Under the title „In Praise of a Hero”, the Belgrade Philharmonic is organizing a memorial concert in honor of Gabriel Feltz, on Wednesday, September 17, at 8 p.m. at Kolarac. The orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Eroica by themselves, thus demonstrating Gabriel Feltz’s invaluable legacy and the unique performing skills acquired through the merit of the beloved Chief Conductor.

Without their chief on stage, but forever with him in music and in their hearts, the orchestra will send a strong message of love and gratitude for everything that Feltz has done for the Belgrade Philharmonic since 2017, when he became the Chief Conductor. The monumental Eroica, whose dedication Beethoven wrote “In memory of a great man”, the Belgrade Philharmonic in turn dedicates to our hero, with whom the performances of this work were historic.

The Philharmonic’s Eroica with Gabriel Feltz symbolically represents the highest achievements of the orchestra during his tenure. After the 2019 performance, Feltz stated that it was the best Eroica of his career to date, and international critics gave the performance the highest marks, describing that „Everything came together: the orchestra was on top form. Feltz seems to have a great rapport with his players and has the knack of communicating with the audience” (Peter Connors, Bachtrack). That it was not just a passing magic was shown at the 2022 Beethoven Marathon, as the Eroica was without a doubt the most authentic and unforgettable performance of the Belgrade Philharmonic, both in Dortmund and in Novi Sad. Although without him at the conductor’s podium, Feltz’s incomparable erudition, his admiration and refined knowledge of Beethoven, as well as the multitude of precise instructions given to the orchestra, will be a sound image of Gabriel’s immeasurable impact that the Belgrade Philharmonic will continue to preserve and nurture.

Tickets for the memorial concert are free, and the audience can collect their tickets from September 10, from 10 a.m. at the Belgrade Philharmonic box office (Studentski trg 11). The book of condolences will remain open at the Belgrade Philharmonic until the memorial concert, as well as at Kolarac on the eve of the performance itself on September 17, 2025.