Tivat Music Festival
Tivat
THE DOLL CLINIC
Tivat Music Festival
2026
August 13
Donja Lastva
Partneri koncerta:
KLINIKA LUTAKA
Author Vida Matjan
Text and lyrics Jovan Aleksić
Arrangement Mladen Tarbuk
Stage adaption Dejan Đonović
Performers:
Chamber Ensemble of the Boka Symphony Orchestra
Andrea Živković, flute
Milena Rajković, violin
Lara Bubanja, clarinet
Milorad Balić, percussion
Jovanka Veljović, digital piano
Children / actors:
Bella Petković, Ema Đonović, Doris Franović, Jovana Radanović, Andrej Krivokapić, Katja Živković
Members of the Choir of the Vida Matjan Music School
Lucija Saulačić, Kiara Petrović, Ksenija Ilić, Danica Matanović, Đina Crepulja, Sofija Mačić, Nikol Petrović, Žana Milanović, Martin Gledić, Irina Matanović, Teodor Knežević, Nataša Vukašinović
Anđela Homen, conductor
ABOUT THE WORK
THE DOLL CLINIC
To return to the past in order to discover something interesting, valuable, and imaginative, and to present it to the eyes and ears of contemporary audiences, is a task that sooner or later reveals our time as one great circle. A circle through which, if we travel far enough into the past, we may ultimately arrive at a creative future. Yet it is the present in which we must live, together with all the sounds and noises we produce, which define our legacy. It is said that the only thing that resists time is sound, that everything spoken, played, or sung remains in infinity, indestructible. Musical life, as an aesthetic state of the soul, has always held a special place in Kotor, and the strongest proof of its continuity is the Vida Matjan Music School. This public institution, named after the distinguished conductor, music educator, and pedagogue Vida Matjan, continues its important mission of fostering awareness of musical culture and the performing arts. Through dedicated research into her legacy, the score of the children’s musical fairy tale The Doll Clinic, based on a text by Jovan Aleksić, was rediscovered. Vida Matjan composed the music and also created the choreography and stage direction for the work. In this small musical treasure, which we have chosen to stage again after more than sixty years, the orchestra, choir, and soloists (actors) bring to life a fairy tale about dolls. Today, one might ask: why dolls? Are they outdated, abandoned, have their time passed, replaced by modern, technologically superior toys? But is that truly so? When we bring them to life again, breathing into them memories, dreams, needs, and aspirations, do we not recognize ourselves in them? Our life… made of both joyful and sorrowful moments. For us adults, this fairy tale will likely evoke nostalgia and memories of our own childhood, while for children it offers a magical experience and the understanding that music and theater can nurture imagination, musicality, and play – our strongest allies against boredom and apathy. In this production, adults and children from all three primary music schools in Herceg Novi, Tivat, and Kotor perform together, creating a Boka tribute to Mrs. Vida Matjan, who devoted all her passion, love, and knowledge to this Mediterranean region, where every sound becomes music.
(DIRECTOR’S NOTE)
Umjetnici
Dejan Đonović is an actor, poet, and long-standing member of the ensemble of the Podgorica City Theater, where he has been performing since 1993. He graduated in Theater Production from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje. Over the course of his career, he has performed in more than 100 theater productions for both children and adults. He is also a respected film and television actor. His notable film credits include Pogled sa Ajfelovog tornja (View from the Eiffel Tower), Peščanik (The Hourglass), Igla ispod praga (The Needle Beneath the Threshold), and Živi i zdravi (Living and Well). His television work includes appearances in the series Mješoviti brak (Mixed Marriage), Budva na pjenu od mora (Budva on the Foam of the Sea), Božićni ustanak (The Christmas Uprising), and many others. A long-time collaborator of KotorArt and the Kotor Festival of Theater for Children, Đonović has also appeared in productions staged by the Zetski dom Royal Theater, Nikšić Theater, Herceg Novi Theater, the Tivat Cultural Center, and numerous other theaters throughout Montenegro. He also writes poetry and short dramatic works for children. He is the author of several poetry collections, including Rasprodaja snova (Sale of Dreams) and Srce mi je šareno (My Heart Is Colorful). Dejan Đonović is a recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the annual Vasilije Šćućkin Award of the Podgorica City Theater, the Trg od knjige Award, the Miloš Šami Award of Herceg Novi Theater, and the Prince of the Children’s Kingdom Award presented at the International Children’s Poetry Festival in Banja Luka. He has also received multiple awards for song lyrics and music at children’s music festivals such as Naša Radost in Podgorica and Zlatna Pahulja in Rožaje, as well as at other regional festivals. His lyrics have inspired more than 100 songs for children and young audiences, as well as numerous songs written for the theater.
Andrea Živković completed her primary and secondary music education at the Vida Matjan Music School in Kotor, studying with Professor Jasminka Terzić and Assistant Professor Žana Lekić. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade and earned her master’s degree from the Music Academy of the University of Montenegro in Cetinje under Professor Ljubiša Jovanović. A recipient of numerous prizes at national and international competitions, she has furthered her artistic development through masterclasses with distinguished European flautists, including Peter-Lukas Graf, Felix Renggli, Giovanni Mareggini, and János Bálint. She performs regularly with a variety of chamber ensembles and orchestras and is a member of the Talija Quartet and the Kotor City Music ensemble. Since 2008, Andrea Živković she has been a member of the teaching staff of the Vida Matjan Music School, where she currently serves as Head of the Wind Department. Her students have achieved notable success in competitions and concert performances. She is a co-founder of the Flute Art NGO, through whose projects numerous concerts and masterclasses with eminent artists have been realized. In 2025, she founded the Boka Symphony Orchestra with the aim of fostering and promoting orchestral music in the Bay of Kotor.
Milena Rajković is one of the leading Montenegrin violinists of her generation. She began her musical education in Kotor and completed her undergraduate studies at the Music Academy in Cetinje under Professor Roman Simović, before earning her master’s degree under the guidance of Professor Vujadin Krivokapić. Since 2007, she has been a member of the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, where she has built a distinguished orchestral career. As a chamber musician, she performs with the Allegria String Quartet, with which she has appeared in numerous concerts in Montenegro and abroad. In the Boka Symphony Orchestra, she serves as Principal Second Violin. Along with her performing career, she is also active as a teacher at the Vasa Pavić School of Music and Ballet.
Lara Bubanja is a Montenegrin clarinetist, performer, and educator. She began her musical education in Tivat under Professor Goran Turkalj and continued her studies in Austria at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, where she graduated under Professor Wolfgang Klinser. She subsequently earned her master’s degree at the Music Academy of the University of Montenegro in Cetinje under Professor Petar Garić. Lara Bubanja is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions in both solo clarinet and chamber music. As a soloist and member of various chamber ensembles and orchestras, she has performed throughout Montenegro and the wider region, appearing in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, Rijeka, Graz, Vienna, and many other cities. She has collaborated with the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, the Tivat Music Festival Orchestra, the Guitar Art Festival Orchestra, the Montenegro Festival Orchestra, and the Camerata Herceg Novi Chamber Orchestra. She is a co-founder of the Boka Symphony Orchestra. She has furthered her professional development through masterclasses with distinguished pedagogues from around the world. Lara Bubanja is a long-standing member and participant in the projects of the Boka Kotorska Ars Praesentia NGO, as well as a guest member with the amateur wind ensembles, such as Tivat Music and Educational Society and Kotor City Music. She teaches clarinet and saxophone at music schools in Herceg Novi and Kotor.
Milorad Balić completed his undergraduate and master’s studies at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, Department of Percussion, under Professor Srđan Palačković. He is the first formally trained classical percussionist from Montenegro. He is a recipient of the prestigious Yamaha Music Europe Foundation scholarship for the 2022/2023 academic year, as well as a scholarship from the Fund for Young Talents (2023/2024). He has performed at numerous festivals, including the Belgrade River Fest, BEMUS, NOMUS, Mittelfest, the International Rostrum of Composers, the Operosa Montenegro Opera Festival, the KOMA Festival, and others. He is a member of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, where he holds the position of orchestral percussionist. Milorad Balić has gained extensive orchestral experience through collaborations with leading ensembles such as the RTS Symphony Orchestra, the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, the Boka Symphony Orchestra, and others. He has worked with distinguished conductors including Gabriel Feltz, Daniel Raiskin, John Axelrod, Felix Mildenberger, and Marko Korović. He has shared the stage with renowned performers and soloists such as Anna Netrebko, Fazil Say, Ivo Pogorelich, Ksenija Sidorova, and Andreï Korobeinikov, among others.
Jovanka Veljović is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, producer, educator, and cultural organizer. She graduated and completed her master’s studies at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade under Professor Svetislav Božić. She also graduated from the Faculty of Management at Adriatic University, majoring in Finance, Accounting, and Banking, where she is currently pursuing postgraduate studies. Her professional activity includes studio work, recording and sound production, musical performance, and composition across various genres. Her works have been performed at numerous festivals and cultural events in Montenegro and abroad. As an author, Jovanka Veljović has participated in projects of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU), the Europa Nostra pan-European organization, and other related institutions. She is one of the founders of the Camerata Herceg Novi ensemble and serves as Executive Producer of the Boka Symphony Orchestra. Jovanka Veljović previously served as Director of the Primary Music School in Herceg Novi (2019–2021), where she initiated and implemented a number of innovative projects. She currently works at the same school as a piano and theory teacher. She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for her artistic and pedagogical work. Since 2016, Jovanka Veljović has served as Business Secretary of the Herceg Novi branch of Matica Crnogorska.
Anđela Homen, conductor, completed her primary and secondary music education at the Vida Matjan Primary and Secondary Music School in Kotor. She earned her undergraduate degree in General Music Pedagogy at the Music Academy in Cetinje, where she also specialized in Choral Conducting under Professor Radovan Papović. During her studies and throughout her professional career, she has actively participated in various musical projects, most notably theopera Balkanska Carica (2008), the children’s musical Svoj Djeci Što Muziku Vole, Vrata su Otvorena od Muzičke Škole (2016), the symphonic fairy tale Peter and the Wolf (2019), and the musical Bokeška Priča (2024), among others. Since 2010, Anđela Homen has beenemployed at the Music School in Tivat, where she works as a teacherof theoretical subjects and as a Choir Conductor. She is an activemember of the Bellezza female vocal group in Tivat and leads the church choir of St. Tryphon in Kotor.
Useful information
Time
8.30 p.m.
Location
Donja Lastva
Tivat Music Festival
TMF was formed with the mission to contribute to the branding of Tivat as a Montenegrin port of music, through the realization of a wide range of quality music and opera programs.
