Its most magnificent season yet, dedicated celebration of the orchestra’s centenary, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra opens under the baton of chief conductor Gabriel Feltz on Friday, September 15th, at the Kolarac Hall. With the slogan Forevermore, the great jubilee will be celebrated at every concert from September to June. The season kicks off with a heartfelt dedication to the beloved Ivan Tasovac, always and forever.

Just as Tasovac would have wanted, the celebration for the 2023/24 concert season of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will begin in a grandiose manner, with the longest symphony in the standard concert repertoire – the famous Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. The orchestra enters its second century of existence in magnificent style, with over 150 participants on the Kolarac Hall stage performing this grand masterpiece. Joining the Philharmonic Orchestra are the Collegium Musicum female choir, the Kolibri children’s choir, and mezzo-soprano Victoria Massi.

For chief-conductor Gabriel Feltz, a renowned specialist in Mahler, this will be the sixth symphony with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, with the strong ambition to perform together all nine of Mahler’s symphonies.

Mahler’s Third is a true champion among symphonies. We will play 100 minutes of music – symbolically for the Orchestra’s 100 years. I am particularly looking forward to performing again for the Belgrade audience because I’ve conducted in many cities around the world, but the audience of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra is absolutely unique. They share tremendous enthusiasm with us and enjoy our orchestra’s performance with great attention, which is truly invaluable, chief-conductor Gabriel Feltz stated.

According to a survey of the BBC Music Magazine, carried out among conductors, Mahler’s Symphony No.3 was voted one of the top ten symphonies of all time. There is immense interest in the grand opening of the  Belgrade Philharmonic’s season and the performance of this monumental piece. For that reason, the BPO will introduce standing room tickets, which will be available for purchase one hour before the concert, starting at 7:00 PM at the Kolarac box office.