Last night, the “Ohrid Summer” festival presented a memorable concert as part of the Serbian evening, featuring the extraordinary Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulović accompanied by the chamber orchestra “Double Sense.”
Under the starry sky of Dolni Saraj and in front of the numerous audience, Radulović, with his unique energy and sincerity in performances, along with his thrilling virtuosity, depth of expression, and adventurous approach, together with the orchestra, created a musical journey around the world through arrangements of traditional and modern music from various global meridians, united in the album “Koreni” (“Roots”).
The performance of the virtuoso Radulović was part of the Serbian evening within the festival program, organized with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Addressing the audience, the director of the National Institution “Ohrid Summer,” Natasa Popović, stated that the festival, with its specificity and uniqueness, is recognizable and exceptional in our region. It demonstrated that culture knows no boundaries, and its decade-long openness to top-notch arts from around the world makes it recognizable not only locally but also on a global scale, firmly advancing towards the mission of a cultural Europe with shared high cultural values.
The performances of such renowned world artists through collaborative projects with the Embassies in the Republic of North Macedonia make “Ohrid Summer” one of the most powerful drivers of cultural achievements. This step creates a bridge of connection, strengthening, and presenting the culture that is part of us, part of every nation, and part of the Balkans. Culture, art, and tradition describe the identity of every nation and speak of its existence throughout the centuries, its uniqueness, and distinctiveness.
And precisely “Ohrid Summer” is the code of Balkan culture, the biggest promoter of cooperation within the new vision of the “Open Balkans” initiative, which opens up a new culture through the artistic specificities of the Balkans, where the power of culture and creativity brings people together and creates unity in diversity, said Director Popović, expressing gratitude to the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Republic of North Macedonia for their support in bringing the best Serbian artists.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to our country, Nevena Jovanović, emphasized that Serbia attaches great importance to bilateral relations with the Republic of North Macedonia. She stated that these relations will deepen further in the future, moving towards an upward trajectory, and the “Open Balkans” initiative plays a significant role in this. By opening the Serbian evening, the ambassador reminded everyone that art knows no boundaries, and “Ohrid Summer” is a testament to that, being one of the most prestigious artistic events in Europe.
For more than six decades, this renowned festival has been offering a rich musical and theatrical spectrum, which, with its high-quality and carefully selected performers and works, has evolved into a recognizable cultural brand. Today, the festival’s program includes artists from all over the world, who leave the audiences and art lovers breathless with their spectacular performances on the magical stages of Dolni Saraj, St. Sophia, and the Ancient Theater. This further speaks to the closeness of our cultures, traditions and people. We are especially proud that for the second year in a row, in collaboration with our friends, the representatives of “Ohrid Summer,” we are organizing the Serbian evening within this prestigious event, said the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, Nevena Jovanović.
Serbian violin virtuoso, Nemanja Radulović, brought his entire energy to the stage, pushing the boundaries of classical music and leading the audience into the subtle melodies of the Balkans, as well as the music from distant corners of the world.
This project is very interesting for me, and it was created during the pandemic lockdown when I listened to a lot of music, mainly Mozart and “world music,” which actually brought me back to life. During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to deeply contemplate music today, as well as music from the past and future. I listened to music from various styles and started developing the idea for this project, which is a significant step for me as a musician. Everything about it is new for me because it’s not about classical music; instead, it represents stylizations of traditional songs from various nations, some of which are well-known in our countries, with melodies from other parts of Europe and even as far as China, Japan, and India, said Radulović.
“Ohrid Summer” continues tonight with a concert by the “Piano Trio” at the Church of St. Sophia, dedicated to the great flutist Ilija Zimbo.