Last Thursday, I was privileged to see the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra perform at National Theatre – literally around the corner from my apartment. Philharmonic season is summer, so I was lucky finding this special winter performance. Sarajevo native Samra Gulamović is the orchestra’s principal conductor. Toshio Yanagisawa was guest conductor, with Boštjan Lipovšek, french horn soloist.
History Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra
Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra is the first professionally organized symphonic orchestra in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The orchestra is “rooted in ensembles established during the period of Austro-Hungarian rule”. Created in 1923, it’s a “significant pillar of music culture for Sarajevo and the Bosnian region“.
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“Counting decades in an environment where social developments ruthlessly affected cultural circumstances, the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra repeatedly reprinted the pages of its history.”
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During World War II 1941-1945, Sarajevo Philharmonic stopped working. In 1948, the orchestra resumed its activities and pursued several goals:
- Perform music by national and international authors
- Encourage new symphonic works
- Raise the quality of performances
- Satisfy the cultural needs of citizens
- Support music culture development
Beginning in 1992, the Bosnian War and Siege of Sarajevo destroyed much that was built during previous decades. Sarajevo Philharmonic “suffered great material and human losses and stopped performing for two years“.
Zubin Mehta
A “turning point for the Philharmonic” was a concert in 1994 conducted by maestro Zubin Mehta. The Philharmonic Orchestra performed Mozart’s Requiem in the bombed remains of City Hall.
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The Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its 97th anniversary in 2020.
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February 21st Performance
The evening included brilliant music and company! It was my first time inside the National Theater, a small but spectacular hall! The performance sold out.
Japanese guest conductor Toshio Yanagisawa led the orchestra. The guest horn soloist was Slovenian Boštjan Lipovšek. This was the program:
- Beethoven Egmont Overture Op. 84 – Philharmonic
- Mozart Horn Concerto No. 3, KV 447, E-flat Majora – Philharmonic, Lipovšek
- Mozart Rondo for Horn & Orchestra KV 371 – Philharmonic, Lipovšek
- Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Op. 67, C Minor – Philharmonic
Toshio Yanagisawa Guest Conductor
Toshio Yanagisawa studied conducting at École Normale de Musique de Paris. He’s conducted throughout Japan, Europe, and the US, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kosovo, Macedonia, New York, Vienna, and Geneva. Yanagisawa has many impressive positions – Music Director of the Balkan Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor Serbia Nis Symphony Orchestra, Honored Principal Conductor Beograd Sinfonietta, and Chief Conductor Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra. He’s a humble conductor, who always defers to the soloist and orchestra.
Boštjan Lipovšek Guest Horn Soloist
Boštjan Lipovšek is from an impressive “Slovenian musical family of horn players”. He graduated from Ljubljana’s Music Academy and attended the Salzburg Mozarteum. As a soloist, he’s received many awards and played with the Slovene Philharmonic Orchestra, Maribor Philharmonic, Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, Udine Italy Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra Padova e Veneto, Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, and La Monnaie Opera House Brussels. Lipovšek teaches at music academies in Ljubljana and Zagreb.
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On June 19, 1994, Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra performed Mozart’s Requiem in the ruins of City Hall.
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The atmosphere and music were uplifting. The Philharmonic concluded with an exceptional performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5! Opera and ballet performances are on the National Theatre’s February schedule, so I’ll visit again soon.