At the end of the year, the third season of the cycle of concerts organized by the Faculty of Music Arts (FMU) and the Fine Arts Center "Guarnerius", which were held with the support of the NELT company, ends. From mid-September until the final concerts, which will be held on December 26 and 27, 14 talented students from undergraduate, master's and doctoral studies at FMU - departments for string instruments, wind instruments, piano and solo singing - had the opportunity to present themselves with solo performances to the Belgrade audience, performing the most beautiful classical and modern compositions, and admission to all concerts was free. By the way, in these three seasons, with the support of the NELT company, 39 young artists, who are multiple winners of prestigious awards at domestic and international competitions, presented themselves as part of the cycle of concerts.
On this occasion, four young artists who have performed or will perform in front of the Belgrade audience in the previous three months speak for "Vreme". Artists Aleksandra Dragosavac (piano master, currently attending specialist piano studies at FMU in the class of Prof. Nevena Popović), Dušan Panajotović (currently in violin master studies at FMU in the class of Prof. Gordana Matijević Nedeljković), Minja Marchetić (flute graduate at FMU) and Evgenija Jeremić (soprano, currently a final year student at the department of solo singing in the class of Prof. Violeta Pančetović Radaković at FMU) - all are younger than 25 years and have so many domestic and international recognitions and awards that a separate text would be needed to list them. For "Vreme", they talk about the importance of performing at CLU "Guarnerius" for further training, because it is known that one of the biggest problems for students during their studies is that they have very little or no opportunity to perform as part of regular faculty activities, as well as the perspectives of graduated musicians. taking into account that during their studies they primarily prepare for performances and practice, and most then try to get a job in schools.
Aleksandra Dragosavac, piano: Brain drain is most prevalent in music
Every public performance is one step forward in the professional development of musical performers for various reasons - concerts are the only kind of practice for us, with frequent performances we get rid of nervousness, gain self-confidence, gain insight into our progress, but also the opportunity to share our skills with the audience, a wonderful repertoire , effort and a lot of positive energy and love for music. For all these reasons, it is necessary that every young artist, student of musical performance, gets the opportunity to perform in public as much and as often as possible. Unfortunately, student concerts are not frequent enough, and a large number of students usually perform at them, so we are almost unable to play the entire repertoire we are preparing. Also, such student concerts are generally not advertised, and they are very poorly attended. "Guarnerius" came to meet us and provided not only the opportunity to present our repertoire and our skills in a wonderful environment, but also provides us with support in the form of concert advertising. Support in the form of promotion in various media is also very important for budding musicians, as it represents a step out of anonymity.
Considering that I got a job at a music school in Belgrade right after finishing my master's studies, compared to most of my colleagues who have been looking for a job in music schools for years or travel around the interior of Serbia, I have to consider myself incredibly lucky. Pedagogy is the only chance for a large number of musicians to find a "job" and, sooner or later, most musicians in the world turn to the pedagogy branch. However, I don't want it to be the only job I'll be doing for the rest of my life, I'm currently in postgraduate studies and I plan to continue further training as a soloist and chamber musician despite my current job, even though it sometimes requires, in terms of organization, superhuman abilities. In Serbia, no one makes a living from performing classical music, most students are aware of that, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to work in education, so I believe that in this branch, the so-called "brain drain" the most prevalent.
Dusan Panajotovic, violin: trud, work and happiness recipe for success
You are right when you say that students do not have many opportunities to perform publicly during their studies, at least not within the concerts organized by the faculty itself, because there are very few of them. There is also a big problem with space, because in Belgrade there are very few halls suitable for solo concerts. The "Guarnerius" hall fully meets the requirements of an exceptional concert space and I believe that all my colleagues who performed before me felt as wonderful, fulfilled and inspired as I do now.
Public performance is of immeasurable importance for every musician, especially when you have a solo concert in the capital city and in a hall like "Guarnerius". At this concert, I will perform works that I have patiently and lovingly rehearsed, in order to present them to the Belgrade audience, and this is a huge experience for me, which will mean a lot to me in my future career. Once again, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, "Guarnerius" - Jovan Kolundžija's Fine Arts Center, NELT, and "Vreme" magazine for the support they provide to young musicians.
By all accounts, it is difficult for a person to have an optimistic attitude regarding the perspective that young musicians have in Serbia, but my motto is that our greatest weapon is our goal and that in life there is some cosmic justice that, I hope, will help me in my wishing that all my efforts and work will pay off one day. And of course, luck as an indispensable factor of any success. I still believe that dreams do come true, sometimes.
Like most young musicians, and artists in general, I have many plans that I would like to achieve. After my studies, I see myself as a serious professional ready for big challenges. It is up to me to fully dedicate myself to my calling, and time will tell where the path will lead me.
Minja Marcetic, flute: Our country has no ear for classical music
First of all, it is an extraordinary honor to get the opportunity to present my music to the audience at "Guarnerius", a cultural institution of national importance, and to take another important step forward on the concert stage. The hall exudes exceptional beauty, acoustics, decorative reliefs and cannot leave you indifferent. The motivation for an even greater dedication to music is represented by special segments of the program which, accompanied by the media, are dedicated exclusively to young artists. The entire collaboration with "Guarnerius" left a mark on my music, which is, in fact, my way of expressing myself. The music I perform should convey emotions, ideas, stimulate the thoughts and beliefs of an individual. I shared the concert with the audience in the most beautiful way; I sent them my emotions, and got positive reactions and that's how we followed each other...
I would like to improve my skills abroad, to be in contact with as many professors as possible, to introduce novelty into my music, to breathe in their way of life and creation, and after that to return home. Until now, I have focused on solo performance, which, in my opinion, represents the biggest challenge, but I am increasingly attracted to work in chamber ensembles. In camera performance, the essence is teamwork. It is a real challenge to harmonize the characteristics of your individual performance with the whole composition. My secret desire is to be a member of an orchestra that brings a lot of new knowledge, experiences, cooperation with big names of the music scene... The real struggle comes after finishing my studies. I have the impression that our country does not have enough ears for classical music, and the media also contributes to this. She is: intellectual, serious and abstract, which could be interpreted as incomprehensible and monotonous, but despite that, I managed to take spontaneous steps in my town Vršac and bring classical music closer to the audience. That's why I think that constant improvement, positive thoughts and a pure spirit are the trump cards for the future.
Evgenija Jeremic, soprano: An opera singer must have a broader education than a strict knowledge of opera
Unfortunately, such is the current situation that young people, of course not all, do not have enough opportunities to show their skills at public performances. Every performance is a valuable experience, a training so to speak. It helps to get rid of nervousness, to see mistakes or some things that need to be worked on, because it's one thing to play or sing something in the classroom, and it's quite another to stand in front of an audience and show the result of your work. That's why I think that every performance is useful and means a lot to every student. For me, the performance in "Guarnerius" was a pleasant experience and I would like to thank this opportunity for enabling young people from different departments to present themselves and present themselves to the audience.
When it comes to further plans, there are a lot of them, of course, but time will tell which ones will be realized. For me, after graduating from college, the logical step is to enroll in a master's degree in the class of my current professor, Violeta Pančetović Radaković. After that, my desire is the theater stage. And whether it will be here or somewhere abroad, we will see. I am also interested in the field of pedagogical work. Moreover, I would like to have developed a parallel relationship between these two fields, so I am also an active opera singer and professor. It is difficult to harmonize them, but that is perhaps, in my opinion, the best combination, because an opera singer must also have a broader education and knowledge of vocal literature of all styles and periods, not just strictly opera, and that is what working with students enables him to do.
