Grand Opening – KotorArt Festival

The 25th edition of the KotorArt International Festival will officially open on Monday, July 13, Montenegro’s Statehood Day, at the Square in front of St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, beginning at 9:30 PM, with an event symbolically entitled Trajanje (Endurance).

“In the year in which the Festival marks a quarter of a century of existence, the opening ceremony presents a programme that brings together cultural heritage, contemporary creativity, and the culture of remembrance, reaffirming the values upon which KotorArt has endured for 25 years. The concert will feature the Boka Symphony Orchestra, the Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir, soprano Mihaela Kristina Mlinarić, tenor Reza Fekri, and baritone-bass Krešimir Stražanac, under the baton of distinguished Croatian composer and conductor Mladen Tarbuk,” the statement reads.

KotorArt added that this year’s opening ceremony is dedicated to two significant anniversaries.

“The Festival marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Brkanović, a native of Kotor and an important Croatian and regional composer, whose monumental work Triptihon will be performed. At the same time, KotorArt pays tribute to Don Branko Sbutega, one of the Festival’s founders, on the 20th anniversary of his death, recalling a man whose vision left an indelible mark on Montenegro’s cultural life. A special event of the evening will be the world premiere of the composition Pjesme muzici, commissioned by KotorArt and composed by Maestro Mladen Tarbuk to verses by Don Branko Sbutega,” the statement says.

Speaking about the creation of the work, Tarbuk explains:

“Don Branko’s poems trace the distant horizons of his thoughts, moving from warm birthday wishes to reflections on the spiritual mystery of the world. A special place is occupied by the poems that emerged from his understanding of music as that which lies beneath what sound conceals. Don Branko began with music in shaping a poetic arc, and I complete that arc by returning his verses once again to music.”

The composer adds that he selected poems of differing character, ranging from reflective and meditative to strongly rhythmic, creating a cycle that begins with Etida 3, continues with a poem inspired by Beethoven, followed by a poetic reflection on the piano and the act of creation, while the concluding Toccata, inspired by Bach’s famous composition, grows into a celebration of music and life.

The KotorArt statement notes that the principal ensemble of this year’s opening ceremony is the Boka Symphony Orchestra, founded with the mission of bringing together musicians from the Bay of Kotor and contributing to the development of symphonic art in the region.

“Under the artistic leadership of Mladen Tarbuk, the orchestra is developing into a distinctive cultural symbol of Kotor, the Bay of Kotor, and Montenegro. An additional dimension to the concert will be provided by the participation of the Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir, one of Croatia’s most distinguished and highly awarded choirs, which for almost eight decades has been synonymous with artistic excellence. Throughout its rich history, the choir has collaborated with some of the world’s greatest conductors and artists, including Zubin Mehta, Yehudi Menuhin, Krzysztof Penderecki, Ennio Morricone, and Valery Gergiev, performing on some of the most important stages in Europe and around the world,” the statement reads.

KotorArt also announced that the solo parts will be performed by three outstanding artists of the younger and middle generations.

“Soprano Mihaela Kristina Mlinarić, one of Croatia’s most promising young artists, has already distinguished herself through acclaimed appearances in opera and concert projects. Tenor Reza Fekri, a member of the Opera of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and a guest soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, has built an international career performing with numerous orchestras throughout Europe and Asia. Baritone-bass Krešimir Stražanac is one of today’s most successful Croatian opera singers, performing with leading international orchestras and in prestigious concert halls across Europe and the United States.

The conductor of the evening, Mladen Tarbuk, one of Croatia’s most prominent composers and conductors, has developed an extensive international career, collaborating with leading European orchestras and opera houses. His compositions have been performed at major international festivals of contemporary music, while as a conductor and artistic director he has left a profound mark on numerous cultural institutions throughout the region,” the statement says.

KotorArt noted that its opening ceremony has for many years been one of the most significant cultural events in Montenegro, bringing together large numbers of art lovers, representatives of the diplomatic corps, state institutions, international organisations, cultural institutions, partners, sponsors, and the Festival’s loyal audience.

“In the setting of one of the most beautiful squares in the Mediterranean, the Trajanje concert will provide a fitting opening to an anniversary edition through which the Festival celebrates its past while reaffirming its vision for the future — through art that connects people, preserves memory, and creates new values.

Tickets for the event are available through the GigsTix network, via their website www.gigstix.me, as well as at selected Tobacco S Press kiosks throughout Montenegro,” the statement concludes.