Siparantum Choir wins three awards at international festival in Montenegro

The Siparantum Choir from Kosovo achieved significant success at the 11th International Choral Festival in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, winning three awards. The choir secured first place in the mixed choirs category (C2) with 97 points, competing against ensembles from Montenegro and Serbia.

In addition to the category win, the choir received the Special Prize for Contemporary Performance. Conductor Memli Kelmendi was honored with the Most Promising Conductor award.

The festival also saw controversy when a choir from Belgrade, ‘Sveti Joakim i Ana’, faced criticism for performing a song with Serbian nationalist content regarding Kosovo. Festival director Nagja Karaxhiq noted that while participants were requested to avoid provocative nationalist content, she did not personally approve the artistic program.