Yesterday’s concert began with an appeal from the musicians of the Belgrade Philharmonic to the audience at Kolarac Concert Hall, expressing their dissatisfaction with the orchestra’s status: “After more than two years of the death of Ivan Tasovac, the Belgrade Philharmonic does not have a Director; it celebrates its 100-year jubilee with the lowest salaries of any orchestra in the region, a shamefully small budget year after year, without a Director, without marketing, without a renewed concert uniform for the past ten years, and without conviction our new concert hall will be built.”

In answer, Darko Krstic, acting director of the Belgrade Philharmonic, stated: “Regarding the statement read out in the name of the orchestra of the Belgrade Philharmonic before the concert held on February 9^th at Kolarac Concert Hall, I wish to point out the fact that the demands made in the statement are already in the process of being realized, or that the process of their realization will soon begin.

As for the Belgrade Philharmonic’s new concert hall, the building permit project has been completed, and after receiving the building permit and creating a development plan, development will be able to begin in 7 to 8 months.

As for its Director status, applications for a new Director will be open after forming the new Government of Republic of Serbia, since a caretaker government cannot name Directors or Managers of cultural institutions.

We all agree that the salaries in cultural sector are small, and so a task group has been formed at the Ministry to work on the increase in coefficients for all employed in cultural sector. Demands to solve these issues are “knocking on an open door”, and there is willingness from the Ministry to help resolve them.”