Dear Taso,

You have woven the first and basic rule into the Belgrade Philharmonic and taught us to do everything differently. That is why we do not write commemorative texts, in memoriam reviews, or farewells, because you would reprimand us for that. Detesting form, politely disobedient and subtly brazen-faced to the extreme, you set the pace that we have followed together for more than twenty years and made many dreams come true – in spite of everyone and despite everything!

It is almost impossible to list everything you have given to this institution, because thanks to you we have achieved the essence – the faith of every one of us in the Belgrade Philharmonic. So we have kept increasing the level, constantly raising the bar, celebrating victories and immediately going on to higher and higher goals. If the walls of a dilapidated building had to be torn down first to make a better home for our music and our musicians, that was not the slightest problem for you. After smaller tours, we immediately went on to bigger ones. All the big names of the world’s music scene have fallen in love with the enthusiasm of the Belgrade Philharmonic that you spread so irresistibly and they have stayed with us, today very proud of everything we have achieved together. You remain in every brilliant instrument that comes to life in the hands of our musicians, in all our scores, in every support we deservedly received from all parts of the world.

A man is as big as his dreams and his ideas. And for you not even too much is enough. That is why you have built a dream team, strong, united and harmonious, which will not let you down and which will preserve what we have achieved. But, the most important thing is that we will go on and never forget that zany fun that you spread so contagiously. That is why at all the concerts we play, every note goes to you, to our enfant terrible who cannot hold back his happiness but jumps on his seat and delights over and over again at the superpowers of the Belgrade Philharmonic, as if hearing it for the very first time.

With your vision and unimaginable eccentricity, you have built what we are today; brave, irreconcilable, ready for fresh challenges and new successes. The past tense is not an option, because we have so much ahead of us.

The Belgrade Philharmonic does not say goodbye to you. We will finish our shared dream in our new building, and we will not give up, Taso, despite everything.

Yours forever,

The Belgrade Philharmonic