Belgrade Music Festival (''BEMUS'') is a Serbian music festival. Founded in 1969, it is the oldest and the most prominent
music festival
A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...
in
Serbia and one of the most distinctive
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
festivals in the South-Eastern Europe. Enjoying the position of a cultural event of special importance for the City of
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, BEMUS has been a member of the
European Festivals Association (EFA) since 2002.
History
Although special attention has always been devoted to the promotion of local artists and their creativity, BEMUS has established its reputation mostly presenting the most attractive international programmes. Thanks to BEMUS, only over the last several years, Belgrade has hosted some of the most prominent ensembles and soloists of our time –
Concertgebouw Orchestra,
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; sv, Göteborgs Symfoniker) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orche ...
,
Budapest Festival Orchestra,
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Frankfurt Radio Symphony (german: hr-Sinfonieorchester) is the radio orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. From 1929 to 1950 it was named ''Frankfurter Rundfunk-Symphonie-Orchester''. F ...
,
Munich Philharmonic
The Munich Philharmonic (german: Münchner Philharmoniker, links=no) is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Rad ...
, Orchestra RAI Torino,
New York Philharmonic... as well as
Gidon Kremer &
Kremerata Baltica,
Camerata Salzburg,
Il Giardino Armonico,
Les Percussions de Strasbourg
Les Percussions de Strasbourg is a contemporary classical music percussion ensemble made up of six percussionists. Founded in 1962, the ensemble is still performing and commissioning music. The current lineup has played together for 15 years. Thei ...
,
Peking Opera,
Kronos Quartet,
Béjart Ballet,
Eifman Ballet...
Martha Argerich,
Zubin Mehta,
Nelson Freire, Melvin Tan,
Stephen Kovacevich
Stephen Kovacevich (born October 17, 1940) is an American classical pianist and conductor. He is particularly celebrated for his recordings of works by Beethoven, Bartók and Schubert, and is known for technical skill, clarity of playing and an ...
, Hakan Hårdenberger,
Jean-Yves Thibaudet,
Mischa Maisky, Elsabeth Leonskaya,
Maxim Vengerov,
Julian Rachlin,
Renaud Capuçon,
Leonidas Kavakos
Leonidas Kavakos ( el, Λεωνίδας Καβάκος; born 30 October 1967) is a Greek violinist and conductor. As a violinist, he has won prizes at several international violin competitions, including the Sibelius, Paganini, Naumburg, and In ...
...
Jugokoncert website
Apart from the well established performers, BEMUS opens its venues to young musicians who are ready to launch their professional careers. Equal attention is committed to exclusive contemporary music and stage productions ( opera, ballet and multimedia projects) which often reach for alternative artistic achievements. Many of these projects are produced or co-produced by BEMUS.
Executive producer of the BEMUS Festival is JUGOKONCERT, Belgrade Concert Agency.
References
External links
Bemus official website
Closing of 40th BEMUS (In Serbian)
Made in Silence, Concert Lute and Electric Guitar,Bemus - Beograd 2007, Video on YouTube
Music festivals established in 1969
Music festivals in Serbia
Music in Belgrade
Classical music festivals in Serbia
1969 establishments in Yugoslavia
Music festivals in Yugoslavia
{{music-festival-stub