The Belgrade Philharmonic returns to Sofia after a full 45 years, under the baton of its former Chief Conductor Uroš Lajovic, on 28 October at Bulgaria Concert Hall. Together with pianist Lukáš Vondráček, the orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Petar Konjović’s Symphony in C minor.

The October concert marks the Belgrade Philharmonic’s much-anticipated return to the Bulgarian capital, a city of particular significance in the orchestra’s history. The Philharmonic first performed in Sofia nine decades ago, on 27 October 1937, almost exactly 89 years before this return. It was also the orchestra’s first tour outside the borders of what was then Yugoslavia.

The tradition of performing in Sofia continued in 1962 and 1981, with each encounter with Bulgarian audiences providing an opportunity for the orchestra to present works by Serbian composers, among whom Petar Konjović held a special place. This time, the Belgrade Philharmonic will perform his Symphony in C minor for the first time. The work is particularly significant as the first symphony in the history of Serbian music. The Sofia audience will thus have the opportunity to discover not only Konjović’s distinctive musical language but also the unmistakable Serbian musical character woven into the composition through motifs from Stevan Mokranjac’s Garlands (Rukoveti). Traditional folk melodies, including “Lele Stano Mori” and “Cveće Cafnalo”, are given a new symphonic dimension in Konjović’s work.

The Belgrade Philharmonic will be joined by distinguished pianist Lukáš Vondráček, winner of First Prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition. Vondráček will perform Tchaikovsky’s celebrated Piano Concerto No. 1, a work that ushered in a new tradition of grand-scale piano compositions in Russian music. The Czech pianist, who has been building an outstanding international career for more than two decades, will also have the opportunity to perform with the orchestra before Belgrade audiences. Under the baton of Uroš Lajovic, the Belgrade Philharmonic will present the same programme as part of the 58th BEMUS Festival on 30 October at Kolarac Concert Hall.