The 27th Guitar Art Festival was officially opened last night at the Madlenianum Opera and Theatre with a concert symbolising a meeting of the two cities – Belgrade and Herceg Novi.
Over the five days of the festival, ten concerts will take place at Madlenianum, while a special musical and dramatic project titled “Belgrade in Lisbon – Lisbon in Belgrade” will be premiered on the stage of the National Theatre in Belgrade.
The second day of the festival, 12 March, is reserved for three classical music concerts beginning at 7 pm at Madlenianum. Momčilo Aleksandrić, a young and talented Serbian guitarist, will perform first, followed by the legendary Raphaella Smits from Belgium, described as “one of the most sensitive and refined guitarists of our time”. The grand finale of the evening will be a concert by the Slovak Guitar Trio, consisting of Karol Samuelčik, Filip Babić and Augustin Mušta.
The following day, 13 March, at the National Theatre in Belgrade, the audience will hear Balkan ethno music and Portuguese fado in a special musical love story titled “Between Saudade and Sevdah”. This concert, travelling from Skadarlija to fado, will be presented to the audience through a dialogue between two major musical ensembles. Guitarist Srđan Grujičić with his L’Orchestra will interpret the spirit of the Three Hats restaurant through Balkan melodies and emotions, while one of the key figures of the Portuguese guitar, Pedro de Castro, together with his quartet and singer Ana Rita Prada, will guide the audience into the authentic fado house Mesa de Frades in Lisbon. The dramatic storyline will be performed by Ivan Tomić and Miloš Vlalukin.
On the fourth day, 14 March, Madlenianum will host a concert by the winners of the Erste competition and the Guitar Art Festival titled “Believe in Yourself”, intended for students of lower and secondary music schools. From 8 pm the audience will have the opportunity to hear a performance by the Seville Guitar Duo, consisting of guitarists Francisco Bernier and Antonio Duro. The highlight of the evening will be the Australian Guitar Quartet (AGQ), which brings together four of the most acclaimed Australian guitarists: Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan, Vladimir Gorbach and Andrew Blanch. Critics describe the ensemble as known for its magnificent sound and radiant creativity.
After the award ceremony for the winners of the competition and the official closing of the 27th Guitar Art Festival, on 15 March on the small stage of Madlenianum the evening will begin with a guitar concert by the winners of the Erste Bank competition “Believe in Yourself” and conclude with a concert by Tohi Harada, a Japanese guitarist currently completing his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the winner of numerous first prizes at international competitions.
(Politika, 12.03.2026)
https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/737908/gitar-art-festival-donosi-duh-klasike-u-beograd