The musical programme of the 74th Dubrovnik Summer Festival was especially enriched by young regional composers and musicians who presented newly composed works at two concerts held on 19 and 20 July in the Rector’s Palace atrium. The new classical music pieces were inspired by local heritage and European values and written during the #synergy: Sharpening the capacities of the classical music industry in the Western Balkans project.

As the work opportunities for composers in the Western Balkans are very rare and insufficiently developed, and the production of new works is precisely what facilitates the progress and advancement of classical music, the project #synergy: Sharpening the capacities of the classical music industry in the Western Balkans was launched in 2020 to balance this situation through a programme of artistic residencies and workshops for cultural workers. Co-financed by the EU Creative Europe programme, the project brought together six leading festivals from the region – KotorArt Don Branko’s Music Days (Montenegro), Belgrade Music Festival (Serbia), Ljubljana Festival (Slovenia), Vox Baroque Festival (Albania), Chopin Piano Fest Prishtina (Kosovo) and Dubrovnik Summer Festival – with the aim of training and connecting cultural workers, all those involved in music festivals and classical music; encouraging the composition of new works inspired by the local heritage of the project partners’ countries, and boosting networking and cooperation of young musicians, composers and organizations dealing with classical music in the Western Balkans. Composed of recognized experts in the field of classical music, a six-member jury chose 12 composers who participated in two-week residencies during which they had the opportunity not only to get to know the cultural and artistic heritage of countries from the region, but also to promote their work, exchange experiences and create new works of art music. Those composers are 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.

Promising young musicians from the region were selected for the performance of newly created works: 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.

Entrance to the concerts was free, and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival audience had the opportunity to hear truly diverse works and unique composers’ signatures, as well as what contemporary expressions of art music sounds like, experiencing music that crosses borders and unites people brought by bright young people musicians.