 Restoring cultural heritage
As war engulfed former Yugoslavia, many musicians fled
Bosnia. An age-old inter-cultural heritage was nearly
destroyed. In 2005, the Sarajevo Music Academy called
on Musicians without Borders to help renew that heritage
by supporting wind music education throughout Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Musicians without Borders responded.
MwB and NBE
In partnership with the world-renowned Netherlands Blazers
Ensemble (NBE), MwB organized
a program of master classes, coaching and performances,
culminating in joint student-NBE concerts during Sarajevo’s
summer festival, Bašcaršijske Noci. MwB’s
Sarajevo office and NBE soloists Irma Kort (oboe) and
Willem van Merwijk (saxophone) spearheaded the project,
which included academies and secondary music schools in
five cities.
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Gran Partita in Bosnia
In July, 2006, the entire NBE traveled to Bosnia to perform
in Sarajevo’s historic and partially restored old
library. Offerings included their celebrated interpretation
of Mozart’s Gran Partita and a spectacular “family
concert’” featuring nearly half of the 25
students who had participated in the master classes during
the year.
Cooperation with Music Academies
In 2007, the project saw more coaching, recitals, and
master classes. In addition, MwB arranged a unique cooperation
between the Music Academies of Sarajevo and Banja Luka
in opening a new “joint” oboe department,
training the first professional oboists in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Winds of Change
The collaboration with the NBE in these workshops gave
birth to the Winds of Change, the first interethnic winds
ensemble in southeast Europe. Read
more >
 More
information: Laura Hassler, l.hassler@musicianswithoutborders.nl
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