Lav Mirski

Who was Lav Mirski?

Lav Mirski was Croatian Jewish conductor.

Mirski was born in Zagreb to a Jewish family. He completed his cello studies at the conservatory of University of Zagreb. In 1913, Mirski moved to Vienna, where he worked until 1917 when he returned to Croatia, Osijek. Mirski participated in the founding of the "Society for the dvancement of science and arts" in Osijek, which in 1921 became the "City music school", and "Municipal conservatory". Since coming to Osijek, Mirski advocated the establishment of a permanent philharmonic, which he succeeded in 1924. With Mirski at head, Osijek philharmonic performed the most complex pieces of domestic and foreign composers. In 1923 Mirski became the director of the opera at the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek. At that time, among other things, Mirski recognized the potential of a young tambura player Julije Njikoš - Đule, then still a boy, who would later become the founder of the important Croatian tambura institutions. Mirski also worked in other Croatian cities, mostly in his hometown Zagreb, where he collaborated with the Croatian National Theatre, but also in Dubrovnik, Sušak and Rijeka.