From the beginning, the actors and actresses of Serbian National Theatre have been cultural missioners who contributed significantly to cultural identity and awareness of our nation. A considerable number of grand actors have emerged from this theatre which in its early years was often on tours, actors such as Dimitrije Ruzic, Draga Spasic, Laza Telecki, Misa Dimitrijevic, Ilija Stanojevic, Dimitrije Spasic, Jefta Dusanovic, and amongst them one extroordinary man, a magician who could perform everything on the stage, the greatest artist among the Serbian actors – Pera Dobrinovic. In 1981 when the building of Serbian National Theatre was erected, the Statute of Pera Dobrinovic (done by a sculptor Milanka Mandic) was placed in front of it. That was the first monument erected in the former Yugoslav Republic to honour an actor.
After the visiting performance in Belgrade in 1868, Mihailo Obrenovic III, Prince of Serbia, was astonished by actors from Novi Sad and he invited Jovan Djordjevic to found a permanent theatre in Serbia. Accepting this invitation as a challenge and honour at the same time, the management took a half of Theatre Company with them, and seven years after the establishment of Serbian National Theatre, another theatre, People’s Theatre aroused in Belgrade.
In the period after WWII, the Drama Stage of Serbian National Theatre maintained its pre-war glory. The most prominent actors of that period were: Petar Petkovic, Stanoje Dusanovic, Petar Vrtipraski, Vitomir Ljubicic, Sinisa Ravasi, Ljubica Ravasi, Stevan Salajic, Ivan Hajtl, Miodrag Loncar, Tihomir Pleskonjic, Mira Banjac, Milica Radkovic, Velimir Zivotic, Rade Kojadinovic, Zaida Krimsamhalov, Dobrila Sokica, Jelica Bjeli, and Stevan Gardinovacki.
To this very day, the Drama Stage has been place where magnificent actors perform the plays written by the greatest classical and modern, foreign and domestic authors.
The quality and good reputation of Serbian National Theatre have been acquired through an immense contribution of excellent actors who have played and still play in it. An inerasable mark has been left by directors: Jurij Rakitin, Jovan Konjovic, Borivoje Hanauska, Radoslav Vesnic, Jovan Putnik, Dimitrije Djurkovic, Josip Kulundzic, Dejan Mijac, Nikola Petrovic, Dusan Jovanovic, Ljubomir Draskic, Zelimir Oreskovic, Voja Soldatovic, Ljubisa Ristic, Stevo Zigon, Vida Ognjenovic, Branko Plesa, Egon Savin, Ljuboslav Majera, Radoslav Milenkovic, Kokan Maldenovic, Darijan Mihajlovic, Zanko Tomic, Predrag Strbac etc. A considerable contribution has been made by stage designers as well: Milanka Serbana, Stevan Maksimovic, Vladimir Marenic, Djordje Tabakovic, Vladislav Lalicki, Mileta Leskovac, Miodrag Tabacki, Geroslav Zaric, Boris Maksimovic, Dalibor Tobdzic; furthermore, costume designers: Sonja Serban, Stana Jatic, Dora Dusanovic, Bozana Jovanovic, Ljiljana Dragovic, Branka Petrovic, Anamarija Mihajlovic, Milanka Berberovic, Jasna Petrovic Badnjarevic, Mirjana Stojanovic Mauric, Bojana Nikitovic, Marina Sremac; composers: Dusan Stular, Zoran Hristic, Vojislav Kostic, Gabor Lendjel, Stevan Divjakovic, Ksenija Zecevic, Predrag Pedja Vranesevic, Bata Nonin; choreographers: Marina Olenjina, Georgij Makedonski, Ika Otrina, Krsta Kuzmanovski, Mirjana Popovic, Branko Marinković, Boris Tonin, Vera Kostic, Lidija Pilipenko, Vladimir Logunov, Krunislav Simic, Nada Kokotovic, Olivera Kovacevic Crnjanski, Milan Lazica, as well as the authors of scene performances: Ivan Klemenc, Ferid Karajic etc.
Wishing to add to the affirmation of young talented playwrights and enrich theatre production in our country, Serbian National Theatre has initiated Project 3 in 2004. It is imagined as a festival of modern Serbian drama written by the authors whose plays have not yet been put on in the professional domestic theatres.
The Opera House. Since its establishment in 1861, Serbian National Theatre has had on its repertory the plays that contained singing and dancing. Starting with the simple forms, such as operettas at the end of 19th century, it has managed to reach the most complex one – the opera. Even during the first decade, music represented an important component of the plays. The theatre always had its bandmaster (a conductor), a choir consisting mainly of the actors, and a small theatre orchestra. The first bandmaster was Adolf Litka. The first genuine contribution to Novi Sad music scene was made by young, talented Aksentije Maksimovic, who composed the music for 17 plays. The first operetta – Sorceress written and directed by Velja Miljkovic, and composed by A. Pihert was put on stage in 1891 (as a visiting play in the Town of Bela Crkva). The first operas in our City were played in 1897: Beautiful Galatea by Franc Supa and John’s Wedding Guests by Viktor Masa, both directed by Pera Dobrinovic and conducted by A. Pihter. The most prominent soloists back then were: Sultana Cijukova, Draga Spasic, and Zarko Savic, our first, internationally-recognized soloist. After WWI, Serbian National Theatre continued with putting on stage operettas and operas. Deserving individuals of that time were: Kosta Lukovic, Hinko Marzinec and Petar Konjovic. Due to lack of financial support and incomes, the opera was taken from the repertory in 1924, and soon afterwards in 1926 the operetta as well.
The permanent opera was established in 1947. The first conductor and director was Vojislav Ilic. The birth of Opera House as an institution was linked to the premier performance of Verdi’s Traviata, on November 16th 1947. Traviata is the opera that has been performed most times up to this day. Owing to the fact that at its premier, the Choir and Orchestra were joined together for the first time as a part of opera, that day was taken as a day of birth of the Opera House. The first conductor and art director was Vojislav Ilic. Deserving soloists of that time were: Zdenka Nikolic, Mirjana Vrcevic Buta, Matija Skenderovic, Olga Bruci, Rudolf Nemet, Anica Cepe, and later on: Franc Puhar, Dimitri Marinovski, Sime Mardesic, Aranka Hercan Bodric, Adela Marusevic, Franja Knebl, Dusan Baltic, Vladan Cvejic, Irena Davosir Matanovic, Svetozar Drakulic, Vojislav Kuculovic, Jelena Jecmenica, Vera Berdovic, Vera Kovac Vitkai. Many distinguished conductors have worked in the Opera House of Serbian National Theatre such as: Vojislav Ilic, Lazar Buta, Predrag Milosevic, Milan Asic, Dusan Babic, Dusan Miladinovic, Davorin Zupanic, Gaetano Chila (Italy), Marijan Fajdiga, Imre Toplak, Vladimir Topolkovic, Mladen Jagust, Eugen Gvozdanovic, Viktor Safranek, Miodrag Janoski, Angel Surev, Jon Janku (Romania), Juraj Ferik, Ljubisa Lazarevic, Bojan Sudjic, Dusan Mihajlovic, Vesna Souc Pantelic, Vesna Kesic Krsmanovic, Renato Palumbo (Italy), Manlio Benci (Italy), Janez Govednik, Marko Pache (Italy), Zeljka Milanovic. The Theater Company of the Opera has had exquisite soloists, singers and musicians who have performed international and national operas, operettas, musicals, choir music. At the same time it has managed to maintain a rich orchestra production.
Awards. Apart from numerous domestic awards and recognitions there are three extraordinary prestigious international awards that should be emphasized: The Federal Republic of Austria Award for the performance of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Mozart’s Requiem in 1956 on the occasion of 200th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, the Iraqi Ministry of Culture Award for the performance of Gilgamesh by R. Bruchi in 1987 at 1st International Festival in Babylon, the Russian Ministry of Culture Award, a silver medal “Pushkin” for a successful marking of the poet’s birthday during which they managed to put on stage Eugene Onegin by Pushkin, and Aleko by Rachmaninov for the first time in the former Yugoslavia in 1999. Especially flattering recognition was presented to Serbian National Theatre from opera and music critics of Yugoslavia in 2001, a Verdi Year, for an exceptional interpretation of Verdi’s Macbeth (conducted by Mladen Jagust, directed by Darijan Mihajlovic). It won the title of the best opera of the previous decade.
The Orchestra. In September 1945 Serbian National Theatre (Vojvodina National Theatre back then) hired Zora Dusanovic, a violinist and Lajos Kesegi, an oboist, and thus set the foundation for the Orchestra. With new members, who joined them in the following years, the first, genuine Orchestra was established, together with the Opera in 1945, at the premier performance of Verdi’s Traviata on November 16th 1947. Due to lack of good musicians, their work, especially during the first decade, was closely connected to the work of other professional theatre companies and institutions in the city, such as: Novi Sad Philharmonic Orchestra, various orchestras of Novi Sad Radio, Novi Sad Chamber Orchestra, Music School “Isidor Bajic”, and later on Music Academy. Serbian National Theatre Orchestra has had individual performances during the visits of the Opera in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Germany, Russia, Egypt and Iraq. In its long history the Orchestra has played around 210 operas and 120 ballet premiers, 60 operettas and musicals and more than 110 concerts. Orchestra’s concert-masters are young Ukrainian violinist Sergej Shapovalov and Aleksandra Krcmar.
The Choir. The Choir of Serbian National Theatre has been known for its highly artistic quality and has always been perceived as one of the best choirs in our country. Due to rich choir tradition in Novi Sad, Vojvodina National Theatre (contemporary Serbian National Theatre) did not have any difficulties in contracting the most talented singers during its renovation after WWII. Since it had its premiere at the performance of Traviata on November 16th 1947, that date was taken as the date of its birth. From the beginning, the Choir, together with the Orchestra, was considered as one of the pillars of the Opera of Serbian National Theatre. Its structure was established by the first conductor of Opera, Professor Vojislav Ilic, a connoisseur of choir singing. Even his successors and accompanists contributed to the development and progress of its artistic level, such as Milutin Ruzic, Ladislav Perldik, Vladimir Topolkovic, Mira Gligic, Ljiljana Krdzalic, Angelina Stefanovic, Viktor Safranek, Berislav Skenderovic, Boris Cernogubov, Eugen Gvozdanovic, Juraj Ferik, Vesna Kesic Krsmanovic and Natalija Mihajlovna Arefjeva. Occasionally, some members of Theatre Company took the responsibility of becoming conductors in operas, such as Katica Filep Ferenci, Djordje Moldovanovic and Cedomir Milusic. Perfoming independently as soloists in various music genres, TV and radio shows in different languages, the members of Choir have gained valuable experience and thus contributed to the quality of its work. The need to perform the vocal and instrumental pieces from all epochs, from Polyphony of 16th century, through the Baroque to Modern Age, was fulfilled in 1980 with the establishment of Vojvodina Music Centre Choir. Its founder and conductor was Juraj Ferik. The Choir was active till 1989.