This Friday, April 11 at 8 PM at Kolarac Hall, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra returns to the stage with the concert For Whom the Bell Tolls. Under the baton of Chief Conductor Gabriel Feltz, the philharmonic orchestra will present two of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s most monumental works. A stunning 145 performers will take the stage for his choral symphony The Bells, joined by international vocal soloists and the Choir, of the Radio Television Serbia (RTS). The evening concludes with the powerful Symphony No. 3.

Rachmaninoff himself considered The Bells one of his favorite compositions. Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem of the same title, this grandiose four-movement masterpiece portrays the arc of human life through the sound of bells — from the playful chimes of childhood to the solemn toll of a funeral procession.

Joining the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra for this epic work are soprano Angelina Akhmedova, tenor Maxim Aksenov, and baritone Semyon Antakov, along with the RTS Choir. At the helm is Maestro Gabriel Feltz, an acclaimed expert in interpreting works of Rachmaninoff and recipient of a special recognition, Prix Rachmaninoff, from the Sergei Rachmaninoff Foundation.

A lifelong admirer of bell sounds as symbols of spiritual and cultural power, Rachmaninoff began composing The Bells in early 1913 in Rome. That same year, he conducted the premiere himself. While critics were divided, the response of the audience was overwhelming. The four movements represent key phases of life: birth, marriage, fear, and death — offering a rich, emotional journey from hope to darkness.

The concert closes with Symphony No. 3, which also features Rachmaninoff’s iconic Dies Irae theme heard in final movement of The Bells. Due to overwhelming interest of the public, the concert is already a sold-out event, however a limited number of standing-room tickets will be available at the Kolarac box office starting one hour before the concert (7 PM).