In a concert hall that represents the artistic dream of any musician, the Belgrade Philharmonic was breathlessly listened to by more than 1500 people. Taking a firm step, the orchestra opened the grand finale of its first American tour with Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March. The voice of Željko Lučić, who joined the Belgrade Philharmonic by courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera, raised a storm of delight in the audience. The unity and closeness felt in his appearance with the Belgrade Philharmonic brought them back on the stage for encore, in which they performed the aria Eri tu from Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera.
“We will become aware of the success achieved in New York tonight only when some time has gone by. Carnegie Hall inspires awe in all musicians around the world and to see a packed hall in front of you is purely amazing. This is the crown of the orchestra’s years of commitment and I hope we will soon repeat this success”, said concertmaster Miroslav Pavlović.
His fellow musician, also a concertmaster, Tijana Milošević continues: “As a student at the Juilliard, I already played in Carnegie Hall, but this is the first appearance here with my own orchestra. I am proud that we have represented Serbia so successfully.”
Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 demonstrated the whole energy and grandeur of the Belgrade Philharmonic under the baton of Chief Conductor Muhai Tang. The music of Serbian composers Hristić and Binički, performed for encore, additionally enraptured the audience, who refused to let the orchestra off the stage with an applause that lasted several minutes. Eventually, the entire Carnegie Hall was on their feet as the Belgrade Philharmonic’s 96 musicians thankfully bowed to them.
Source: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra
