The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, together with the chief conductor Gabriel Feltz, is gearing up for a spectacular live performance of Disney’s Fantasia at a free-admission open-air concert on July 2, 2023, starting at 8:30 p.m. The event will be crown of the orchestra’s centennial celebrations. However, as unpredictable weather conditions are expected, the concert will be relocated to Usce’s Park Prijateljstva in Belgrade’s Block 14.

To ensure the safety of the stage, it has been deemed necessary to set it up on a more stable surface than the traditional Philharmonic grounds in Block 13, considering the rainy weather. As a result, the outdoor concert venue will be shifted slightly to the area across the street, the usual location for hosting large-scale musical events.

This will be the first-ever live performance of Disney’s Fantasia in our region, and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra extends an invitation to people of all ages to experience the enchantment of this timeless animated spectacle, accompanied by the renowned pieces that will be performed live by the orchestra beneath a grand screen. Audiences can look forward to familiar favourite scenes, such as the delightful ballet of the hippos or Mickey Mouse’s iconic encounter with the enchanted brooms, but thy will also have the opportunity to see new animated sequences as well.

The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra has been granted the privilege of presenting and performing this sensational production, which combines high-definition projections of the original 1940 Walt Disney film Fantasia, with the never screened before in our region – Fantasia 2000. The concert will open with the captivating sounds of Ludwig van Beethoven’s celebrated Fifth Symphony from Fantasia 2000, followed by segments from the original Disney film, accompanied by another Beethoven’s symphony – the Pastoral, the enchanting Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, and a special treat – Claude Debussy’s mesmerising Clair de Lune, accompanied by an animated sequence that was omitted from the original 1940 Fantasia.

The Belgrade Philharmonic will then perform Igor Stravinsky’s captivating The Firebird with a unique animation from Fantasia 2000. This will be followed by the iconic Dance of the Hours, by Amilcare Ponchielli and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas, featuring the famous battle between Mickey Mouse and the mischievous brooms that inspired this remarkable masterpiece. The concert will conclude with scenes from the new version of Fantasia, accompanied by breathtaking compositions such as Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, Ottorino Respighi’s The Pines of Rome, and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals.

The concert starts at 8:30 p.m., and the gates for the general audience admission will open at 5:30 p.m.