Skopje – Philharmonic, National Opera and Ballet, Museum of the Macedonian Struggle
Composers’ Associaton of Macedonia – SOCOM announces the 48th edition of Days of Macedonian Music Festival, which will take place from March 17 to April 24, 2025. The event will feature a diverse selection of works, premieres, and composers, selected by this year’s program curator, composer Filip Ivanov.
With its distinctive program concept, DMM offers an in-depth insight into current trends in Macedonian contemporary music, exploring new forms of musical expression and creation. This year, the festival will present both content and aesthetic diversity in both music creation and performance. Audiences will have the opportunity to experience the visions of Macedonian composers and the performances of renowned local and international artists and ensembles, who collectively contribute to shaping today’s contemporary music scene.
New works & premieres, focus on chamber music, celebrating three major composers’ anniversaries
The Days of Macedonian Music will again raise questions about the relationship between the local and the global, traditional and contemporary expression. This symbiosis will be presented through the selected works, as well as through international collaborations that place Macedonian contemporary music in a broader context.
Jeunesses Musicales Chamber Orchestra, photo: Ohrid Summer Festival
The program encompasses works from various creative periods in Macedonian contemporary music, by authors from different generations. In this way, the festival not only emphasizes the continuous development of contemporary Macedonian thought but also highlights its dynamism and ability to adapt to modern musical trends. Although the selected works vary in style and compositional approach, they all share a fundamental unity, reflecting the ongoing development and specificities of contemporary Macedonian musical creation.
Over the course of eleven concert evenings, works by more than 30 Macedonian composers will be presented. Eightensembles and over 30 soloists will perform, and within the festival, three major composer anniversaries will be commemorated.
This year’s program is marked by the celebration of significant anniversaries of prominent Macedonian composers – Vlastimir Nikolovski (100 years since his birth), Stefan Gajdov (120 years since his birth), and Kiril Makedonski (100 years since his birth), authors who played key roles in the formation of modern Macedonian musical expression:
- Vlastimir Nikolovski (1925–2001) – composer of monumental symphonic and vocal-instrumental works, deeply rooted in national musical identity.
- Stefan Gajdov (1905–1992) – pioneer of Macedonian choral music, whose compositions laid the foundation for the Macedonian musical language.
- Kiril Makedonski (1925–1984) – author of the first Macedonian opera Goce, who made a significant contribution to the development of vocal-instrumental music.
According to the words of the festival’s curator, composer Filip Ivanov: “The Days of Macedonian Music 2025 remains true to its mission – to promote Macedonian musical creativity and position it within the contemporary European context.
Performers and ensembles, tnternational collaborations
The audience will have the opportunity to experience performances by top soloists, choral, and orchestral ensembles from Macedonia and abroad, who will explore the musical structure and expression of the works of Macedonian composers, adding new sound dimensions and context. Among the ensembles and artists featured this year are: the Chamber Orchestra of the Music Youth of Macedonia, conducted by Angel Spiroski; the Ataqa String Quartet; the Ayga String Orchestra, performing under the baton of Elena Mitrevska; the Macedonian Philharmonic with Maestro Borjan Canev; the PHILHARMONIC5 wind quintet; the wind quartet of the “Consonance” ensemble; as well as international guests – the Slovenian Percussion Ensemble Murska and Astnide Piano Trio from Germany. In the spirit of tradition, the festival stage will also be offered to the youngest composers and music students.
The “Days of Macedonian Music” festival continues to nurture its successful collaboration with domestic and international cultural institutions. This year, the festival is organized in partnership with the Philharmonic, the National Opera and Ballet, the Faculty of Music Arts in Skopje, and the Balkan Music Forum.
The festival is under the patronage of the President of the Republic and financially supported by the Ministry of Culture.
The graphic design for the 48th Days of Macedonian Music was created by artist Vladimir Lukash.