Ensemble Renaissance - History

History

The Renaissance Ensemble from Belgrade began its life in the autumn of 1968, when they played early music scores on historical instruments that Dragan Mlađenovic-Shakespeare had brought from Prague and Vienna. The founders of the Ensemble, Miomir Ristić, Ljubomir Dimitrijević and Dragan Mlađenovic (supported by two ladies Dušica Obradović and Iskra Uzelac) gave their first concert on January 14, 1970 in the Gallery of Frescoes in Belgrade. On November 4, 1971 in the hall of newly established Students Cultural Centre (SKC), the ensemble organized a concert of medieval and Renaissance court music. For the next ten years ensemble will attract numerous audience to the baroque hall of this institution, especially younger people. The ensemble began its numerous and important tours outside Belgrade and Serbia in 1975, with visits to Zagreb, Zadar (“Musical Evenings in St. Donatus”) and Dubrovnik. Critics reviewed every performance of the ensemble. By 1979 Renaissance had performed in all major cities of ex-Yugoslavia; the ensemble began its numerous tours abroad. That year they performed in Helsinki and in Provence. On 26 April 1979, on the occasion of its tenth anniversary, the ensemble organized a big concert at the Atrium of the National Museum in Belgrade. During their highly eventful international career, Renaissance organized concerts all over Europe, Middle East and North Africa. In its forty year long history the Renaissance Ensemble gave more than 3,000 concerts all around Europe (6 in France, 7 in Spain, Portugal, Finland, 6 in Italy, Cyprus, Greece, 3 in Bulgaria, 4 in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Sweden), Syria and Algeria). Many splendid commentaries of music critics witness the artistic success of the Renaissance Ensemble.