Debut concert of a young Montenegrin pianist Lucije Ulicevic will be held today in Podgorica, as part of the "Young Talents" cycle, in the Great Hall of the Cultural and Information Center "Budo Tomović" at 19 p.m., and admission is free.
In an interview with Vijesti, the artist does not hide her excitement, and later reveals that rehearsals for the solo concert are taking place simultaneously with rehearsals for the opera "Don Giovanni" in which she is participating.
"My expectations are, of course, high and I hope that everything will go well, that there will be a large number of people, and above all that I will feel comfortable on stage. The audience can expect a calmer program to begin with, but on the other hand, diversity, because we will go through several different periods," she announces.
There are works on the program Johann Sebastian Bach (Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor WTC2), Ludwig van Beethoven (Sonata br. 26 op. 81a u Es-duru, “The Farewells”), Johannes Brahms (Three intermeccas op. 117) and Nikolaj Medner (Forgotten Melodies Op. 38 No. 6 from the “Canzona Serenata” cycle). She says she chose the repertoire together with her professor. Bojan Martinović, in whose class he studies piano at the Music Academy in Cetinje.
"We chose the compositions based on several criteria, such as how difficult something is, with the aim of appealing to the audience, but also for them to hear something different on this occasion, because these are lesser-known works compared to the rest of my program that I practice."
In addition to preparing for his first solo concert, Ulićević is also preparing for the premiere of the opera "Don Giovanni" on June 2024th, which will officially close the 25/XNUMX season at the Music Center of Montenegro (MCCG). One of the greatest works of the genius will thus be brought to life on the MCCG stage. by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which has been captivating audiences around the world for centuries, and under the baton of a maestro known for his expressive interpretation of musical works Marko Korović, while the direction and set design are by Aleksandar Nikolic, whose stage vision promises a modern and exciting interpretation. Ulićević also reveals his role in the work to Vijesti.
"I perform as part of the choir. We have a big role because we are not just singers, but we are actually also the people, that is, we play the role of the people of that era, in order to portray the society, atmosphere and events of that period, which means that in addition to singing and dancing, we also have to act, and that is a novelty for us compared to other concepts we have had so far. In my opinion, this is one of the best projects we have had so far, both us as the Academy of Music, but also the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra and the Montenegrin Ballet Ensemble and in general everyone together. That is why I believe that this will be a special opportunity for the Montenegrin audience, who will be able to see something they have not had the opportunity to see before. I think this is actually the first time that students of the Academy of Music have worked with choreographers and conductors, and with all that, with a director," she points out and adds that I expect only positive reactions from the audience.
"This is one of Mozart's most famous operas, and I think the event itself is very significant and interesting, as the audience will be able to see for themselves, so I expect a very nice reaction and I recommend that everyone who is able to come, whether to the premiere on June 4th or the rerun on June 6th or 7th, see the opera," says the pianist.
Despite her university commitments, thanks to her love and enthusiasm, it's not difficult for her to find time for everything.
"I am a person who enjoys all of this! I am someone who truly loves what I do and because of that I never like to miss opportunities that arise. Taking part in an opera is a big deal for me as a student. Also, having a solo concert is a huge deal for me as a student. Of course, there are also my student obligations, exams, the June exam period that is just coming up, but when you do something you love, you enjoy it, and even when it is hard, you are satisfied after a hard day," says Ulićević, who is completing her second year at the Academy...
There are many opportunities for improvement and presentation, she says, and emphasizes that she would gladly take advantage of them all, but it is still necessary to make a choice.
"I consult with my professor about everything, and then I listen to my feelings, because you always need to balance what is good, 'the right thing' and what will bring experience, and then some success, with other obligations that need to be completed... So I am currently most focused on these two events, the concert and the opera, and then on the exams. Of course, there are opportunities to play and perform during the summer at some of the most important Montenegrin festivals, but we'll see," says the talented musician.
In an interview with Vijesti, Ulićević also reveals how she was introduced to the piano, which became her life companion, calling, and style.
"I have two older sisters who went to music school, so my mother took me, even as a little girl, to listen to all those concerts where they played. I also followed their rehearsals, of course, and the piano was the first instrument I saw in my life, even as a child. Later, when I grew up a little, I became the one who brought my mother to music school and asked me to play myself. This was noticed by the teachers who saw my interest, and then my talent. When I turned six, my mother decided to enroll me in the Music School. That's how it all started, and I realized that this would actually be my calling for the rest of my life, although my parents initially thought that it was just my childhood wish, a whim, a hobby, however, it was different... Now I can say that I have always been a lover of the piano and, no matter how much they later tried to give me the flute and the horn and the violin and all the other instruments, I refused because the piano is something where I found myself and I only saw myself at the piano," the pianist recalls.
Ulićević was born in 2004, and she received her primary music education in her hometown of Bar, at the School for Primary Music Education "Petar II Petrović Njegoš" in classes Mirjana Rajčić i Ana Vukazic. She continued her secondary music education in Novi Sad, at the "Isidor Bajić" music school in the class of M.A. Be Borzenko. For her successes in competitions during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 school years, she was awarded the Vidovdan Award of the City of Novi Sad, as well as a scholarship for talented students of the Ministry of Education of Montenegro. During her education, she won more than 25 awards at national and international competitions, among which those held during 2022 and 2023 stand out, namely the 21st International Competition “Pjeter Gaci”, the 8th Piano Festival in Sremska Mitrovica, the 28th Republic Competition in Belgrade, the 9th International Competition “Slavic Music Festival Belgrade”, the 3rd International Piano Competition in Tivat, as well as the 12th International Competition “Pjeter Gaci”, which she won.
With her trio "Les Beatitudes", which includes a trombonist in addition to her Aleksandar Srdić the clarinetists Stefan Todorovic i Boško Jović, she performed in numerous concerts and competitions throughout 2023, all of which brought her significant experience, she says.
"I believe that each of us who has chosen this profession of interpreter must be involved in concerts and the stage. I was lucky that in high school we had a lot of performances, public classes, we performed with the choir, solo and in chamber ensembles, and all of that helped me get rid of stage fright, which is actually our biggest enemy," says Ulićević.
The young pianist has also performed at the “Barski ljetopis” event as part of the “bARS” program. For two years in a row, she has also participated in the World Piano Conference (WPC), where she attended master classes with eminent professors, and recently she played with the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, as one of four selected students of the Academy of Music of the University of Montenegro.
"It was one of the perfect opportunities that, I think, was offered to students of the Academy of Music for the first time, and I was very happy that I was chosen, especially because I was a freshman at the time, and was chosen among four students who would play with the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra! As a soloist, that has been one of my biggest dreams, ever since I was a child," Ulićević says honestly, and at the end of the conversation, she invites the audience to her first solo concert, and then to an opera at the Music Center.
"My message to all music lovers, but even to those who are not, is to come to both events - to my solo concert on May 28th and to the opera 'Don Giovanni', on June 4th, 6th or 7th. All of these are fantastic opportunities for our audience," says Lucija Ulićević.
Bonus video:
