Preserve Hilandar

The premiere of the composition ‘Hilandar, Bells and Prayers for Piano and Orchestra’

09/14/2024

On Saturday, September 14, 2024, in the Concert Hall of the Kolarac Endowment, a concert titled ‘Evening of Serbian Spirituality’ was held by the RTS Symphony Orchestra and Choir under the baton of maestro Dejan Savić.

Marko Kovač’s composition ‘Hilandar, Bells and Prayers for Piano and Orchestra’ premiered during the concert’s first part. Kovač drew inspiration from his impressions of specific religious themes. The composition consists of six short movements, each capturing the artist’s impressions of Hilandar—its spirituality, history, and mystique. Kovač skillfully used various orchestral colors and stylistic complexities to convey his feelings.

The program continued with the performance of academician Ivan Jevtić’s composition ‘Kosovo Endowments – Symphonic Pictures.’ As part of the act, renowned soloists performed: Jasmina Trumbetaš (soprano) and Vanja Biserčić (tenor), followed by priest Aleksandar Sekulić (chanter), while actor Nebojša Kundačina performed as the narrator.

Before the concert, composer Marko Kovač was a guest on the Morning program of RTS (Radio Television of Serbia), emphasizing Hilandar Monastery as the inspiration for his musical creativity:

‘Spiritual inspiration has captured my attention for quite some time. On one hand, Hilandar holds a special spiritual significance for all of us, including myself. On the other hand, the monastery’s abbot saw a video of my previous symphonic composition titled ‘Mystical Confession of Saint Basil of Ostrog and Tvrdoš.’ He expressed interest in my work and artistic creativity, which led to our contact. The abbot actively supports Serbian composers by organizing symphonic music concerts. Last year, the monastery organized two concerts titled ‘Hilandar as Inspiration.’ My new work, ‘Hilandar, Bells and Prayers for Piano and Orchestra,’ originated as a request from Hilandar Monastery,’ concluded composer Marko Kovač.