29 Awards for a Year Full of Music! BASICSchool Students Shone at Competitions

29 Awards for a Year Full of Music! BASICSchool Students Shone at Competitions

We will also remember the 2025/2026 school year for the 29 awards earned by the BASICSchool community. Fourteen of our students won 28 prizes at eight competitions, while the song “Tamo gdje se nebo s vodom spaja” achieved a special success, receiving the “Jadranka Stojaković” Grand Prix for composition.

Our pianists, violinists, cellists, and solo singers received recognition for their performances. These achievements include students who won prizes at several competitions, as well as those who competed in different disciplines. Behind every result is the shared work of students and their teachers, supported by the families who accompany them on their journey.

Five First Prizes at “The Song”

At the London-based international online competition “The Song”, all five students taught by Marina Milošev won a first prize. They competed in pop singing and musical theatre:

• Tara Ristić — First Prize, Pop Singing IV.

• Bella Kramer — First Prize, Pop Singing III.

• Blanka Bojić — First Prize, Pop Singing IV.

• Majra Maljević — First Prize, Musicals IV.

• Zola Ristić — First Prize, Pop Singing III.

Pianists Won 19 Prizes at Five Competitions

Piano students taught by Marija Mastilo won a total of 13 first prizes, five second prizes, and one third prize. They performed in Trebinje, Banja Luka, Bijeljina, East Sarajevo, and Herceg Novi.

Trebinje Classic — Trebinje

• Arian Hota — First Prize, 97 points, Category I.

• Alem Dedić — First Prize, 97 points, Category II.

Banja Luka Biennale 2026 — Banja Luka

• Alem Dedić — First Prize, 97.70 points, Category I.

• Ismar Muharemagić — Second Prize, 92.75 points, Category I.

• Zana Methadžević — Second Prize, 90.00 points, Category I.

Bijeljina International Music Competition (BIMC) — Bijeljina

• Arian Hota — First Prize, 100 points, Pre-category.

• Alem Dedić — First Prize, 93 points, Category I.

• Ismar Muharemagić — First Prize, 90 points, Category I.

• Petra Vrebac — First Prize, 90 points, Category I.

• Bella Kramer — Second Prize, 86 points, Category II.

8th International Piano Competition “Akordeon Art” — East Sarajevo

• Arian Hota — First Prize, 97 points, Pre-category.

• Petra Vrebac — First Prize, 94.33 points, Category I.

• Alem Dedić — First Prize, 92.33 points, Category I.

• Zana Methadžević — Second Prize, 87.33 points, Category I.

• Ismar Muharemagić — Second Prize, 84 points, Category I.

• Bella Kramer — Third Prize, 76 points, Category II.

2nd International Piano Competition “Adriatic Piano Fest” — Herceg Novi

• Arian Hota — First Prize.

• Alem Dedić — First Prize.

• Ismar Muharemagić — First Prize.

Alem Dedić won five first prizes, while Arian Hota won four, including a first prize with 100 points at the competition in Bijeljina. Bella Kramer won prizes in two disciplines — piano and solo singing.

Prizes for Violin and Cello

International Competition “Art In” — North Macedonia

Violin students taught by Nina Vasić won two first prizes:

• Elena Stipić — First Prize.

• David Stipić — First Prize.

32nd Republika Srpska Music Schools Competition — East Sarajevo

At the competition held in April, cello students prepared by their teacher Eva Čalija achieved the following results:

• Marija Vrebac — Second Prize, Category III.

• Nedžla Hadžić — Third Prize, Category IV.

Grand Prix for the Song Performed by Esma Gušić

At the 32nd International Đurđevdan Children’s Song Festival in Banja Luka, student Esma Gušić performed “Tamo gdje se nebo s vodom spaja”, which won first prize for composition — the “Jadranka Stojaković” Grand Prix.

BASICSchool founder and director Đorđe Jovančić wrote the music and lyrics and arranged the song. This achievement brought together student performance and the original creative work emerging from our school community. The composition award brought the overall total to 29 awards.

Listen to the award-winning song performed by Esma Gušić

Ballet on the Madlenianum Stage

Our ballet students from the SPRING FAIRIES course performed at the 12th International Children’s Ballet Festival in Belgrade, organised by Adagio Ballet Studio. On the main stage of the Madlenianum Theatre, they presented “Jednom u parkiću”. They were prepared for the performance by their teacher and choreographer Ekaterina Vereshchagina.

The performers were Dea Rakić, Dalia Ražanica, Mila Hršum, and Nadin Salihović, who received recognition for their participation in the festival.

Congratulations to all our students and their teachers on their achievements. Thank you to the parents for their trust, patience, and support throughout the preparations and performances. We are proud of every award and of the hard work, perseverance, and love of the arts behind it.