The Academic Ensemble "Sonja Marinkovic"

The Academic Ensemble of Folk Dances and Songs "Sonja Marinković" was established at the University of Novi Sad in 1962. The Ensemble „Sonja Marinković" creates its program basing it on the authentic cyncretical forms of folk art, melody, steps, costumes and customs and by this kind of program determination it contributes preserving authentic folk art of nationalities of this part of Balkan. Assembling over 700 members - students and high school youth, the Ensemble „Sonja Marinković" contributes significantly in unity of youth, educating young people in the spirit of brotherhood and friendship, making sense of their free time by unique artistic performances. The representative part of Ensemble „Sonja Marinković" counts from 45 to 80 members and the number depends on performing facilities, so the Ensemble is divided into following parts: the folk ensemble, Tamburitza orchestra, National Folk orchestra and Instrumental solo-players.
During 45 years of work, Ensemble „Sonja Marinković" won the series of acknowledgments and awards in Serbia and all around the world. It took part at many International festivals and visited many countries.
Presently the Folk Ensemble has 23 choreographies on the repertoire. Each of them individually represents the originality of the particular area in Serbia. Dances and songs included in each choreography are based on the authentic elements, recording the particular event in people's everyday habits : sowing, harvest, wedding ceremony, celebration of the Feast and outdoor party. The costumes used in each choreography are quite different and very old and thus significantly valuable. Therefore, all these 23 choreographies are diversified and "cover" the entire territory of Serbia and Montenegro.
The Orchestra Ensemble perform the following traditional instruments : gusle (a Balkan musical instrument ), bagpipe, shepherd flute, frula, dvojnice, tambura bisernica (a kind of a small tambura), as well as other instruments originated from Serbia, especially rich in folk tradition.
In its repertoire the Ensemble nourishes the vocal traditional singing including the oldest two-voiced singing with a "second" one as the basic interval, singing "on the short and long sound", gunting, ganga (a sort of singing) and modern singing which has preserved the old basis, changing only the interval (Quintal ending) which is known in folk etymology as "singing on the bass".
Concert tours: Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, India, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Tunis, Turkey ...