We have been searching for a title for this Festival for quite some time. We knew what we wanted – Music of the 20th century. But immediately we were faced with the question how to cover all movements in the music of this century, which, especially in the 70s, increased significantly. How to link Debussy from the beginning of this century with the ambient music, or with the new trends in the electronic music, the interactive music, Brian Eno’s music installations?
Our concept is only one out of hundreds of possibilities. It displays the links between the various lifestyles of certain people in certain times.
Although the authors of this music come from different continents and different periods, and the performers come from different meridians, they carry in them and with them the mutually interwoven influences that are conveyed through electronic communication and digital signals, which is a feature of this century, plus they all use the best Holoplot audio technology systems.
SYNTHESIS – a combination of different parts, elements, substances, assembly of different parts in a whole… (Dictionary of philosophy)
Synthesis- Festival of the 20th century music (up to 1999) and the Festival of New Music the following year appeared first in 1994. It was Violeta Simjanovska’s idea, and it was realised through the Youth Cultural Center. In 1998 for the first time the Information Center for Performing Arts – MULTIMEDIA appeared as an organiser.
Many musicians from around the world participated in this Festival. As the very name of the Festival shows, our intention is to have different music productions, which have been marking the 20th century, participating in it. Despite the fact that this Festival is dedicated to the contemporary musical trends, still every year the program incorporates ethno-music, multimedia projects, experimental projects etc.
This Festival is the only one of this kind in the region. According to our researches from the last 5 years, there is a huge need for this type of manifestation both with artists and audience.
Many world-famous names in music took part in the Festival: Pierre Laurent Aimard, Roger Woodward, Stephan Micus, Kronos Quartet, Arditti Quartet, Duo Garrau – Millet, Ihsan Ozgen, Blain Raininger, Synthesis – International Chamber Orchestra of Young Musicians, ICTUS Piano – Percussion Quartet, Paul Giger, Dave Liebman – Gropu Tin – Tin Quartet, European Mozzart Academy Ensembles, Maria Joao, Trilok Gurtu, Le Concert Impromptu, Roger Eno, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Meredith Monk, Percussion de Strasbourg, New York Accord, Macedonian Young Musicians, Igor Tosevski, Dejan Spasovic, Nora Stojanovic.
In 1994, SYNTHESIS – Festival of the 20th century Music was held in June, but from 1995 to 1998 it was traditionally held in April. It was scheduled to be held in April 1999 as well, with already arranged program including renounced world names and Macedonian artists, but due to the situation, mainly due to the crisis in neighboring Yugoslavia, that year the Festival did not take place.
In 2000, upon entering the new millennium, we gave a new name to the Festival, SYNTHESIS – Festival of New Music.
