My family and background

I was born on 30th December 1946 in Rijeka, Croatia, as the third generation of musicians in the family of renowned musicians, pedagogues, artists and intellectuals. My mother, prof Nada Pirnat, was excellent concert singer and teacher of solo singing, my father Ferdinand, Ferdo, Pomykalo (as well as two of his brothers, Josip - clarinet player and Zvonimir - violoncello player, both active as a teachers too) was very well known musician, conductor, composer and organiser in the musical field.

My families rich background (at least in past hundred fifty years) beside Croatian, includes among my ancestors’ people of Polish, German, French, Slovak and Hungarian origin. I am proud to be both; Croatian and European at the same time and in the same person.

Childhood and school days

Even if I spent only the first nine months of my life living on the coast, the Sea was, still is and will always be (together with the mountains and forests or Nature in general) one of the most important things and greatest inspirations for me. The rest of my childhood, school and student days I was living in Zagreb, the capital of my homeland Croatia. My parents divorced when I was five years old and even if I was brought up by my mother as a single child, I had three stepsisters from my father’s first marriage, with whom I had always the best relationship.

I went in the elementary school and parallel to that, like many of my colleagues, in the music school learning violin which I really didn't liked... Later, I went to secondary grammar school and decided to study viola instead of violin (see under my Professional music life).

In those, adolescent, years I wasn´t completely sure which way to choose; to study the painting, languages or to continue with music.

My private life and marriages

Longing as a child for a "complete" and normal family I firmly believed that to have my own family is the most beautiful and important thing in the life.

Well, after four marriages and divorces I can tell: it isn´t and not everyone is made for family life.

My first wife was Maja from Zadar and we have been living together for seven nice years. The second one was Mira from Split - see also under my professional life.

The third one was an Afro-American girl, Nedra, from Texas and the fourth and last one, Judita from Sarajevo.

After the fourth divorce I understand and accepted the fact that I am not a typical family man and to live alone could be much better than living in a bad marriage.

During the horrible war in my homeland Croatia I get in touch with my eldest sister Vera (she, her Italian husband Giulio and her two Croatian - Italian daughters, Cristina and Giuliana have been living in Italy near Padova) and discovered that one can admire and enjoy her or his own family (not necessarily the married one) and since then I was living with them and for many years now in a "two lone wolves" combination with my niece Giuliana.