Jerry Grcevich

In 2005, Jerome “Jerry” Grcevich received the “National Endowment for Folk and Traditional Arts” award. He is a Master Artist of the Tamburitza Instruments, which are native instruments of Croatia. The tamburitza instruments are a family of instruments that include the tamburitza prim, tamburitza brač, tamburitza bugarija, tamburitza cello, and tamburitza bass.

Jerry learned to play these instruments from his father, Joseph Grcevich, his uncle Marko Grcevich, and both of his grandfathers. His grandfathers migrated to the United States from Croatia, bringing their traditions with them. From his early childhood, the joy of tamburitza music inspired the direction of Jerry’s life. He played with his father, uncle, and cousin, entertaining at countless cultural and social events. He was a member of the St. George Junior Tamburitzans of Cokeburg, Pennsylvania, directed by his father Joseph Grcevich. Highlights with this group included performances in the United States, Canada, and concert tours in Croatia (Yugoslavia) in 1969, 1972, 1974, 1976, and 1981.

In 1980, Jerry started his own tamburitza orchestra and has continued to play for many events, including folk festivals, weddings, parties, and numerous functions. He also continued to tour Croatia and Europe, performing with famous artists from Croatia. Throughout the years, he has performed for many recordings, television and radio appearances, as well as composed, arranged, and taught music. In 1990, Jerry Grcevich and Miroslav Škoro released Ne dirajte mi ravnicu, an album that reached number one in Croatia. In 1992, he recorded New Traditions, an album consisting of twelve of his original compositions. This album was released in both the United States and Croatia. He then recorded an album with the famous singer Zvonko Bogdan.

In 2004, Jerry performed at the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center. During the next few years, he performed at many folk festivals and concerts in the United States and Croatia. Many albums were released by Jerry, including Late Night Tambura, which was also released in the United States and Croatia. Some of his most popular music videos include Jerry Grcevich—Čardaš, Jerry Grcevich—Let, and Jerry Grcevich—Mjesec. He performs at the Mark Milovats Annual Christmas Show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2019, Jerry was a special guest at the Anniversary Concert of Ne dirajte mi ravnicu with Miroslav Škoro in Zagreb, Croatia. In 2022, he performed as a special guest with the Panonska Tamburitza Orchestra in Valpovo, Croatia, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California.

Jerry continues to impress audiences at his performances, promoting his music and keeping tamburitza traditions alive.