Serbian Radio-television Orchestra

rts_orchestra

Symphonic Orchestra of Serbian Radio-television , founded seven decades ago, is one of the pillars of music life of Belgrade and Serbia. Focusing primarily on their core activity, which is performing and recording music for the needs of radio and TV broadcasting, this ensemble continuously performs in many concerts in the country and abroad. Their distinguishing feature is carefully planned repertoire with serious attention given to programmes. First of the two most distinctive features of these programmes is performing of the fundamental pieces of music for orchestra from the whole world, both classical and contemporary, as well as major oratorios performed in cooperation with the inseparable part of the ensemble - Mixed Choir of RTS.

Second most distinctive feature is a continuous care dedicated to including major works of domestic music heritage, and the contemporary Serbian composers into their repertoire. The ensemble of RTS has strived to accomplish this exceptional mission throughout their extensive period of work, unyielding to the pressure of the so-called "popular taste", which does not always accept new sound or contemporary language. Therefore, numerous concerts of this orchestra, including those within tours abroad and festivals in former Yugoslavia (Dubrovačke letnje igre, Zagrebački bijenale, Opatijska tribina, Bemus, Mokranjčevi dani etc.) have given invaluable contribution to promoting their own culture.

Symphonic Orchestra of Radio-televizija Srbije was founded in 1937, and its first conductors and founders were Dr Vojislav Vučković and Mihajlo Vukdragović. The string of conductors who made great achievements with the Orchestra includes: Igor Markevich, Zubin Mehta, Eleazar Carvalho, Efrem Kurz, Charles Dutois, Friedrich Zaun, Lorin Maazel, Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Fedosejev, Oskar Danon, Miki Teodorakis, Alexander Apolin, Milen Nachev... Naturally, cooperation with chief-conductors of the Orchestra has been extremely successful, especially with Mladen Jagušt, Vančo Čavdarski and Bojan Suđić.

Prominent artists from the whole world performed as soloists with the Simphonic Orhestra of RTS, and the list includes: Henryk Szering, Chriszian Ferras, Uto Ughi, Valerij Klimov, Ilya Grubert, Igor Oystrach, Sreten Krstić, Jovan Kolundžija, Andre Navara, Antonio Janigro, Mario Brunello, Ksenija Janković, Kirill Rodin, Hermann Baumann, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Kendall Taylor, Nikolai Orlogv, Filip Antrmon, Aldo Ciccolini, Ivo Pogorelić, Eliso Virsaladze, Aleksandar Madžar, Nataša Veljković, Jasminka Stančul, Monserat Caballe, Zinka Kunc, Galina Vishnevska, Melanija Bugarinović, Biserka Cvejić, Ljiljana Molnar-Talajić, Ruža Pospiš-Baldani, Aleksandra Ivanović and others.

Symphonic Orchestra of Radio-televizija Srbije successfully performed in concert tours in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Romania, Morocco, all followed by most favourable reviews. The Orchestra has made a vast number of studio recordings, many of which have been issued on records and CDs by PGP RTS.