The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra marked its 101st birthday on Thursday with the launch of a monograph celebrating the centennial of its operations and quite unusual musical performance from a height of ten meters (Silos, June 13). The Belgrade Philharmonic Wind Trio kicked off the event with fanfares hanging from the silos, followed by a discussion about the monograph with authors Asja Radonjić and Danica Maksimović, chief conductor Gabriel Feltz, designer Slavimir Stojanović Futro, and journalist and musicologist Branimir Pofuk as the moderator.
The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra has once again proved its talent to push boundaries even on its 101st birthday! The Wind Trio of musical stuntmen and acrobats — horn player Nikola Ćirić, trumpeter Jovan Savić, and trombonist Nikola Milanov — opened the ceremony with an adrenaline-filled performance by playing fanfares from a height of ten meters hanging from the Silos.
The excitement continued during the discussion about the book with authors Asja Radonjić and Danica Maksimović, who have been the program editors of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra for nearly twenty years. Croatian journalist, author, and musicologist Branimir Pofuk moderated the discussion, highlighting the significance of the Belgrade Philharmonic for the entire region. Special guest maestro Gabriel Feltz, one of the most successful chief conductors in the orchestra’s history, and Slavimir Stojanović, who designed the monograph and spoke about the Philharmonic’s importance to the city, were also present.
The monograph, divided into ten chapters, describes the history of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra from its humble beginnings to a modern European ensemble: Over the first 100 years, the orchestra has gone a long way, falling and rising several times, touring the globe but also living in isolation due to sanctions and war; working in cruel conditions but also receiving ovations in the world’s greatest halls, temples of art and culture, the authors write at the beginning of the publication.
Besides serving as a valuable resource for future researchers of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, the history of the institution is presented in a very spirited manner with numerous interesting facts compiled in the Did You Know section. Also included are messages of one hundred notable personalities who have written about what this institution means to them.
The launch of the monograph was accompanied by a photo exhibition and a visual presentation of the most memorable moments from the Philharmonic’s century-long history.
