The Belgrade Philharmonic is 97 years old today and is celebrating its birthday online by broadcasting a short documentary film from our 2014 US tour on our YouTube channel.

The Belgrade Philharmonic was founded on 13 June 1923. Its creator, art director, and chief conductor was Stevan Hristić, one of the most important Serbian composers and conductors. The Belgrade Philharmonic often performs Hristić’s famous Ohrid Legend on tours around the world as part of its heritage repertoire.

This was also the case during our orchestra’s first ever US tour, with guest appearances in four of the most important music halls on the North American continent. US audiences welcomed the Belgrade Philharmonic at concerts in Chicago’s Symphony Center, Cleveland’s Severance Hall, the Music Center at Strathmore near Washington, D.C., ending with a real triumph in Carnegie Hall in the heart of New York City.

The camera of Mihajlo Savić, the author of this short documentary, followed the Belgrade Philharmonic in October of 2014 and recorded the emotions and moods of our musicians during this most important tour in our orchestra’s history. The US tour represents a triumph of perseverance, motivation, and optimism and is a proud achievement for the entire country.