Marking its centennial in 2023, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra is nowadays the leading orchestra in the region and a gust of fresh air on the international concert scene. According to the international media, the Belgrade Philharmonic is Serbia’s cult orchestra (The Financial Times), one of the leading European orchestras (The Independent), an orchestra for which there’s no looking back (The Washington Post), and an ensemble which shows grand dose of heritage and pride (The New York Times).

The orchestra reached a new level of artistic excellence under its most recent Chief Conductor, Gabriel Feltz (2017–2025), realizing numerous landmark projects that have redefined its artistic boundaries.

With a distinctive image of inventive artistic concepts and creative marketing, shaped in the last two decades, the Belgrade Philharmonic has built strong public recognition. Over this period, the BPO has attracted many classical music authorities who supported its further development. Most notably, it has fostered a long-lasting friendship with Zubin Mehta, who first encountered with Belgrade Philharmonic through a concert held in 1958. Following the political changes in October 2000, Mehta became a regular guest and a great friend and supporter of Belgrade Philharmonic, helping the institution to raise awareness about the necessity of making better working conditions for the best ensemble in the region (i.e., acquiring new instruments, and building the long-awaited new hall of the orchestra). During this period he has regularly held gala concerts with the orchestra in Belgrade as well as abroad, including the regional Open Balkan tour held in celebration of the orchestra’s centenary in 2023.

Through its projects, the Belgrade Philharmonic initiates, realizes and supports actions contributing to social progress, promotion of tolerance, regional and international cooperation. The original and unique concept of the New Year’s concert series, promoting ethnic and religious diversity through music, has raised significant attention of the domestic and international public, and it was also acknowledged and supported by the European Union. Led by Zubin Mehta, the orchestra has held its first concert performance in Croatia (Dubrovnik), after the Yugoslav wars. Also, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra initiated and realized a regional cooperation of the three national philharmonic orchestras from Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, in recent history, under the Pika-točka-tačka (Dot-Dot-Dot) project.

Among the Philharmonic’s most significant recent undertakings were certainly the two concert marathons co-produced with the Dortmund Philharmonic and conducted by their shared Chief Conductor Gabriel Feltz. The Beethoven Marathon took place in June 2022, where the two orchestras alternated performing all nine Beethoven symphonies in a single day. In June 2025, they reunited in Dortmund for the Rachmaninoff Marathon, performing the first three piano concertos and all three symphonies by Sergei Rachmaninoff – in a single day.

Over the past decade, the orchestra has toured extensively, with notable appearances in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Albania, Hungary, Russia, Oman, etc. The most significant international engagements in the orchestra’s recent history were the first ever U.S. tour, with concerts in the main halls of Chicago, Cleveland, Washington D.C., and New York (2014, Muhai Tang), and China tour with concerts in Xi’an, Weifang, Beijing, and Shanghai (2023, Neeme Järvi).

In 2017, the Belgrade Philharmonic launched its now-traditional open-air concerts, marking a historic milestone as the largest classical music concerts in the Balkans ever held outdoors. More than 30,000 people attended the inaugural performance conducted by Gabriel Feltz, with Zubin Mehta as a special guest. The following year, the Philharmonic broke its own record, drawing over 40,000 attendees to a concert that featured NASA space footage accompanied with classical music, live in concert. With its performance of the iconic Disney Fantasia, the orchestra made history as the first ensemble to ever present this globally famous animated production live before thousands of people at an open-air event.

The orchestra’s programming is further enriched by original educational initiatives for all ages, including open rehearsals for preschoolers and concerts for babies, which remain some of its most beloved features.

In the 2023-24 concert season, the Belgrade Philharmonic celebrated its centenary. Thanks to its landmark projects and artistic excellence, the Belgrade Philharmonic is writing the next pages of its history with great success.