Twenty Years of the Lazar jovanović International Opera Competition

To mark the great and significant milestone — twenty years since the establishment of the "Lazar Jovanović" International Solo Singers Competition — Cultural Element organized a festive New Year's business cocktail. This exceptional evening took place in the beautiful and unique atmosphere of the boat "de Vinča" near the Belgrade confluence (Ušće), symbolically linking fine art and the two-decade-long tradition of the competition with the scenic rivers that define our capital city.

The festive cocktail gathered a large number of important and distinguished guests, including prominent artists, members of the expert jury who shaped the standards of the competition throughout the years, as well as many business partners, sponsors, and loyal friends of the Cultural Element whose work and support made the continuous development of this key vocal platform possible.

"This jubilee is not just a celebration of twenty years of existence, but a testament to the legacy we built, thousands of performed arias, and the birth of new opera stars who are conquering the world today."

In the formal, ceremonial part of the program, Tadija Miletić, the President of the Competition and founder of the Cultural Element, addressed the guests in an inspiring speech. He looked back at the historical development of the competition, emphasizing its status as one of the largest and most influential opera events in this part of Europe.

An outstanding musical performance by mezzo-soprano Martina Koljenšić, one of the prominent winners of the previous editions of the competition, followed as a special artistic gift for all attendees. Her powerful and refined operatic voice fit perfectly into the elegance of the event, bringing the pure emotion of fine operatic art onto the waves of the Danube and Sava.

For twenty years, the "Lazar Jovanović" Competition has represented a secure step and the most important promotional springboard for opera singers on their path to major international stages, and this jubilee once again confirmed the strong bond between art, friendship, and a shared vision for the future.