GRBIĆ: NATIONAL THEATRE PROUDLY CARRIES THE ROLE OF CULTURAL DIPLOMAT

BUDAPEST, SEPTEMBER 5 /SRNA/ – The National Theatre of Republika Srpska proudly carries the role of cultural diplomat, and participation in the event “Serbian Days – Month of Serbian Culture in Hungary” represents a great honor and responsibility, as well as an opportunity to affirm Serbian culture and art in an international framework, said the director of the National Theatre, Dijana Grbić, in a statement to SRNA.

Grbić emphasized that the performance and participation of the String Orchestra of the National Theatre of Srpska at the event, which was ceremonially opened last night in Budapest, creates new opportunities for cooperation and exchange of experiences. “The most important thing is that we build lasting cultural ties. The National Theatre of Republika Srpska proudly carries the role of cultural diplomat,” Grbić stated. She thanked the organizer, the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Buda, for the invitation and assessed that events such as “Serbian Days – Month of Serbian Culture in Hungary” are the foundation of cultural diplomacy. According to her, after a successful presentation in Tatarstan, where artists from Srpska performed the play “Švabica”, the promotion of artistic creativity continues in the heart of Europe in a very short timeframe. “The String Orchestra of the National Theatre of Republika Srpska, together with distinguished soloists Dejan Trkulja and Teodor Ikanović, successfully conveyed the spirit of our artistic music to the Hungarian audience,” Grbić stressed. Grbić said that the National Theatre enjoys fundamental support from the President of Republika Srpska. “We are glad that he has recognized the National Theatre as an institution that can adequately and with quality represent Republika Srpska on the international cultural scene,” said Grbić. Conductor and artistic director of the Symphony Orchestra of the National Theatre of Srpska, Dušan Vere Urošević, told SRNA that the event on Serbian days in Hungary represents an opportunity for the newly established orchestra to present itself in Budapest. “After our performance at the Tivat Music Festival in June, this is the second extremely important international engagement in which the selected string orchestra presented the works of Serbian composers from the mid-19th century up to the present day,” Urošević noted. He explained that the concert program of the String Orchestra included works by Vlado Milošević, Svetislav Božić, and Aleksandar Sedlar. Also performing with the String Orchestra were soloists Dejan Trkulja on clarinet and Teodor Ikanović on violin. “A particular joy of this guest appearance is the fact that the Serbian national minority living in Hungary wishes to hear the artistic music of Serbian composers during this manifestation. At the suggestion of the hosts, the artistic team of the National Theatre of Republika Srpska selected the pieces ‘Bosnian Suite’, ‘On Young Sunday’, and ‘Serbian Fantasy’,” Urošević added. He expressed gratitude to composer Aleksandar Sedlar, who made available the sheet music of the composition for the needs of the performance at “Serbian Days” in Hungary, as well as for the opportunity to perform “Serbian Fantasy” for string orchestra and solo violin. The goal of the manifestation, the opening of which was attended by high-ranking Hungarian officials, as well as officials from Serbia and Republika Srpska, is to present, preserve, and develop Serbian culture in Hungary and enrich the cultural scene in general. The event will last until September 24. The main organizer of the manifestation is the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Buda, and the patrons are the Office of the President of Republika Srpska and the Ministry of Culture of Serbia.