He was a violist and violinist born in Karlovac, Croatia who studied at the Zagreb Music Academy. His brother is the violist Ivan Sestak.
As a member of the Academical String Quartet (Akadeski gudacki kvartet) in the 1950s he was one of the musicians who started the new chapter of the Zagreb Quartet in Croatia in 1954, the first chapter starting in 1919 and ending during WWII. The quartet went on to become nationally and internationally known for their performances of classical and contemporary music along with emphasis on Croatian composers.
He was the concertmaster for the Radio-Zagreb Chamber Orchestra, the Yugoslav Radio-Diffusion Symphonic Orchestra and the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra .
Playing as a soloist he gave a performance in Linz, Austria in 1965 and then became a member of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed as a member of the New Vienna String Quartet, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Vienna String Trio. He has since performed many solo recitals.
His recordings include him featuring on the single “La Folia/Intermecco I Allegro” with the pianist Ranko Filjak and Krsto Odak: Heritage along with Schoeenberg: Streichquartett No. 1 and Schonberg: Sextett “Verklarte Nacht”/Streichquartett Nr. 2 by the New Vienna String Quartet, Giuseppe Torelli by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Christmas with Placido Domingo by Placido Domingo and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Honat – Brahms/Strauss by the Zagreb Philharmonic and Krsto Odak/Joseph Haydn by the Zagreb Quartet as well as several compilations.
In the field of musical education he taught viola to several music students in Vienna.
Placido Domingo recordings
A Medley of Christmas Carols
(Joy to the World, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, O Little town of Bethlehem, The First Noel)
FM 37245 (CD: Christmas with Placido Domingo)
Orchestra – Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conductor –Lee Holdridge
He performs here…
Sources:
- https://archive.org/stream/historyofviola02rile/historyofviola02rile_djvu.txt
- http://www.zagrebquartet.com/Default_en.aspx
- https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/tomislav-sestak/credits/
- https://www.wienersymphoniker.at/de/veranstaltung/davis-sestak-beethoven-webern-berlioz-0
- https://www.cantus.hr/index.php?opt=shop&act=show&id=110&lang=en
- https://db.musicaustria.at/en/node/82224
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tomislax-sestak-mn0001336779
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/2480612-Tomislav-%C5%A0estak