Under the impression of a community in Europe that is drifting apart and threatened by populism and war, the Biennale Zagreb and the Neue Vocalsolisten invite six composers from the six states of the former Yugoslavia to deal with the effects of the Balkan wars, which have left a lasting mark on the societies of their home countries to this day, in the context of artistic work.

BALKAN AFFAIRS is therefore also and above all a compositional exploration of vocal music by six composers working mostly with electronic music. The intensive composition process was accompanied by several individual work stays of the participating composers with the Neue Vocalsolisten in Stuttgart.

Hanan Hadžajlić: Requiem Ex Machina

for six amplified voices (2022/23)

Jug Marković: NULA Music

for six voices (2022)

Ana Pandevska: Electroacoustic mantra From Ex YU to EU

for soprano, mezzo soprano and fixed media (2023)

Nina Perović: Penetrations III

for six vocals and electronics (2022/23)

Petra Strahovnik: SCREAdoM

for five voices, sound installation and electronics (2023)

Helena Skljarov: The Blue Giraffe

for five voices, electronics, and video (2023)

https://www.mdjstuttgart.de/en/projekt/balkan-affairs/