GETTING IN CONTACT WITH CETINJE: Ljiljana Nestorovska and Dragana Jovanović, Faculty of Music

Ljiljana Nestorovska
Dragana Jovanović
University of Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Music

Erasmus+ Mobility for Training at:

University of Montenegro, Academy of Music

The cooperation and friendship between the Faculty of Music University of Arts in Belgrade and the Music Academy University of Montenegro date back to 1980, from the establishing of the first higher education institution of this type in Montenegro. Montenegrin Music Academy had a good starting position thanks to the former staff of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, who worked with great enthusiasm on setting grounds to the future Monteregian music professionals – as the current management of the Cetinje Academy emphasis. However, in the last ten years, that traditional cooperation has faded almost to the complete disappearance due to various circumstances, so the re-establishment of professional and friendly relations between our two institutions was assessed as a very important step and positive initiative. Since our two countries are tied with close cultures and common language, it was concluded that the interest in closer cooperation between our university institutions is inevitable and natural and that it should be supported in the teaching process but in a broader sense as well – joint participation and dissemination of music and art in general. Therefore, this visit was organized as a strategic one, in order to gather all relevant information for further joint actions ideas and development of new capacities.

Numerous diverse activities were accomplished during this mobility:
– Reached agreement on the continuation of the mobility program and agreed proposals for the exchange of teaching staff discussed with professor Bojan Martinović MA, Dean of the Music Academy in Cetinje, and associate professor Tatjana Krkeljić, Vice Dean for International Cooperation
– FoM management strongly supported the initiative of the Montenegrin Music Academy management to re-establish the Composition Study Program and generously offered all assistance available. It was pointed out that young Montenegrin composers Nina Perović and Aleksandar Perunović, who recently finished doctoral studies at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, could play a significant role in this endeavor.
– FoM initiated stronger development of the already existing Montenegrin scientific symposium SIMPED. Future actions would include forming a joint organizational and program committee. Additionally, a new scientific journal in the field of music pedagogy is to be launched. The online meeting with professor Gordana Karan, PhD, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade and assistant professor Vedrana Markovic, PhD one of the founders of SIMPED, was organized on this occasion aiming to a better understanding this important issue.
– Composition for piano and electronics by FoM professor Svetlana Savić is agreed to be performed at the upcoming FortePiano festival organized by the Music Academy in Cetinje
– Meeting with professor Vladimir Bozović, PhD, Rector of the University of Montenegro, professor Sanja Peković, PhD, Vice Dean for Internationalization and professor Irena Orović, PhD, Vice Rector for Research and Science at the Rectorate. All the discussed proposals were assessed as very useful and possible for implementation. The next step would be signing the Cooperation Agreement between the two universities
https://www.ucg.ac.me/objava/blog/10/objava/129432-intenziviranje-saradnje-muzickih-akademija-u-crnoj-gori-i-srbiji
– During our mobility we attended the meeting with Ms. Dobrila Popović, Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Montenegro, Ms. Dobrila Vlahović, Coordinator for music at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Montenegro, prof. Bojan Martinović, Dean of Music Academy and prof. Tatjana Krkeljić, Vice Dean for International Cooperation. At this successful meeting we got reassurance in the wholehearted support of the Ministry for all further aspects of cooperation with Montenegrin artists
– The FoM management, on two occasions, visited the Montenegrin Music Centre, at their renovated premises with a new Great Hall and Chamber Hall. In a meeting with Ms. Isidora Damjanović, director of the MCCG, we agreed the concerts of FoM professors within the upcoming season. During the second meeting with Ms. Sara Vujosević Jovanović, coordinator of the MC educational program, we discussed the possibilities of involving our professors in the pedagogical and educational aspects of center’s activities. Moreover, we had the pleasure to attend the concert of students with the program carefully prepared for the youngest listeners https://www.ucg.ac.me/objava/blog/1238/objava/129805-studenti-muzicke-akademije-u-multimedijalnom-projektu-karneval-zivotinja
– Visit of the Montenegrin National Theatre in Podgorica when we had the opportunity to hear Italian and Montenegrin musicians who participated in the project Autumn concert supported by the Italian Embassy in Montenegro.
– Successful meeting with composer Žarko Mirković, alumni of the Music Academy in Cetinje, a long-term associate and friend of many Serbian ensembles and soloists
– During our stay in Montenegro, we visited the Music School in Kotor at the invitation of Mihajlo Lazarević, school director, with the aim of supporting his initiative to open the Harp Department. On this occasion, prof. Nestorovska provided all the relevant information and offered unreserved assistance in all phases of the development and implementation of this plan.
– The mobility ended with a short working meeting with prof. Ratimir Martinović, executive and artistic director of the KotorArt festival when the concert of the Collegium Musicum Academic Choir, FoM residential students’ ensemble was agreed.

This fruitful and eventful mobility is a first step in laying firm foundations for future successful cooperation between Serbian and Montenegrin universities and music academies. Well-known Montenegrin hospitality and generosity, alongside traditionally delicious cuisine and beautiful nature made this mobility more productive and effective.