At the end of September, Belgrade will once again become the capital of the saxophone. The twelfth International Saxophone Festival in Serbia – Belgrade Saxperience – will be held from 25 to 27 September, bringing together renowned artists from Serbia and abroad, and offering audiences and musicians a unique experience through concerts, masterclasses and workshops.
The festival is distinctive in that it is dedicated to an instrument that, in jazz, is synonymous with freedom and improvisation, while in classical and contemporary music it brings new expressiveness and emotion. The audience will have the opportunity to discover all the colours and possibilities of the saxophone through various programmes – from classical compositions to avant-garde sound experiments.
Over the three days of the festival, five concerts will take place at prestigious Belgrade venues – the Atrium of the National Museum, the Balkan Cinema and the Belgrade Cultural Centre – featuring leading artists and ensembles.
Milan Savić, saxophonist and festival director, said of this year’s edition: “Over these twelve years, Belgrade Saxperience has become more than a festival – it is a place where audiences discover new horizons of sound, and young musicians gain valuable experiences and contacts. The saxophone is an instrument at the crossroads of different musical worlds – from classical, through jazz, to contemporary music – and it is precisely this diversity that gives it the power to connect people of different generations and tastes. Maintaining the continuity of the festival for twelve years has been a great challenge, but thanks to that energy and the audience’s response, we believe Belgrade deserves such a unique artistic event. For me, the greatest success is when I see how the saxophone can awaken both joy and nostalgia, and captivate both the youngest listeners and those who have spent their whole lives in music.”
A special segment of the festival is the Mini Saxperience concert, designed for children and future professional saxophonists. On the final day of the festival, Sunday 27 September at 11 a.m., the Saxophone Orchestra of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (mdw) will perform on the plateau in front of the Belgrade Cultural Centre. Children will have the chance to get to know the instrument, ask young musicians questions and discover the magic of the saxophone’s sound.
The festival is supported by the Cervantes Institute, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Austrian Cultural Forum, Selmer and JLV.
(Nedeljnik, 17.09.2025)
https://www.nedeljnik.rs/12-medjunarodni-festival-saksofona-u-srbiji-belgrade-saxperience-od-25-do-27-septembra/