Guitar Days
in Podgorica

Dr. Srđan Bulatović, the initiator and founder of the “Guitar Days in Podgorica” festival, is the first formally educated guitarist in Montenegro, holding both a master’s and a doctoral degree in classical guitar. After completing his studies in Belgrade in 1994, he returned to his hometown of Podgorica, where he established the guitar department at the secondary music school “Vasa Pavić.” This department has since produced a large number of young guitarists, creating the need for a guitar program at the Music Academy in Cetinje—a department whose opening Srđan initiated and where he would work for over a decade.

Today, the “Vasa Pavić” music school in Podgorica boasts nine guitar classes with around 150 students. Interest in guitar continues to grow, with the majority of children applying to the school eager to learn guitar. The “Guitar Days in Podgorica” festival plays a significant role in promoting Montenegrin guitarists.

The festival also has an educational component, including master workshops and lectures by guitar luthiers on wood selection and instrument building, aimed at guitar students from Podgorica and other cities in Montenegro. One of the festival’s goals is to revive new venues for guitar concerts, such as the city library hall “Radoslav Ljumović,” an ideal space for cultural events of this nature. Recognizing the importance of Srđan’s decades-long work as a pedagogue and concert artist, the Secretariat for Culture and Sports in Podgorica has supported the realization of this project.

The “Guitar Days in Podgorica” festival is a professional event that gathers guitarists of all genres and levels, from primary and secondary school students to professors and concert performers. The main aim of the project is the exchange of knowledge, practice, and experience, as well as introducing domestic and international trends in contemporary guitar pedagogy and performance, providing an essential complement to formal education.

Educational Segment:

The festival includes professional lectures and workshops that address various topics, such as learning concert programs and preparing for public performances. These sessions will also explore opportunities for young talents to perform concerts across Europe and present themselves as artists according to European standards. In addition to classical music topics, the workshops will cover other musical genres.

Concert Segment:

Evening concerts will feature a diverse repertoire, including not only classical music but also genres like jazz, world music, and ethno music. These performances, given by various ensembles, will showcase how the guitar transcends classical music. This broader scope will help inform young students, who are primarily educated in classical music, about other genres that lack formal education opportunities. Expanding the concert repertoire will also provide a strong foundation for broadening the festival’s educational offerings and eventually incorporating lecturers from different musical fields.

Furthermore, by exposing a wider audience to classical and other artistic music, the festival aims to elevate the quality of life through the appreciation and consumption of the arts.