25th International Festival “The Days of Organ – Dies organorum”: RÉBECCA by C. FRANCK

Opening of the 25th edition of the Festival is the occasion to listen little known and magnificent work by Cesar Franck, Rébecca – Scéne Biblique, this time performed by a children’s choir and soloists accompanied by an organ. Franck’s music pictures the oasis in which a scene from the Old Testament takes place – still today, music represents light and an oasis – salvation on the horizon, and a brief respite from a desert sun and wind of everyday life.

Choir of the Children’s Cultural Centre of Belgrade
Nevena Ivanović, conductor
Lana Jelenković, organ

Program:
Jehan Alain (1911–1940)
Litanies

César Franck (1822–1890)
Rébecca – Scéne Biblique
for soloists, chorus and organ
Introduction et Choeur: Sous l’ombre fraîche despalmiers
Air et Choeur: Encore un jour qui fuit!, Récitative
Choeur des Chameliers: Nous marchions avant que l’aurore. Eut chasse la nuit
Air et Scène: O Seigneur Dieu, qui protèges mon maitre
Duo: Seigneur, vous paraissez avoir fait longue route
Final: Dieu loin de nous tu vas partir; Choeur Général: En toi, mon Dieu, notre âme se confie

Biographies:
Lana Jelenković (1981) graduated and obtained her master’s degree in organ performing at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. She completed her postgraduate studies in organ at the Faculty of Music in Würzburg, with Christoph Bossert. She graduated historical keyboard instruments at the same Faculty and received her master’s degree in harpsichord with Glen Wilson. She completed the International Master Studies of Organ Expert at the Faculty of Music in Trossingen and at the University of Tor Vergata in Rome. These expert studies included professional courses in the construction, restoration, and reconstruction of organ, and her master thesis included the preparation of technical documentation for the famous organ at the Hall of Dom sindikata in Belgrade. She has been regularly participating at festivals Days of organ and Ars Vivendi Clavicembalum in Belgrade, as a performer and associate. Lana frequently performs in Serbia and Europe as an organist, harpsichordist, and accompanist.
She is active in the field of organ restoration and reconstruction, and is engaged as an expert collaborator in the creation of the online database Organs in Serbia. She performs as an accompanist, organist, harpsichordist and continuo performer with various orchestras, choirs and ensembles. She plays the historical instruments clavichord and piano, and is also dedicated to performing contemporary music. She is a permanent member of the baroque ensemble Tempera Barocca. In 2024, she participated in the project and concert Mixtures of Time, which includes organ, accordion, electronics and video installations, organized by the Cultural Complex, which was supported by the Hartefact Foundation. She has been collaborating with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra for many years, playing organ, harpsichord, piano and celesta. She is employed as an accompanist for classical and contemporary ballet at the Lujo Davičo Ballet School in Belgrade. She has been collaborating with the Belgrade Children’s Cultural Center Choir since this year. At the Fedeho Children’s Choir Festival, she won the Best Accompanist Award, and after that she toured with this choir at the Heart of Chorus International Festival and Competition in Shanghai.

The Choir of the Children’s Cultural Center Belgrade gathers talented preschoolers and school children who demonstrate exceptional ability in singing, as well as creativity and love for music. This choir is characterized by good vocal technique, clean intonation, harmonious tone, but above all by musical sensitivity of the young performers. The choir’s repertoire is versatile, including many different musical genres, starting from children’s songs, soundtracks, classical music, folklore and traditional tunes, expanding to spiritual music, both by local and foreign authors.
In addition to numerous performances in different types of events and concerts, some of which are: Joy of Europe Festival; the Phoenix Boys Choir Concert guests; Easter and Christmas Concerts in Saint Sava Temple; Belgrade Children’s Fairs; Open Heart Street; Saint Sava Academy, FEDEHO National Festival of children’s choirs; Choirs among frescoes; Cirilo i Metodije Festival; Sound of Moscow Festival in Moscow, Russia; Magutnы Boža in Mogilev, Belarus; Youth Choir Festival, Nerpelt, Belgium; performing in France and Hungary, as well as guests in various TV shows.
The CCCB Choir published it’s first audio CD titled “Songs from around the world” in 2013, second CD „How to listen Mokranjac“ was published in 2015 and third CD „Musicals“ in 2017.
The choir is known for its acoustic concerts in famous halls throughout Belgrade, and on important holidays it sings at liturgies in the Temple of the Protection of the Virgin Mary. Since 2020, the members of this choir have been part of the official ensemble of the National Theater, and regularly sing in the operas, as well as in the ballet Nutcracker. The choir is conducted by its founder, Master of Music Nevena Ivanović.

Nevena Ivanović graduated from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, in the class of Prof. Darinka Matić-Marović, Department of Conducting. She also received her master’s degree from the same professor. She attended courses with notable conductors, such as Lutz Köhler, Gennady Dmitryak and Uroš Lajovic. During her studies, she was a member of the choir of the Faculty of Music, the Collegium Musicum, with which she performed all over the world. She worked as a lecturer and conductor at the Vatroslav Lisinski Music School (with whose children’s choir she won two special awards at national competitions), then as conductor of the Cantantes choir (with whom she performed at concerts in Italy, and at festivals in Fano, Pescara and St. Petersburg), and as conductor of the RTS Kolibri Children’s Choir (2007–2011). She is the coordinator and music editor of the Fedeho National Festival of Children’s Choirs, organized by the Children’s Cultural Center Belgrade. She has been the conductor of the Children’s Cultural Center Belgrade choir since 2011. Today, she also conducts the choir of the Church of the Intercession of the Theotokos, with whom she performs regularly at church services and also gives concerts. She is the winner of the award for best conductor of the Republican Festival of Children’s Choirs Fedeho (2012, 2023). She has been a member of the expert jury at many festivals and competitions, such as the Festival of Music for Children of the Rasinsky District and the Competition of Children’s Choirs and Solo Songs Russian Song. She has held master classes in Russia, Austria and Switzerland.

The concert is supported by: