Accordion duo Accoladies, featuring Danijela Gazdić Kljajić and Azra Halitović, captivated audiences with an outstanding concert at the East Novo Sarajevo Cultural Center, performing against the beautiful backdrop of the photography exhibition “Sacred Sites of Saint Petersburg.”
The two musicians delivered an impressive performance, demonstrating the accordion’s remarkable versatility, emotional depth and rich musical expression.
Danijela Gazdić Kljajić, a prominent accordion professor at the Music Academy of the University of East Sarajevo, described the instrument as her lifelong passion and greatest artistic inspiration.
“For me, the accordion is a great love, an endless source of inspiration, a challenge and something through which I truly express myself,” she said.
“I cannot imagine myself pursuing any other profession. My life is dedicated to creating music through the sounds of the accordion and to teaching,” Gazdić Kljajić explained.
Accoladies: A musical partnership between professor and former student
Explaining the name of the duo, Gazdić Kljajić said that “Acco” refers to the accordion, while “ladies” represents the two female performers.
She expressed gratitude to Cultural Center Director Nikolina Pandurević for providing the opportunity to perform before their home audience.
“We are extremely grateful to Director Nikolina Pandurević for allowing us to present ourselves to our local audience,” she said.
“This is a great responsibility for us because Azra was a student here, and this is a university town. I live here, my family is here, and my roots are here,” she added.
Gazdić Kljajić emphasized that performing before fellow professors, students and other knowledgeable music enthusiasts brings both excitement and responsibility.
Despite her extensive experience, she acknowledged that stage nervousness remains a natural part of every performance.
“Music is always connected with emotions. Emotions inevitably stir something within us, including psychologically, but that nervousness transforms into positive energy,” she explained.
“Everyone experiences stage fright because performing carries a certain responsibility,” she added.
Shared musical sensibility creates a unique artistic partnership
The partnership between Gazdić Kljajić and Halitović developed through their academic relationship at the Music Academy.
Halitović studied under Gazdić Kljajić from her first year and continued her education through master’s studies.
Over time, the two musicians discovered that they shared a similar artistic sensibility and approach to interpreting music.
“We decided to explore a form of collaboration and realized that we shared the same musical sensibility,” Gazdić Kljajić explained.
“Azra studied with me but also brought something uniquely her own. Our shared experience and understanding of music naturally led us to establish the duo,” she said.
According to Gazdić Kljajić, their concerts offer an opportunity to connect directly with audiences and present the accordion in a different artistic light.
“Concerts are our direct encounter with the audience, a place where we create emotions and demonstrate the accordion’s extraordinary range of musical expression and richness of sound,” she emphasized.
She also noted that interest in studying the accordion remains strong among students at the Music Academy of the University of East Sarajevo.
Standing ovation atmosphere for an unforgettable performance
The hour-long concert by the professor and her former student was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The Cultural Center was filled to capacity, with visitors searching for additional seats as professors, students and music lovers gathered to enjoy the performance.
Through their musical interpretation, Danijela and Azra once again demonstrated that the accordion is an instrument capable of expressing a remarkable variety of emotions, tonal colors and artistic ideas.
Their performance offered audiences a fresh perspective on an instrument deeply rooted in the region’s musical traditions.
The concert also marked the successful conclusion of October’s cultural program at the East Novo Sarajevo Cultural Center, with organizers looking forward to another active month of cultural events in November.
Source: Glas Srpske
