Novi Sad will bear the prestigious title of the European Capital of Culture in 2022, together with Kaunas (Lithuania) and Esch (Luxembourg). At the same time, Serbian Athens is the first of the three cities where the opening ceremony of the title year that will be marked by the unique art celebration in Europe, Doček, at more than 40 locations in Novi Sad.
The Novi Sad European Capital of Culture proclamation ceremony will be held in the oldest Serbian Theatre, the Serbian National Theatre, while visitors will have a chance to watch the ceremony exclusively on TV, which will be broadcast on the second channel of the Radio Television of Serbia and the first channel of the Radio Television of Vojvodina at 6 p.m., as well as via official websites of Doček and the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation.
The programme attended by numerous dignitaries from all over Europe, representatives of former, present and future capitals of culture, ambassadors from around the world, foreign journalists, authorities, and numerous Novi Sad’s guests, will feature the tradition of Novi Sad and Vojvodina in the light of European values that intertwine the whole programme of Novi Sad as the European Capital of Culture through eight thematic programme arches, i.e. units.
Visitors can expect a music and dance spectacle with eminent representatives of the Novi Sad and Vojvodina cultural scene on stage, including Ballet and Opera of the Serbian National Theatre, Aradáčske Meškárke, percussion ensemble ‘dRumble’, tamburitza orchestra ‘Velor’, Aleksandar Bahun (piano), Todor Ursu (cimbalom) and many others.
The event is directed by Aleksandar Nikolić, music is composed by the Novi Sad instrumentalist and musician Boris Kovač, and the programme will be moderated by the actors of the Serbian National Theatre, Jovana Balašević and Vasa Stajkić.
After the ceremony in the Serbian National Theatre, the great opening ceremony play, a multimedia spectacle Zeniteum :: 2022 will be held at 20:22 (8:22 p.m.). Visitors will have a chance to watch the broadcast of the opening ceremony on the second channel of the Radio Television of Serbia and the first channel of the Radio Television of Vojvodina, and on the official websites of Doček and the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation.
The extraordinary exhibition ‘Time and the Cosmos’ will mark the opening ceremony in the hall of Studio M at 6 p.m., as well as exhibitions, concerts and performances at several locations across the city.
The citizens of Novi Sad will have an opportunity to hear some of the world-famous performers who will perform for the first time in Novi Sad on 13 January. Among them is one of the most famous fado singers in the world, Carminho from Portugal, a winner of the Golden Globe Award for the best performer, whose first album went platinum. We will also have a chance to listen to the music by the most famous French cover band ‘Nouvelle Vague’ with their world-famous covers of music hits, as well as Chrysta Bell, an American singer-songwriter, the ‘Twin Peaks’ star and David Lynch’s muse, who brings her dreamy pop hits, and a renowned Finnish musician, Jimi Tenor. The famous English drum and bass band ‘Rudimental DJ’, and ‘Morcheeba’, an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s, also coming from England, will perform.
One of the best clarinettists in the world, Andreas Ottensamer, will perform in the Congress Hall of the City Hall, together with the Novi Sad chamber orchestra Camerata Novi Sad, conducted by Darko Butorac.
On the other hand, the Novi Sad audience will have a chance to hear well-known local and regional performers such as Josipa Lisac, one the most distinguished performers of the Yugoslav and Croatian scene, Damir Urban, the famous singer-songwriter in the region, Matija Dedić, a jazz pianist and composer, Van Gogh, Bojana Vunturišević, Srbski pravoslavni pojci, etc. In addition to the handful of music events, the two small-scale music projects dedicated to children will be organised as well – The Čardak Neither in Heaven nor on Earth, organised by the ‘Visoko C’ association and Soundbeam, organised by the Elementary and Secondary Boarding School ‘Milan Petrović’.
Photo: Vladimir Veličković