Veronika Reutz Drobnić is a composer and a published researcher of new music, renowned for her innovative approaches to non-traditional and visual scores and instrumental composition utilizing pre-existing, often folk-based materials. Her research explores the neurocognitive and perceptual processes involved in performing graphic and animated scores, and she develops interdisciplinary methodologies combining music composition, cognitive neuroscience, and visual arts. Her music has been performed on four continents, won numerous competitions and was TV and radio portraited in Germany, Croatia, and Japan.She studied at the Music Academy in Zagreb for a year, after which she completed her bachelor's degree at HDMK Stuttgart under the guidance of mentors such as Luxa Schüttler, Jennifer Walshe, and Joanna Bailie. Afterward, she pursued her master's degree at HfM Karlsruhe, studying with Markus Hechtle and Wolfgang Rihm. Veronika has also expanded her knowledge and expertise through a study semester in 2022 at the Kunitachi College of Music in Japan with Motoharu Kawashima. She has also attended international masterclasses in composition every year.Veronika is a freelance composer and a PhD candidate at the HfM Karlsruhe and ZHdK Zürich, currently on a research Erasmus semester at KMH Stockholm. Throughout her career, Veronika's compositions got international recognition and have been performed at prestigious festivals worldwide by ensembles such as SWR symphony orchestra, Badische Staatskapelle, orchestra of the national theatre Zagreb, Pony Says, Synchronos ensemble, Aslan ensemble, PART Ensemble, Ensemble Identität, Aslan Ensemble, Kaori Tanaka, IRK Ensemble, Quartet Revoiced, Cantus Juvenum Karlsruhe, Tempus Konnex Ensemble, Chatori Shimizu, Salastina composer’s collective and many others.Her unique artistic vision has earned her numerous scholarships and grants, including the esteemed BW Stipendium grant, ZONTA stipend, GdF grant, PROMOS grant and the Deutschlandsstipendium. Veronika has been the recipient of several prestigious prizes and won many competitions, including the Suntory Hall composition competition prize Japan, Oak bay competition Prize Canada, Piazza del Mondo prize Italy, Ensemble Identität composition prize Korea, SEED composition prize Japan/USA, Salastina Composer Collective competition USA, Female Affairs Residency India/Germany, Cantus ensemble young composer prize 2026, S/UMAS composition competition, SWR Orchestra composition competition, and the mandolin orchestra prize of The Croatian Cultural Association.Her ballet 'Black Puzzle ~ Still, I Rise' is in the regular repertoire of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. Her PhD work is currently supported by the Cusanuswerk stipend for the best PhD projects in Germany.Newest paper on neurocognitive aspects of graphic notation: ResearchGate

Contact

veronika.reutz(at)gmail.com