Selected participants of the project “Cultural Intertwining: Strengthening of MNE-US Ties”

Six artists from Montenegro and the United States have been selected to participate in the KotorArt project Cultural Intertwining: Strengthening Montenegrin-American Ties, implemented in cooperation with the Don Branko Sbutega Foundation, the Santa Barbara (California) - Kotor Sister City Committee, and the University of California in Santa Barbara, with the support of the U. S. Embassy in Montenegro.

The selected artists from Montenegro are composer Slobodanka Bobana Dabović Đurić and violinists Milena Petković and Milutin Radulović. From the United States, the participants chosen to take part in this project are composer Dariush Derakhshani, violinist Karis Lee and violoncellist Ivan Law.

During this year, young musicians from Montenegro and the USA will have the opportunity to collaborate intensively, exchanging knowledge and experiences. Under the mentorship of chamber music professors, they will jointly prepare an interesting program, including new pieces commissioned within the scope of the project. The project envisions composing four works for a string quartet – two commissions inspired by Montenegrin and United States heritage, and two classical arrangements of klapa songs and jazz standards. The finale of the project, whose realization is planned for the summer of 2022, includes the presentation of new compositions, composers, and performers at concerts in Montenegro and the United States.

The project entitled Cultural Intertwining: Strengthening MNE-US Ties is supported by the U. S. Embassy in Montenegro, and through its implementation the KotorArt International Festival continues to support and encourage young and talented artists, nurturing chamber music and commissioning new compositions, thus contributing to the creation and promotion of cultural heritag