In memory of
Janko Marjanovic
April 29, 1949 -
January 5, 2023
Janko Marjanovic left us very suddenly the evening of January 5th at his home in Beamsville with his loving wife of 47 years, Dara, by his side. He will be lovingly remembered by Dara, his son Luka (with his wife Ginny) and his daughter Irina (with her husband Ryan), his grandchildren Penelope and Cora, his siblings Masha, Vladislav and Zoran, as well as by a wide extended family and a vast community of wonderful friends, students, and colleagues from all walks of life. Gregarious, bombastic, and always the life of the party Janko had just enjoyed a lovely celebration over the Holidays with his extended family and friends surrounded by kindness and good cheer.
Janko was born in 1949 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia during the hopeful days that followed the Second World War to parents from opposite sides of the front lines. His father Stefan was a Serbian veteran, journalist, activist, and intellectual extensively involved in international affairs. His mother Vilma was a beautiful Hungarian romantic with a lifelong love of art and opera, which she instilled deeply into Janko and his siblings.
Janko became a master cellist carrying on the legacy of the greatest cello soloists of the twentieth century. This journey began when, at around 10 years of age, he was inspired and deeply affected upon hearing the instrument being played by Ljubomir Polojac. As became typical of him, Janko quickly and certainly decided he wanted to play the cello. Ljubomir eventually became his best friend.
The finding of his muse eventually led to his enrollment at the Academy of Music in Belgrade and ultimately to the attainment of a masters degree in music performance apprenticing under André Navarra - a great international soloist who was taught directly by the master Pablo Casals, arguably the greatest cellist of all time. The cello was part of Janko's voice and his spirit in this world, and was inextricable from his identity or his daily life. He faithfully honored his muse throughout his life, whether or not there was anyone else around to hear, and dedicated himself to ensuring that the torch of cello music - and classical music in general - would remain lit for future generations as a teacher, mentor, and partner for countless musicians of all ages.
The muses rewarded Janko's devotion by leading him to Dara, a piano student he met at the musical academy who would become his greatest inspiration and the wife to whom he remained unwaveringly devoted for the rest of his life. Once again, it did not take him long to decide that Dara was his soul mate, and after a blazingly fast courtship they were married in October of 1975 . Following the birth of his first child and with a second on the way, Janko made his next quick and final decision - to leave his homeland for the West, seeking to protect his family from the political storm clouds that were brewing in Yugoslavia.
This brought the young family to the icy city of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1980. Immigration to the West brought many challenges and trials - Janko always found a way to deal with them and support his family. This meant setting aside his passion for the cello for many years - at least during the many hours he spent initially working in retail, moving up to running small businesses, and eventually taking on a career as a teacher of mathematics where his eagerness to educate and inspire could be applied. He never lost his passion for the cello. He never lost his passion for life, or the boundless optimism towards the future that took him from sunny Southern Europe to frozen Saskatchewan, and ultimately to the slightly less frozen suburbs of Toronto.
Janko never stopped practicing and developing, and increasingly participated in community orchestras, taught at music schools, and played at events. Upon retiring from teaching in 2012, Janko moved to the rolling wine country under the Niagara Escarpment where he was able to refocus on his passion and dedicate himself fully to music again, finding inspiration in theatre, film, reading, and the natural landscapes of the region that recalled his happy youth. He also dedicated himself to doting on Dara and squeezing every last drop of joy and adventure from their new surroundings, to supporting his children as they entered adulthood and had children of their own, and to maintaining the lifelong bonds forged with his family who were now scattered all around the globe. Over these happy years, the cello students, students of other instruments that he learned to play for the single purpose of teaching, and the orchestras he led received many awards in national and international competitions - a rare point of pride for an otherwise humble man.
Janko Marjanovic - the adventurer, the gentleman, the intellectual, the bohemian - lived life with a free spirit, no regrets, and no compromises. Like the musical legacy that he preserved and passed on in service of his muse, Janko's torch will continue to burn brightly forever, fueled by the strong influence Janko's enormous heart, generosity, irrepressible good humour and optimism have had on the lives of so many of us.
He will be dearly missed, and forever remembered.
LIVESTREAM will start at 1:30 p.m. Please click on the link which will be shown on this page at 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, January 14.
