Cultural Element and the International Solo Singers Competition "Lazar Jovanović" presented a festive New Year's concert within the prestigious "Winners" edition. The concert was held with great success on December 28, 2023, in the packed Hall of the Central Military Club of Serbia in Belgrade. The star of the evening was the exceptional young artist, mezzo-soprano Lana Maletić, one of the winners of the "Lazar Jovanović" competition, who once again confirmed her rich talent and high artistic reach.
The concert was officially opened with a welcoming speech by Tadija Miletić, the director of the "Lazar Jovanović" competition, who reflected on the significance of this edition in promoting young opera talents. Accompanied by the virtuoso piano collaboration of Dragana Anđelić Bunjac, Lana Maletić performed a carefully selected and emotionally powerful repertoire consisting of masterpieces of French and Spanish vocal lyrics. The audience had the opportunity to enjoy arias from the operas "Samson and Delilah", "Carmen", and "Werther", as well as compositions by Carlos Guastavino.
The distinguished tenor Mladen Prodan performed as a special guest of the concert. His rendition of Werther's aria, as well as joint duets from "Carmen" and "Werther", brought special dramatic flair and rounded off this superb musical event. With this concert, the Cultural Element sent off the year in the most beautiful way, continuing the tradition of supporting laureates on their path to the world's great stages.