From the Chief Conductor’s Perspective: A Preface to the Concert Season “Titans—Classical Power Reimagined: Prometheus”
Dear Audience,
When Prometheus, one of the most prominent Titans in Greek mythology, stole fire from Olympus and gave it to humankind, he enabled people to create, shape materials, develop crafts, and build civilization. In later interpretations of the myth, fire thus became a metaphor for reason, art, science, inspiration, and the creative impulse. Prometheus’s gift to humanity was not merely a means of survival, but the spark of human progress.
Particularly compelling is the dual nature of this flame. Fire both creates and destroys, illuminates and consumes. It grants humanity immense power, while also confronting us with the responsibility of how to wield it. The Promethean flame can therefore also represent the eternal human aspiration to transcend existing boundaries—even when doing so comes at a price. In art, and especially in music, this symbolism is particularly rich: the Promethean flame can be understood as a creative spark passed from one era to the next, changing its form without losing its power. Tradition, then, is not something static that we preserve, but a “fire” that we receive, transform, and pass on.
For centuries, the Promethean flame has reminded us that true creativity begins the moment we cast aside inertia and dare to embrace inner transformation. Under the sign of this mysterious and untamable force, we enter the new Titans season, guided by the theme: “Classical Power in Contemporary Expression: Prometheus.” Its light illuminates our entire journey—from the primal flame of Stravinsky’s The Firebird to the hypnotic fire and catharsis of Wagner’s “Magic Fire” from Act III of Die Walküre, which brings our sonic odyssey to a close.
The symphony orchestra is therefore not only a guardian of musical heritage, but also, in this context, a space for its continual re-examination and renewal through contemporary creative practice. This meeting of tradition and the present underpins one of the season’s programming pillars—the series “Return to the Roots: Contemporary Symphonic Music by Serbian Composers,” through which audiences in Novi Sad will have the opportunity to hear, for the first time, works by contemporary composers who have already gained international recognition. The series features music by Aleksandra Vrebalov, Veljko Nenadić, Jelena Dabić, Đuro Živković, and Nebojša Živković—composers with distinct artistic voices and creative paths, whose works have been performed and honoured internationally. By presenting their music on the domestic concert stage, we seek to reconnect contemporary creativity with its roots and demonstrate that the symphonic tradition lives on and evolves through new artistic ideas.
This desire to bring worlds together also has a deeply personal dimension. After many years of conducting across Europe and around the world, my return represents a conscious decision to weave the experience, knowledge, and interpretative maturity I have gained into the fabric of my own culture. I share a common aspiration with our composers: to bring achievements of international stature to audiences at home and demonstrate that contemporary Serbian music is an equal, authentic, creative, and potentially leading voice on the global stage.
We place these contemporary sonic visions in dialogue with carefully selected works from the classical repertoire: the lyricism, energy, and inner intensity of Schumann’s Second Symphony; the dark, intoxicating narrative of Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony; the sculptural solidity of Sibelius’s Seventh; the epic drama and liberation of Beethoven’s Fifth; and the unbridled philosophical sweep of Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra—may its famous sunrise symbolise the transformative power and inspiration this season brings to our loyal listeners!
I invite you to step with us into these realms of sound. Allow the music to surprise you and remind you that the most vibrant flame is always the one we carry within.
Welcome to the new season of the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra!
Aleksandar Marković
Chief-conductor of Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra
