#SYNERGY FESTIVAL TOUR
The Grand Finale of the #Synergy Project
The highly anticipated #Synergy Festival Tour, the grand finale of the #synergy project is set to captivate audiences across the Western Balkans and Europe from July 16 to August 2, 2023.
The tour features 12 newly commissioned works created by the project's talented composers, which will be showcased in a total of 13 concerts at 7 festivals and music events organized by project partners: KotorArt International Festival (Montenegro), Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Croatia), Belgrade summer festival (Serbia), Ljubljana Festival (Slovenia), Vox Baroque festival (Albania) and ChopinPianoFEST Prishtina (Kosovo), while the Cultural Centre Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), as an associated partner will host one concert in Trebinje.
As opportunities for composers in the Western Balkans are scarce and underdeveloped, and the production of new works is essential for the progress and advancement of classical music, the #synergy project: Sharpening the Capacities of the Classical Music Industry in the Western Balkans was initiated in 2020 to address this issue through artistic residencies and workshops for cultural professionals. Co-financed by the EU Creative Europe program, the project brought together six prominent festivals from the region: KotorArt Don Branko's Days of Music (Montenegro), the Center for Belgrade Festivals (Serbia), Festival Ljubljana (Slovenia), Vox Baroque (Albania), Chopin Piano Fest (Kosovo), and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. The project aimed to enhance and connect cultural workers, particularly those involved in music festivals and classical music, promote the composition of new works inspired by the local heritage of partner countries and facilitate networking and collaboration among young musicians, composers, and organizations dedicated to classical music in the Western Balkans.
The expert jury of the #synergy project, composed of renowned professionals in the field of classical music, selected 12 composers who participated in two-week residencies. During these residencies, they had the opportunity not only to explore the cultural and artistic heritage of the region but also to promote their work, exchange experiences, and create new pieces of art music.
The selected composers were Ardian Halimi, Helena Skljarov, Jetmir Zaganjori, Kreshnik Alickaj, Kris Sopiqoti, Matija Krečić, Milivoje Pićurić, Mira Milosavljević, Nina Perović, Predrag Radisavljević, Timotej Kosovinc, and Tomislav Oliver.
To perform the newly created compositions, promising young musicians from the region were selected: Alenka Bogataj, Andi Duraku, Andrijana Durmišević, Arian Zherka, Cristina Basili, Dušan Obrenović, Egli Prifti, Entela Qarkagjija, Leufat Buquku, Magdalena Burhan, Marija Božić, Marija Ticl, Martina Jembrišak, Milena Petković, Miljana Nikolić, Teodora Uskoković, Tereza Horakova, Tim Jančar, and Timotej Kosovinc.