On July 3, 2023, at the Centre for Culture in Bitola, a Grand Ceremony was held to commemorate the 10 years since the revival of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola. The event was graced by the presence of the Minister of Culture, Dr. Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska, the Mayor of the Municipality of Bitola, Dr. Toni Konjanovski, representatives from renowned Macedonian companies such as ⋮IWConnect, Kromberg & Schubert, Josifov Automobiles, Cermat, and other supporters of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola. They were honored with plaques and acknowledgments for their contributions to the upliftment and development of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.

With a history spanning over 4 decades, the Chamber Orchestra, initially led by Professors Kiril Petkov and Zoran Manevski, was composed of musicians who shared a passion for music. They successfully nurtured this passion to form an orchestra that gradually evolved over the years, eventually becoming a well-recognized brand throughout the Balkans.

After several years of hiatus, the idea to revive, popularize, and bring the orchestra closer to a broader audience emerged in 2013. This idea was brought to life by the conductor, violist, and arranger Vladimir Dimovski, along with violist and professor at the Music School in Bitola, Nikola Trajanovski. On July 4, 2013, the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola held its inaugural concert “For Bitola” in the courtyard of the Bitola Museum. The concert featured the most beautiful old-town Bitola songs, accompanied by several Macedonian performers.

Despite its existence for over 40 years, the Chamber Orchestra functioned as a project-based entity due to the absence of institutional employment status for its musicians, until recently. However, this situation has changed, and at this celebratory event, not only did we mark the 10th anniversary of the revival of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola, but we also celebrated its transformation into a national institution.

At the event itself, Vladimir Dimovski, Director and Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola, stated, “Our first concert was dedicated to Bitola, held in the courtyard of the Museum on July 4, 2013, followed by numerous events that we believe truly captivated the audience. Our desire to continue the tradition of the Chamber Orchestra, fueled by the Macedonian people’s interest in quality music, led to the resurrection of this dream after a hiatus of several years. Today, we stand here to celebrate 10 years since its revival.

I am grateful to all the members of the Chamber Orchestra who contributed to its success and transformation into a well-known Macedonian brand. Over these 10 years, the Chamber Orchestra has performed a significant number of concerts and performances in Macedonia and the Balkans. While these facts might sound boastful, they are true, and we take pride in them. We’ve accomplished over 140 concerts, with more than 10 taking place across the Balkans at major festivals, including last year’s concert in Prague. These performances were attended by an audience of over 200,000. The period of COVID-19 was the only year in which we were hindered from conducting more concerts, but we are still pleased that we managed to hold several during that time.

Looking from the perspective of the orchestra members, I’m delighted that we have members who have been with the orchestra from the very beginning and have contributed to its success. In terms of numbers, from the Music Art Association that represents the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola, approximately 230 individuals received honoraria, and some of them have done so more than 100 times. Without them, the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola would not be what it is today.

Starting from scratch with limited finances is undoubtedly challenging; we all understand this. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to all the supporters over the years who selflessly aided us, whether financially or in any other way, to reach where we are today.

And of course, a huge thank you goes to the Ministry of Culture, especially Minister Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska, for her efforts in making the Chamber Orchestra a national institution. Our ten-year dream of becoming a national institution with employed members has now become a reality.”

Plaques of gratitude were awarded to:

• The Ministry of Culture, Dr. Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska, along with Maria Magdalena Mikarovska Petkovska, for their efforts in transforming the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola into a national institution.
• The Bitola Municipality, Mayor Dr. Toni Konjanovski, and Borche Dimitrovski, for their support and contributions to the elevation and development of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.
• The Bitola Cultural Center, and its Director, Maja Andonovska Ilijevski, for the multitude of projects realized within the center and for their support in the growth and advancement of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.
• Kiril Petkov and Zoran Manevski for laying the foundation of the Bitola Chamber Orchestra, now the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.
• Valentin Naumov, Nikola Trajanovski, Vladimir Cvetkovski, and Dejan Arsic – the team of the Chamber Orchestra that selflessly assists in the realization of projects for the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.
• The General Sponsor of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola – ⋮IWConnect, who has stood by the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola for every step, event, and concert for over 6 years.
• Kromberg & Schubert, BV Engineering, and Josifov Automobiles for their contributions to the advancement and development of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.
• Maestro Vladimir Dimovski, the chief initiator behind the conceptualization and execution of all projects for the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola, and the person who advocated for the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola to become a national institution, received a plaque of gratitude.
• Portals such as Femina, Babam Bitola, Crnobelo, Muzika24, television stations Sitel and Tera TV, and Sasha Stavrev were acknowledged for promoting the concerts and events of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.
• Cultural and Information Center – Bitola, Premier Center, Chiflik Restaurant, Kiril Stojchevski, Biljana Siveva, Rozita Trajkovska, Mario Trifunovski, Angele Dimovski, Nikolina Mitrevska, Toni Aleksovski, Blaga Milevska, Dimitar Zhirov were recognized for their assistance in realizing the concerts and events of the Chamber Orchestra of Bitola.

The event continued with a small cocktail reception in the foyer of the Bitola Cultural Center, and ended with a party in the night club Jagoda, with the DJs Goran Kan and Philip Ackowsky.