Artistic lieder, Ljubiša Jovanović

The Academic Cultural Artistic Society “Lola”, founded in 1944, is one of the most famous and celebrated societies in the country and worldwide. It has gained its glory by its folkloric, choral and theater sections. In 2010, within the Academic Society, the ensemble “Lola Classic” was constituted.

“Lola Classic” consists of four different musical formations made of the young artists coming from the Belgrade high schools and the Faculty of Music. All the ensembles rehearse and work in a beautiful hall in Resavska Street in Belgrade. “Lola” is the first academic society that, in addition to standard sections, has opened wide the doors to classical music. “Lola Classic” already has more than 70 members.

The String Chamber Ensemble has a classical formation of about 15 members, mostly pupils from the secondary music schools and university students. Their repertoire consists of classical works by Mozart, Corelli, Bach, Vivaldi, but also a lot of attention is paid to the artistic creations of Serbian composers.

The Flute Ensemble is one of the attractive non-standard artistic bands, getting every day more attention worldwide.  In our musical environment it relies on the tradition built by the Flute Choir, from the eighties of the last century. 

It is composed mainly of the student of the Faculty of Music, but they are joined by the most talented young flutists from the secondary music schools. Their repertoire consists of transcriptions of the great works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart and contemporary literature written specifically for this ensemble. A special attraction is the opportunity to play some sections on the piccolo, alto and bass flutes.

The Clarinet Orchestra was founded thanks to the extraordinary involvement of Ljubisa Jovanovic, professor of clarinet in the Music School "Lisinski" in Belgrade. “Lola Classic” has enthusiastically accepted this very attractive ensemble, with a special sound that the modern listener feels comfortable with, into the Lola’s family. Made of pupils and students, it also possesses both the tonal warmth and depth of the bass clarinet, and as for the repertoire it relies mostly on the literature of the twentieth century.

The Lola Classic Brass Ensemble started working in 2015, performing in a variety of formations, from classical ensemble to the trumpet sextet. The initiator and the foremost contributor to the brass ensemble is Nikola Mijajlović, professor of trumpet in the Music School "Vučković" as well as the soloist of the orchestras “Camerata Serbica” and the Serbian Radio Television Symphony Orchestra.

The Artistic Director and Head of “Lola Classic” is Ljubisa Jovanovic, a prominent flutist and professor at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, the holder of numerous public recognitions, among them of the April Award of the City of Belgrade as well as St. Sava Award, the highest recognition for a significant contribution to education and pedagogical work in the Republic of Serbia.

Their first season of 2010/11, the “Lola Classic” ensembles began in the Sava Center, Belgrade City Hall, Kolarac People’s University, as well as by organizing the humanitarian concerts for providing help to Kraljevo after this city was hit by the earthquake.

The “Lola Classic” ensembles have performed several times in the TV show “On Sunday Evening”, in the New Year's Concert at Sava Center, Gallery of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts as well as in special programs for young musicians. The high quality of the ensembles was confirmed in the exceptional concerts held within the 44th BEMUS festival, in the packed hall of Kolarac and the evening concert commemorating the 32nd Anniversary of the Drugstore of Serious Music. The ensembles have made notable artistic achievements in the whole evening concerts in the National Theater of Sombor and the Theatre "Sterija" in Vrsac.

All the fees intended for the ensemble go to a special fund of the Academic Cultural Artistic Society “Lola”, for a purchase of the non-standard instruments missing (or not being available enough) in Belgrade (bass flute, alto and piccolo flute, bass and E-flat clarinet, contra bass ...).

The constitution and activities of the ensemble “Lola Classic” have a special impact on raising awareness for the beauty and the importance of artistic music, as well as for affirmation of the youth creativity. In such a way we are fully getting involved into the world trend of popularization of musical culture and setting the standards of good taste in music.