REVIEW OF THE CELLO FESTIVAL CORDA MONTE: A space for meeting, learning and co-creation

On April 8th and 9th, the first Corda Monte cello festival was held at the premises of the Art School of Music and Ballet “Vasa Pavić” in Podgorica, bringing together young cellists from various music schools, as well as students from the Music Academy in Cetinje. This two-day event was marked by intensive work, exchange of knowledge and joint music making, confirming the importance of such initiatives for the development of classical music in Montenegro.

As part of the rich program, participants had the opportunity to attend individual cello lessons, chamber music workshops, and also to attend a lecture on contemporary composition and extended cello techniques, held by full professor Dr. Srđan Sretenović from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. In addition to him, the lecturers at the festival were also Kosta Popovic, a student of the Artist Diploma program at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, as well as Mladen Popovic, Professor of cello at the Vasa Pavić Music School in Podgorica and at the Academy of Music of the University of Montenegro in Cetinje.

The masterclass brought together 11 participants, who during the festival had the opportunity to work with renowned teachers and artists, improve their technical and interpretive skills, but also to exchange experiences with their peers and young colleagues.

One of the particularly significant results of the festival is the establishment of a cello quartet, which will bear the very name of the festival "Corda Monte".

The festival organizer, Professor Mladen Popović, emphasized that the basic idea of ​​the festival is to provide young musicians with a space to meet, learn, and create together.

"We wanted to create an environment in which young cellists would feel free to explore, ask questions, exchange ideas and make music together. I think we succeeded in that. The energy felt during these two days confirms how much this type of work is needed by our musical community. I am especially pleased that the festival has already produced a concrete result in the form of the formation of a quartet, which is the best proof that real artistic connections have been created among the participants," he said.

The festival aimed not only to provide professional development for the participants, but also to further promote the cello among younger generations in Montenegro, as well as to encourage cooperation among young musicians.

The festival organizer, Prof. Popović, expressed special gratitude for the support provided to the director of the Art School for Music and Ballet “Vasa Pavić”, Tijani Ilic, as well as to all participants, their professors and friends who contributed to the successful realization of the festival with their engagement.