A String Fest 2026, a festival dedicated to classical music and string instruments, was held in Banja Luka from September 4 to 6, bringing together more than 30 artists over three days.
Programs were held at three venues – the Banski Dvor Cultural Centre, Milanović House, and the Museum of Republika Srpska – offering audiences of different generations an opportunity to enjoy concerts as well as participate in educational and artistic activities.
The festival concluded with a performance by the No Borders Orchestra, which combined contemporary and classical music with video projections and an on-stage performance. The closing concert also marked the premiere of the “Lovers Tour” project, with which the No Borders Orchestra is beginning its regional and European tour from Banja Luka.
The festival also featured violinists Nikola Pančić and Sonja Vojvodić, violists Dejan Mlađenović and Đorđe Milovanović, cellists Mladen Miloradović and Jeremias Fliedl, and pianist Sonja Bobrek Savić.
Other performers included the Norway-based duo of Almir Mešković and Daniel Lazar, as well as Belgrade’s Resonus Ensemble featuring artists Mirjana Nešković and Jelena Dimitrijević.
The educational program included three masterclasses, workshops, and an artist talk, giving young musicians and students an opportunity to work directly with professional artists and learn new playing methods and techniques.
As part of an open studio, a violin maker demonstrated the process of restoring string instruments to interested visitors.
A special part of the festival was dedicated to its youngest audience. Children enjoyed a concert for babies performed by students of the Academy of Arts, while a matinée concert was held at the Museum of Republika Srpska before a large audience.
The Resonus Ensemble performed works by contemporary composers, including the premiere of a composition by Dražan Kosorić, professor at the Academy of Arts of the University of East Sarajevo.
This year’s A String Fest once again combined concert performances with educational programs, aiming to bring string music closer to audiences of different generations while creating a space for collaboration and exchange between local and international artists.
Source: RTRS
