A Spectacular Concert in the University Campus

The annual concert of the University of Banja Luka titled "Gift to the Republic of Srpska", held on 17 June 2024, which was attended by thousands of people, marked the end of classes in the academic year 2023-2024 and World Music Day.

Rector of the University of Banja Luka Prof. Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, stated that the annual concert by which the University marked the end of the academic year should be included in the calendar of cultural events of the Republic of Srpska and Banja Luka.

"In this way, we wanted to show that the University is capable of organizing complex projects such as this one and that the University Campus is the place where such cultural eventse should be organized", Gajanin said to the audience at the event organized on the plateau in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in the University Campus.

He pointed out that by this concert the University wanted to put focus on local artists from the Academy of Arts of the University of Banja Luka, who gained knowledge at the Academy.

"We want our students to see that, in addition to the formal education they get at the different faculties of the University of Banja Luka, they can also participate in various cultural and sports events," Gajanin said.

"This is a wonderful evening of music dedicated to the Republic of Srpska. Everyone, including the academic community, is very devoted to the Republic of Srpska, and this concert demonstrates it in the best possible way", President of the Republic of Srpska, who attended this extraordinary event, said.

Dodik pointed out that the University of Banja Luka fulfills its important social and academic role.

He emphasized that by creating good conditions for studying and raising awareness of the importance of the University, everyone contributes to strengthening trust in education, knowledge and institutions.

"I want to congratulate Rector Radoslav Gajanin and his team who are dedicated to maintaining the authority of the University," Dodik said.

Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska Asst. Prof. Željko Budimir, PhD, agrees that this concert should become a tradition.

Budimir said that there is no better way to end the academic year than with a concert.

"Through the music of the symphony orchestra, we will show the students what harmony is in these challenging times, and how important balance is - both artistic and spiritual. In these difficult times, students need to see what is beautiful too, which they can see in art," Budimir told journalists in Banja Luka before the concert began.

Dean of the Academy of Arts Prof. Dragana Purković Macan, PhD, assessed the academic year 2023-2024 as successful, with a record number of students enrolled. Next year she expects that number to be even higher.

"In honour of all students and our academic community, we dared, together with the Rectorate, to organize such an important concert. It is a great honour for us to present 80 musicians", Macan told journalists ahead of the Banja Luka University's annual concert titled "Gift to the Republic of Srpska".

Conductor Prof. Branka Radošević Mitrović, MA, said that the concert programme was specifically chosen and that a spectacle, unusual in this area, was organized to mark the end of the academic year.

The concert, which featured around 80 performers, was attended by the President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik, Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education Željko Budimir, Rector of the University of Banja Luka Radoslav Gajanin, representatives of the academic community, as well as numerous citizens.

Musicians from the Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Arts of the University of Banja Luka and the Symphony Orchestra of the Serbian National Theatre from Novi Sad performed music from domestic and foreign films, alike.

A special surprise was the joint performance of the symphony orchestra with the famous DJ Mladen Tomić from Banja Luka, who has an international career. The concert, which was held on the plateau of the Faculty of Philosophy in the University Campus, was conducted by Branka Radošević Mitrović, Dušan V. Urošević and Mikica Jevtić. The audience also had the opportunity to enjoy the appearance of the soloists Prof. Dunja Simić, MA, and Ivana Milinčić, the sopranos Mladen Prodan, tenor, and Lidija Paulin on cello, and solo Sonja Vojvodić on violin.

The Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Srpska is the general sponsor of the concert.

PHOTO: University of Banja Luka