With the opening ceremony titled "Bridges of Music", the International KotorArt Festival has entered its 24th edition. Traditionally, on the square in front of the Cathedral of St. Tryphon in Kotor and the bells of the Cathedral, the Festival marked the Statehood Day of Montenegro with an event of unique concept and strong messages.
The Festival Orchestra of Montenegro, conducted by maestro Mladen Tarbuk, premiered to the audience, and was joined on stage by the Kotor City Music with conductor Dario Krivokapić, the female singing group Đude, prepared by Davor Sedlarević, and the Štiglići a cappella group, led by Jelena Mihaljević, as well as the gusler Nikola Krivokapić.
The music of Johann Strauss the Younger was celebrated even after two centuries, and the connection between the European, regional and Montenegrin musical heritage of that time was promoted, as well as the contemporary expression of prominent Montenegrin composers.
The audience had the opportunity to hear the Ferdinand march by Mirko Petrović, Roses from the South by Johann Strauss the Younger, the march Montenegrin Heir by Anton Šulc, the waltz Happy Hours by Dominik Ertl, the concert polka by Montenegrin Špiro Ognjenović arranged by Mladen Tarbuk, the Festival's commission Slavjo Poje, for klapa and symphony orchestra by Milivoj Pićurić, the march Entrance of the Gladiator by Julius Fučik, Capriccio-Scherzo by Blagoje Bers, another Festival commission, for fiddle, female singing group Đude, symphony orchestra, electronics and video by Nina Perović, and the Overture to the operetta The Bat by Johann Strauss the Younger, KotorArt announced.
Composers Nina Perović and Milivoje Pićurić, on the eve of the premiere performance of their works, shared insights into the conceptual background and concept of the commissions, thus facilitating their understanding and approach to the audience. Tarbuk spoke about the compositions Entrance of the Gladiator by Julius Fučik and Capriccio-Scherzo by Blagoje Bersa, offering additional context and interpretation. A special contribution to the evening was made by Dobrila Popović, a long-time associate of the International KotorArt Festival, who, thanks to her dedicated research work and search for original sheet music, brought valuable historical facts and interesting stories that accompany the creation of compositions by lesser-known Montenegrin and regional authors closer to the audience.
The honor of officially opening the Festival with the words "ring the bells" went to the youngest member of the Kotor City Orchestra, eleven-year-old Karlo Kovačić.
The central moment of the evening was the speech by the festival director, pianist and university professor, Ratimir Martinović, who turned the stage for speeches into a powerful platform for public accountability and the fight to preserve the UNESCO status of the city of Kotor.
"The KotorArt Forum was never intended for the fireworks of politicians and their paintings, but as a place to meet and confront reality," said Martinović, reminding that Kotor must not lose its world heritage status.
"No matter how this report is interpreted, one ominous thought remains - if Kotor loses its status on the UNESCO list, it has lost the battle for itself. Therefore, instead of a solemn and appropriate speech, I would like to address an appeal, a call, a plea, a cry to all those in authority: that without delay, without pomp, without bureaucratic phrases, they do what is their duty," said Martinović, emphasizing that the spotlight, tradition, support - are nothing if we do not preserve Kotor.
Martinović also said that he had written a speech that he would not read in its entirety.
From the original speech, Martinović singled out the part that referred to the guests, the Karadaglić family, and Miloš Karadaglić, who, as he said, if he were not playing at the famous Wigmore Hall in London, would have been at KotorArt last night.
"But he will be with us on July 30th at the concert, and I know that many are eagerly awaiting him, both to hear him, but also to hug him, tightly, most tightly, from the heart, out of gratitude, out of pride for his brave, patriotic gesture that awakens hope that this society has not fallen into total apathy."
Martinović also referred to KotorArt's many years of struggle with institutions.
"I wrote something in that speech about our constant, exhausting, Sisyphean struggle with the Ministry of Culture. We signed the contract for this year four days ago, even though we submitted the first program proposal last December. and so on for years."
Martinović thanked the President of the Municipality of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić, and all city services, for their true patronage of the festival, for their cooperation and understanding in the implementation of the program, as well as other projects.
He also spoke about the musical bridge between Kotor and Europe - last night's opening marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss the Younger and speaks about the influence on the musical culture of Austrian and other musicians of the then Monarchy on the then Montenegro.
He also recalled that the musical history of Kotor has been written since the early Middle Ages, reaching back to the 11th century - with the first musical notations, 15th-century organs, cathedral choirs, Renaissance and Baroque evenings in noble palaces, to the first music school founded in Kotor in 1856.
"It is up to us, the people of Kotor, to first make ourselves aware, and then the state of Montenegro. The institutions of the state bear the greatest responsibility for this unacceptable status in which our City finds itself today. The City of Kotor must not be a victim and only a good opportunity for the quick enrichment of 'valorization construction experts'. Kotor does not belong only to us, but we are part of a much wider community - World Heritage in which we stand equally alongside Venice, Paris, Rome, Xi An.....and we are obliged to preserve it, if not for us who are unaware, then for the children and future of this City, humanity and the world who come to admire it. 'Sometimes times come, writes the great Ivo Andric - when the mind falls silent, the fool speaks, and the pauper gets rich'. Please, let us not allow ourselves to live the harsh reality of the horrific times from this Andric thought."
The Mayor of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić, Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujović, and EU Ambassador to Montenegro Johan Sattler also spoke at the ceremony.
Jokić referred to the combination of tradition and European music.
"Unknowingly, Miloš and Štraus, and all those who carried a pen, violin, fiddle or rifle, were building the same bridge - the bridge of truth, the bridge of freedom...", said Jokić, adding that, despite the challenges, Kotor will not lose its heritage, because it knows that it must preserve it with deeds, not words.
Vujović pointed out that Kotor is not on the list of cultural heritage in danger.
"But we have been given obligations. If we want to boast UNESCO status, we must earn it through responsibility, not declarations."
Satler also sent a message, reminding that KotorArt was the first and only festival from Montenegro included in the leading projects of the Creative Europe program, and that culture and heritage are key values of European identity.
The KotorArt Festival will host numerous artists from Montenegro, the region, Europe and the world for more than a month.
Bonus video:
