head protection from the sun and that they carry sufficient liquids.

7pm-9pm group dinner

Day Four Wednesday July 10, 2019

morning tea/coffee light snacks/fruits provided starting 6am
Breakfast served 7:30am-10am
7:30am-9am Dharma Yoga with Martina
10:30am-12:30noon Stefanovski/Tadić Lecture:

Physics of sound – sound is movement of air at various frequencies and learning about the science behind it is truly fascinating. We will also examine how musicians use the acoustical properties of their instruments or voices to create musical emotions and atmospheres. We’ll take a close look at the inner workings of acoustic guitar, how it is designed and constructed and what makes each guitar sound unique.
12:30noon-3pm free time
3pm-6pm wine/cheese tasting tour visit to Rovinj
7pm-9pm group dinner

Day Five Thursday July 11, 2019

morning tea/coffee light snacks/fruits provided starting 6am
Breakfast served 7:30am-10am
7:30am-9am Dharma Yoga with Martina
10:30am-12:00noon Stefanovski/Tadić Lecture

Working With Other Musicians – is a complex endeavor that can result in musical magic or disaster. It requires understanding and balancing of personal space, leadership/support, compatibility and competitiveness . It is applicable to achieving harmony and success in personal or professional relations of any kind. We will share the wealth of experiences that we’ve gained over the 20+ years that we’ve been collaborating as a duo and with numerous very diverse musicians from all over the world.
12noon-2pm free time
2pm-4pm
7pm-9pm group dinner

Day Six Friday July 12, 2019

morning tea/coffee light snacks/fruits provided starting 6am
Breakfast served 7:30am-10am
7:30am-9am Dharma Yoga with Martina
10:30am-12:30pm Stefanovski/Tadić Lecture

Traditional Macedonian Folk Music – is a vast treasure of thousands of songs and dances that we (and many other creative musicians) use as inspiration and material for arranging, improvising and composing. We will guide you through the technical and spiritual elements that are unique to this region’s music and show you its connections to language, history and other art forms from the area.

12:30pm-dinner free time -beach/swim/snorkel
7pm-9pm group dinner
9:30pm Speakers Q/A (questions and answers) panel

Day seven Saturday July 13, 2019

morning tea/coffee light snacks/fruits provided starting 6am
Breakfast served 7:30am-10am
7:30am-9am Dharma Yoga with Martina
11am-4pm visit to Pula-Arena Roman Colosseum
7pm-9pm group dinner
9pm-11pm final day celebration Concert TBA (Location to be arranged)

Day eight Sunday July 14, 2019

morning tea/coffee light snacks/fruits provided starting 6am
Group breakfast
10am checking out

**itinerary subject to change due to changes in weather condition

Excursions

A close up of an aerial view of some buildings

Brijuni Archeology Pearls – Professionally guided sightseeing tour of the most important archeological sites of the Brijuni National Park.

A wooden tray with two glasses of wine and some fruit.

Delicious wine and cheese tasting in Rovinj, one of the most beautiful towns in Croatia.

A roman amphitheater with many arches and stone walls.

Visit to Pula-Arena Roman Colosseum – an ancient Roman Amphitheater

Location

National Park Brijuni, ISTRIA - CROATIA

The Brijuni Islands, one of the true jewels of Croatia, are the majestic mix of landscape and cultural heritage consisting of 14 islands renowned for its indented nature and the unspoiled Mediterranean vegetation. There are numerous animals that freely walk around verdant forests, magnificent gardens, parks and meadows. You can reach Brijuni via boat from the town Fažana where administration of the National Park resides.

An image of a cross on a green background.

Pricing

From $1.850 – $3.100 based on accommodation *see below

Included in your price:

Eight days and seven nights accommodation (single and double occupancy)
Two meals – nutritious breakfast and delicious dinner
Daily educational programs – Tadić/Stefanovski lectures, yoga,
meditation and one-on-one time with Speakers
All off program activities (tours train, exploding Brijuni, End of the program Concert)

 

Not Included

Airfare
Transfer service to and from Pula Airport
Travel insurance
Alcoholic beverages

 

Payment Schedule

Total Retreat price: $1.850 – $3.100 based on
accommodation *see ACCOMMODATION below
Six easy payments at your convenience for any full price
accommodation to be paid by June 1st 2019. Email is for details at: bianca@heaventoearth.com
$300 non refundable deposit to save your spot for any
accommodation
Use Coupon STRINGS and receive $100 off any
accommodation at check out
An image of a cross on a green background.

ACCOMMODATION

A living room with white furniture and a black coffee table.

HOTEL ISTRA - SUPERIOR

Double $2.700
Single $3.100

An image of a cross on a green background.
A bed room with a neatly made bed and a table

HOTEL ISTRA - PREMIUM

Double $2.400
Single $2.750

An image of a cross on a green background.
A bedroom with a bed and two nightstands.

HOTEL NEPTUN - STANDARD

Double $2.150
Single $2.400

An image of a cross on a green background.
A bedroom with a bed, chair and table.

HOTEL KARMEN - BASIC

Double $1.850
Single $1.950

Travel

Flying from USA
We suggest you go to www.skyscanner.com or www.kayak.com to
purchase your round trip flight to Pula, Croatia.

Flying from Europe

There are direct flights to Pula from many European destinations. The range increases continually so please check the full route network from Pula Airport website. There are also charter flights to Pula from UK regional airports like Bristol, Norwich, Birmingham, Southampton, Luton and Manchester.)

 

From Pula Airport, transfer to the main bus station in Pula, and then use a local bus to reach Fazana, which is 8km north of Pula.

The reason for going to Fazana is that there is only one way to reach Brijuni National Park from the mainland, which is a regular boat service from here to the island of Veliki Brijuni. Journey time is around 20 minutes.

Boats travel daily in both directions throughout the year, although there is a much higher frequency during the summer months.

You can view a schedule of boat sevices from the NP Brijuni website:

http://www.np-brijuni.hr/en/boat_transfer

 

Airlines which fly to Croatia from European cities

Easyjet Airlines from London Gatwick
Wizz Airlines from London Luton
Austrian Airlines from Vienna
Germanwings Airlines from Berlin Schonefeld, Cologne, Bonn, Hamburg
and Stuttgart;
Lufthansa Airlines from Frankfurt/Main International;

SNBrussels Airlines from Brussels;
Norwegian Air Airlines from Oslo;
SkyEurope Airlines from Bratislava, Prague, Budapest and Kracow;
Croatia Airlines flies from London Gatwick, Manchester, Paris Charles de
Gaulle, Vienna, Zagreb, Berlin Schonefeld, Dusseldorf, Hannover,
Hamburg, Frankfurt, Rome, Athens;

Croatian currrency is called Kuna. Check the current exchange rate on line – it changes
periodically. There are money exchange shops open 24/7 on every corner
and ATM machines. We suggest carry little cash and exchange your
currency as needed. You can NOT purchase things in Euros or Dollars,
however most places do take major credit cards.

For up to date currency rates visit:
https://greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/europe/croatia/currency/

Croatia’s Adriatic coast is blessed with a Mediterranean climate. The
summers are typically warm and sunny with average daytime temperatures
around 80°F and nighttime temperatures dropping to the 60s. From May to
June and September to October, temperatures are usually a bit cooler but
still comfortable for swimming. Rain is always a possibility in Croatia so it
is essential to bring adequate rainwear and a warm jacket in case of
inclement weather.

Croatia does not require tourist visa to travel or stay in Croatia for up to 90
days.

We suggest you bring:

• Comfy walking shoes
• Sunblock/chapstick
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Camera
• Travel alarm
• Meds
• Personal toiletries
• Small backpack for day
• Hat/head covering for the sun
• Power adapters –
Croatia uses 220 volts, and you can use the same two pron
PlugAdapter used throughout most of Europe. Many appliances,
such as hair dryers and curling irons usually require a Plug Adapter
and a Voltage Converter. Some appliances and/or electronics, such
as laptops and many battery chargers only require the plug adapter.
Please check your appliances directly for their specific requirements.

• Medications – you should bring adequate medication for your entire
trip with a prescription slip or doctor’s letter explaining why you
need this medicine in case you need further medication.
• Journal and/or Note Pad
• Snack items, such as energy bars, dried fruit or nuts and/or special
dietary items
• Water bottle with a sprayer and/or with a battery-operated fan attached,
if you are sensitive to the warmer weather.
• An extra foldable/crunched up bag- if you plan to do any shopping.
• No Jet Lag – a homeopathic remedy that can help assuage the
effects of jet lag from long flights excursions.

Dress comfortably, loose cotton clothes are preferable, a t-shirt, and
cotton trousers, track pants, shorts, summer dresses for women. Bring
bathing suits/swim trunks. Dress code is casual, but you may want to
bring something dressier for evenings if you wish. Bring a rain jacket just in
case of occasional shower (highly unlikely). During the summer months it
is HOT during the day in Croatia, and warm in the evening. Comfortable
cotton clothing is suggested for your daily wear. Please be sure to bring
comfortable flat shoes for daytime, preferably with closed-in toes for
walking through Megaliths and stony beaches. Sneakers and socks are a
good choice for our Megaliths treks.

Croatian is the official language in Croatia. However, everyone speaks
English and most likely another language like German or French.

If your mobile is equipped with ‘roaming’ then you will have no problem
using it in Croatia, however please note that international calls are
expensive. If you feel you will need to make a large number of phone calls,
either local or international, while you are in Croatia, it is best to purchase
a local Croatian SIM card from local carrier, T-Mobile or VIP upon arrival in
Croatia. You can then use your phone just as you would a pre-paid phone.
To do this you must ensure your mobile is ‘unlocked’ and this must be
done from your home country. Recharge cards are easily available. Please
remember to bring your phone charger with you and an adapter.
WIFI is available in most places. However, it is sometime unreliable, not
often If you require an internet connection during your stay, we
recommend purchasing a SIM card and using your phone as hotspot. SIM
cards with pre-paid data plans can be purchased upon arrival at one of the
airport for about $30 USD. Please check with your carrier to make sure
that your phone is unlocked and compatible with an international SIM
card. Alternatively your carrier may offer international data plans that will
accommodate your usage needs without the need for a SIM card.
Internet Flash Drives (obtained through mobile phone companies) loaded
with up to 12 GB of uploading and downloading space are available for
$50.00 USD.

Drink only well-sealed bottles of bought water – although Croatia’s tap
water is officially safe to drink. Change in water content alone can be
enough to upset a sensitive stomach. Avoid drinks with ice cubes. Most
restaurants serve a variety of Croatian and Western dishes with plenty of
vegetarian options. Food is safe to eat, and is usually of a good quality.

You may want to bring along your own remedies for stomach ailments,
remedies like raw ginger, or ginger tea.
Bottled water will be provided on all excursions.

No inoculations are necessary when arriving in Croatia. Consult with your
health care provider before traveling. For further information regarding
vaccinations please visit this website:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/croatia

Site visits will generally involve a fair bit of walking and standing. For those
who are concerned about the physical requirements of the excursions due
to mobility or health concerns, we may be able to take tired participants
back to the boat. If a shuttle vehicle is not available, you will be welcome
to return to the bus and wait for the rest of the group. As well participants
will be briefed each night about the level of difficulty of the upcoming
day’s excursion. You are always welcome to opt-out of site visits.

As Croatia is a part of UN alcohol is widely available. They offer both local
and international brands. It is also permitted for you to bring your duty-free
allowance into Croatia. If you have additional requirements, please ask for
assistance.

Tipping is welcome, but not necessary in Croatia. As in most countries,
tipping should be given for a service that you are happy with. As a
guideline, you should give small but regular tips of up to 30 Kaunas or
$5.00 USD to cleaners, bell boys etc. For waiters, drivers etc, typically
receive about 15%. It is customary to tip the cruise crew as well. Tips for
our cruise staff are normally included in your tour fee. Follow your own
guidance for tipping if you feel that you received special service from
anyone along your journey.

Popular shopping and gift items in Croatia are local arts & crafts,
chocolate, locally made alcoholic drinks, essential oils, spices, small
musical instruments, scarves, gold and silver jewelry. Although bargaining
is a common practice here, we recommend that you have a fair price in
mind when you see an item that you like and stay within what you decide
is a fair price range. Please ask for assistance when you are unsure!

It is mandatory for you to have travel insurance. Please check your policy
thoroughly to ensure it will cover all activities you may wish to do during
your holiday. There are many travel insurance companies. We recommend
STA Travel (www.statravel.com) and AAA (www.aaa.com) for affordable
worldwide travel insurance.

Another travel insurance company:
TravelInsured.com.

Also Travel Guard:
http://www.travelguard.com

[/vc_column]