"DAM" returns with a jubilee that unites youth, experimentation and musical dialogue

For 19 years it was a stage for promoting young artists and even world-class virtuosos, becoming part of the creation of the country's artistic identity. Last year, the 20th edition was not held. This year, the Festival returns with three concerts. "DAM" is distinguished for its curation of the program and spaces. This year's edition seems to be the same, although quite shortened. The program unites the pillars on which the festival was founded: youth, experimentation and musical dialogue between tradition and innovation.

Since its establishment, the international music festival "DAM" has given many musical colors to the capital. It has been a stage for the promotion of young artists and even world virtuosos, becoming part of the creation of the country's artistic identity. Last year, the 20th edition was not held. This year, the Festival returns with three concerts. DAM is distinguished for the curation of the program and spaces. This year's edition seems to be the same, although quite shortened. 

On the 21st of this month, the concert "Be Embrace" will be given at "Adem Jashari" Square by the Western Balkan Youth Orchestra under the direction of Desar Sulejmani. Then, on August 28, at the "Barabar" center, "PARTITURAZERO" comes as a special performance by Elena Boillat that brings together "Voice and Body" while on September 18, in the lobby of the National Library of Kosovo, "VOX PER TEMPORA" brings together countertenor Toshiyuki Muramatsu and Masaaki Saito on piano. In 2024, when it was the 19th edition, a change was announced. It was announced that the festival would not continue in its previous format. And now with three concerts, the situation has changed. 

"'DAM' is coming back because there were people who pushed us and encouraged us to continue this tradition. With the help of some friends of the festival, we considered it would be good to continue, although not in the usual 'DAM' format. In the 20th anniversary edition, the festival comes with three concerts and each of them represents an important dimension of the mission that DAM has had during these 20 years", said the founder of the festival, Dardan Selimaj. According to him, such a return is not simply a return to what they have done before, but also a step towards the future.

"As I have emphasized in past editions, 'DAM' will continue to seek ways to adapt to new circumstances, which are very different from those when the festival began its journey 20 years ago," said Selimaj.

Ever since the opening concert of the last edition – when the virtuoso cellist Aurélienne Brauner performed – Selimaj had announced that “DAM” had its days numbered. Among other things, he had also mentioned the infrastructure for musical evenings. Even in the last concert of that edition, that of pianist Tempei Nakamura, Selimaj had said that “DAM” would be reimagined. 

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"A festival that brings together musicians and different programs, as has happened in recent years, we believe needs to change because the Pristina scene now has a busy season, both institutionally and with other festivals," Selimaj said. At the time, he stated that Pristina has several festivals and that at one time these festivals created the city's concert season, but now the situation has changed.

"The city's concert season is not only carried by festivals, but also by independent artists who organize their own concerts, which were once small in number, but are now very present," he said. He added that it is also better for them as organizers to rethink the format to be more valuable for the colors that we can give to the capital. This year, regarding the number of concerts, only three, Selimaj said that they have the opportunity. 

"But this year is special because 'DAM' marks its 20th anniversary and we wanted these three concerts to not just be a festive program, but to summarize some of the fundamental ideas on which the festival has been built over these two decades. The opening concert, with the participation of the 'Western Balkans Youth Orchestra', conducted by Desar Sulejmani, returns to one of the fundamental beliefs of 'DAM': young people should not only be the audience of the future, but the protagonists of the present", he said. According to him, giving young people a podium means investing in a culture that understands music not only as a heritage, but also as an opportunity. He said that the second concert opens up another essential dimension of 'DAM': experimentation and freedom of expression. 

"Throughout its history, the festival has sought spaces where artistic language can escape conventions, where curiosity can be more important than certainty, and where music can become a space for questioning. This approach will be brought by the multidimensional artist Elena Boillat with her project 'Partiturazero'. The final concert unites the past with the present through the voice of a countertenor, placing an ancient vocal tradition in dialogue with today's music. It is a meeting between eras, a reminder that the history of music is not a museum, but a living continuity, where the old can take on new meanings," said Selimaj. According to him, these three concerts are different in their language and approach, but they are united by one idea: young people, experimentation, and dialogue between tradition and the new have always been part of "DAM". 

Regarding the future of the festival, he said that “DAM” was born out of a lack of access in the world. In this case, he added that today, “DAM” enters its third decade in a world overloaded with access.

"This change requires a new imagination. As for the funds, I also said it in the 19th edition, in 2024: 'DAM' is facing a change in the way of supporting the independent scene, at a time when the festival leaders were included in the Kosovo Opera Initiation Council. For this reason, we have not sought support from public funds in Kosovo, and this has made it difficult to organize the festival. However, we are happy that this year we have found other opportunities and have managed to bring them together to realize an edition that is very significant for us," he said.

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He added that "DAM" was first presented to the public on April 20, 2006, and, 20 years later, they considered it necessary to mark this anniversary, even if symbolically.

"Therefore, if there is to be a 21st edition, I do not want it to be simply a repetition of what we have done so far. As 'DAM' begins its third decade, it must review and reimagine itself in the context of the world that exists today, while remaining true to that searching energy that created it 20 years ago," said Selimaj, currently also acting director of the Kosovo Philharmonic.