VaClaF 2023: Back to the Roots!

VaClaF: Vareš Classic Festival 2023: “Back to the Roots!”

Festival | Academy | Residencies | On Tour

13.-19.10.2023 in Vareš and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina

30.10. & 22.12.2023 the best of programmes in Vienna, Austria

The 11th VaClaF: Vareš Classic Festival 2023 returns to its roots, to its original edition of chamber music / chamber music, literally also with the theme "Back to the Roots". After 10 years of intense growth, and 14 Miholj Concerts, the 11th edition of the festival brings new, as well as all-loved programmes, and a new phase of artistic development, in new locations and with new collaborations and partnerships. Along with the Festival in Vareš, VaClaF opens, renews, and expands the Academy's programme in working with young artists, starts the interdisciplinary programme of artist residencies "Star Trek" in collaboration with the internationally successful artist Belma Bešlić Gàl, who is also this year's resident composer/composer, and On Tour programme, which this year brings the selected repertoire to Zenica (BNP), Sarajevo (Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tuzla (International Portrait Gallery) and Mostar (Pavarotti Center - MixArt Festival). The Viennese quartet CIPRA, born within the WISE: Wien - International Soloists Ensemble under the direction of Andrea Nikolić, is named after Emil Milo Cipra, a resident of Vares, and at the same time has its roots in the Latin ciprus, cipra, ciprum = good, and is the festival's resident ensemble, Performing at the 5 Festival concerts. The special guest at the first two concerts is the great soprano Vedrana Šimić, professor at the Sarajevo Music Academy, internationally renowned, and especially loved in Vareš. The celebrated and versatile BiH guitarist Boško Jović will present his original compositions in a new project with Andrea Nikolić and the brilliant young accordionist Azmir Halilović - a special guest of the penultimate concert. The oboist Ivana Nikolić, active in the field of contemporary music in the famous Viennese ensemble Klangforum Wien, brings us interpretations of contemporary works this year at 5 concerts of the Festival, and the great accordionist Belma Šarančić is a guest of the VaClaF tour at three concerts, in the creation of which she participated as an irreplaceable partner.

The finale of this year's festival belongs to the documentary film about the Festival itself, "The Music I Call Home", filmed in 2018 and produced by BHRT (national Television of BiH), which after the television premiere is finally coming to the Festival, thus closing the circle of all these years of tireless work. A closing musical treat will be provided by pianist Stipe Bilić and Andrea Nikolić - this time on the viola with works of Shostakovich, Enescu, Tudor, Rachmaninov and more.

Two fantastic “the best of” programmes with the CIPRA Quartet, Ivana Nikolić, Belma Bešlić - Gal, Stipe Bilić, Boško Jović, Andrea Nikolić, and guests Nataša Mirković and Borut Zagoranski will be presented in Vienna on the 30th of October (Ehrbar Saal) and 22nd of December (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum). The VaClaF visual was painted and digitised by Hessamedin Fan according to the original template of Davorka Terzić, and the VaClaF souvenirs were prepared by wonderful artists from the Association "Izvorno Vareško" - Marina Marošević, Lara Brđanović and Davorka Terzić.

We look forward to sharing the wonderful art with you all!Welcome to the 11th Vareš Classic Festival!