Skopje to host ‘BALKAN AFFAIRS’ musical project

Skopje will host ‘BALKAN AFFAIRS – The fragile art of living together’ on October 11 at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle. This international project, presented by the German ensemble Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, features seven composers from the seven successor states of the former Yugoslavia.

Through contemporary music, the project explores collective memory, the consequences of war, and the challenges of coexistence. The compositions utilize a mix of human vocals, electronics, video, sound installations, and traditional musical elements to address themes such as nationalism, ethnic and religious divisions, hyperinflation, and European integration.

Specific works include ‘SCREAdoM’ by Petra Strahovnik, which addresses the trauma of women victims of wartime sexual violence, and ‘The Blue Giraffe’ by Helena Skljarov, which examines hatred and discrimination through a dark fairytale lens.