XXV BELGRADE BAROQUE ACADEMY
SIROE
by George Frideric Handel
27 FEBRUARY – 7 MARCH 2026
This Academy has taken place. The information below is kept as an archive.
THE ACADEMY
Belgrade Baroque Academy presents SIROE, RE DI PERSIA by G.F. Handel
The captivating world of Baroque opera comes alive once again! After the great success of our last three opera projects – Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare and Alcina, 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 Siroe, re di Persia by George Frideric Handel, one of the most enchanting operatic masterpieces of the Baroque era.
The Academy was held from 27 February to 7 March 2026.
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:
Siroe, re di Persia is one of Handel’s last three remarkable Italian opere serie, premiered in 1728. Based on a libretto by Metastasio, it explores themes of loyalty, power, betrayal and filial piety within the Persian royal court. The drama centres on Siroe, the virtuous heir to the throne, who finds himself falsely accused, politically cornered and emotionally torn between duty and love. Filled with intense character conflicts and some of Handel’s most expressive arias, Siroe offers singers a rare opportunity to delve into the emotional and dramatic richness of early eighteenth-century opera seria.
Roles: Siroe, Cosroe, Emira, Laodice, and Medarse.
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 Belgrade Baroque Academy. Instruments for those without their own were provided through the generous support of the Makris Institute of Music.
Participation Details:
• Fee: £1,000 GBP for singers, and £500 GBP for instrumentalists.
• Scholarships: a limited number were available.
Mentors
Conductor, harpsichordist, baritone and vocal coach Predrag Gosta; baroque violinist Simone Pirri (Royal Academy of Music); soprano and vocal coach Radoslava Vorgić (Academy of Arts in Novi Sad); countertenor and Italian diction coach Sandro Rossi; and others.
The final semi-staged performance on 7 March was presented in Belgrade at the Bel Étage of the Madlenianum Opera & Theatre, professionally recorded on video and photographed. Click here to see videos from previous Academies on our YouTube channel.
Day-to-Day Schedule
• Days 1–2: Intensive individual coaching on recitatives, Italian diction, arias and ornamentation, with Predrag Gosta, Radoslava Vorgić, Sreten Manojlović and Sandro Rossi.
• Days 3–5: Individual and group coaching continues; instrumental ensemble coaching directed by Simone Pirri.
• Day 6: Rehearsals with continuo section, and Italiana (Sitzprobe) with the full orchestra.
• Day 7: Scenic–orchestral rehearsal, directed from the harpsichord by Predrag Gosta.
• Day 8: General rehearsal of the complete opera.
• Day 9: Final performance in Belgrade (Bel Étage of the Madlenianum Opera & Theatre).
View the photos from our past Academies
