- Vedran Smailović
Vedran Smailović (born
November 11 1956 ), known as the "Cellist of Sarajevo", is amusician fromBosnia and Herzegovina .He played in the Sarajevo Opera, the
Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra , The Symphony Orchestra RTV Sarajevo, and The National Theatre of Sarajevo.After the start of the war in Bosnia, Vedran Smailović, just like hundreds of thousands of other residents who endured the
Siege of Sarajevo , survived the cold, food and water shortages, the constant bombings and sniper fire in the street.In
1992 , Smailović playedAlbinoni 'sAdagio in G Minor on hiscello for the next 22 days at sharp 4:00pm to honour the 22 people who had been killed while queuing for bread at 4:00pm. This act caught the imagination of people around the world. ComposerDavid Wilde wrote a piece for cello called "The Cellist of Sarajevo" in his honour which was recorded byYo Yo Ma . It was also stated by Paul O'Neill that his act of courage inspired the songChristmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 byTrans Siberian Orchestra . Folk singerJohn McCutcheon also penned a song in his honour, "In the Streets of Sarajevo." Canadian authorSteven Galloway used Smailović's act as the basis for his bestselling 2008 novel, "The Cellist of Sarajevo". He did so without consultation with Smailović, and the Canadian edition uses his picture on the cover. Although he only appears as a peripheral character in the novel, Smailović has publicly expressed his outrage over the publication of the book.Smailović was also known for playing for free at different funerals despite the alleged history of targeting of funerals by Bosnian Serb forces.
He managed to leave the besieged city in late 1993, and since then has been involved in numerous music projects, as a performer, composer and conductor.
Smailović now lives in
Warrenpoint ,Northern Ireland .See also
*
Inela Nogić ,Miss Sarajevo 1993
*Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo External links
* [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4083037.ece Article in the Times newspaper - "A musician who risked his life playing a lament for 22 massacre victims is incensed by a novel capitalising on his act"]
* [http://myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=vedrans The My Hero Project: Vedran Smailovic]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
