XXIV BELGRADE BAROQUE ACADEMY
ALCINA
by George Frideric Handel
7 – 15 NOVEMBER 2025
This Academy has taken place. The information below is kept as an archive.
THE ACADEMY
Belgrade Baroque Academy presents ALCINA by G.F. Handel
The captivating world of Baroque opera comes alive once again! After the great success of our two previous opera projects, Rinaldo and Giulio Cesare, of which Giulio Cesare also received the Award for the Best Concert Performance in 2024 from the music magazine “Musica Classica”, Belgrade Baroque Academy presented the semi-staged Alcina by George Frideric Handel, one of the most enchanting operatic masterpieces of the Baroque era.
The Academy was held from 7 to 15 November 2025 at the Opera & Theatre Madlenianum.
LOCATION
Perform Baroque Opera in the Heart of Europe
Experience the pulse of Europe in Belgrade, where the Baroque Academy unfolds. This historic city, brimming with culture and vitality, invites you to its next vibrant chapter of musical excellence and international collaboration in the heart of Europe. For more information, you may visit lonelyplanet.com/serbia/belgrade.
About the Opera:
Alcina is one of Handel’s most celebrated operas, composed in 1735. It is based on Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso and tells the story of the sorceress Alcina, who seduces men and then transforms them into animals or objects once she tires of them. The opera is rich in psychological depth, magical elements, and exquisite music.
Roles: Alcina, Ruggiero, Morgana, Bradamante, Oronte, Melisso, and Oberto.
Preparations took place over nine days with leading Baroque specialists and educators, joined by members of New Trinity Baroque, the official orchestra in residence of the Academy. During the same week the 20th Belgrade Early Music Festival took place, with many concerts that participants were able to attend. Instruments were provided through the generous support of the Makris Music Society.
Participation Details:
• Fee: £1,000 GBP for singers, and £500 GBP for instrumentalists; masterclass-only lessons with Sonia Prina at £135 GBP per lesson.
• Scholarships: a limited number were available.
Mentors
Music director, singer, harpsichordist and conductor Predrag Gosta; renowned contralto and Handel opera specialist Sonia Prina (La Scala, Milan); soprano Radoslava Vorgić (Academy of Arts in Novi Sad); baritone and stage director Sreten Manojlović; countertenor and Italian language coach Sandro Rossi; baroque violinist Dušica Blaženović; cellist Srdjan Stanić; recorder players Corina Marti and Meila Tomé; harpsichordists Bojana Dimković and Sofija Grgur; and others.
Two semi-staged performances with alternating casts – at the Madlenianum Theatre in Belgrade and in the Novi Sad Synagogue – were professionally recorded on video and photographed. Click here to see videos from previous Academies on our YouTube channel.
Day-to-Day Schedule
• Day 1: Individual coaching on recitatives, Italian pronunciation and ornamentation, with Predrag Gosta, Radoslava Vorgić and Sandro Rossi.
• Days 2–4: Individual and group coaching and staging sessions with Sreten Manojlović.
• Day 5: Rehearsals with continuo section; staging finalised.
• Day 6: Italiana (Sitzprobe) with the full orchestra and Predrag Gosta; one-on-one coaching with Sonia Prina; scenic–orchestral rehearsal.
• Day 7: General rehearsals.
• Days 8–9: Two semi-staged performances in Belgrade and Novi Sad.
View the photos from our past Academies
