United Through Music
"Concert for Unity and Peace"
Bosnian National Theatre
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
October 21, 2004
Produced by Beth Duke and Red Oak Productions
On October 21, 2004, Maestro Zonic and Beth Duke in conjunction with
Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra and its director Emir Nuhanovic,
have successfuly produced a gala concert in Sarajevo
"United Through Music," celebrating unity and peace.
Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra
Members: Dayton Philharmonic and Stivers Philharmonic Orchestras
Michael and Sandy Bashaw - Puzzle of Light
Almer Imamovic, Acoustic Guitar
Vocal and Instrumental Soloists
Guesr Orchestra members from: Russia, Germany, Croatia, Serbia,
Bulgaria, and Albania.
Neal Gittleman, Conductor
Music Director Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
Dino Zonic
Composer, Conductor, Director
Stivers Philharmonic Orchestra
Featuring: Suppe, Bethoven, Zonic, Led Zeppelin...
Dino Zonic, Conducting united orchestras
Two conductors shares the podium, Dino Zonic and Neal Gittleman
Dino Zonic, Sandy & Michael Bashaw in combined performace with
Michael's Sound Sculpture "Globow"
Beth Duke, Producer, opens the concert for Unity and Peace
Neal Gittleman, Conducting united orchestras
Michael Bashaw and Dino Zonic performing ‘Kashmir’
Sandy and Michael Bashaw, Neal Gittleman and Dino Zonic
GREAT TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT
By Stuart McDowell, Ph. D., October 22, 2004
It is difficult to describe what happened last night here in this city they call the Jerusalem of Europe. Simply say it was
one of the great triumphs of the human spirit. Tickets for the concert “United through Music” went on sale only
forty-eight hours before the event and were immediately sold out. The orchestra and soloists brimmed the stage.
Dayton and Sarajevo were greeted warmly. Earlier in the week they had planted a tree in Sarajevo’s Peace
Park honoring a growing relationship between these two sister cities. I took part in meetings intended to build close ties
between institutions of higher education in our cities. The concert United Through Music at the National Theatre proved
a crowning culmination of such an astonishing week of cultural encounters. Among an inspiring two and one-half hour
concert Neal Gittleman conducted the world premiere of Maestro Edin Dino Zonic’s astonishing Symphony Entrata -
drawn from Zonic’s experiences when Sarajevo was suffering its horrible siege. A little over a decade ago this city fought for
its life amidst armies of hate and intolerance. As a close friend of Dino’s said: Sarajevo was fighting for civilization itself!.
Last night, the stage performers from Dayton, Sarajevo and throughout Europe were greeted by a standing ovation.
I wish I could have put all of Dayton in my pocket so it could witness what happened here in Dayton’s sister city in the
beautiful Balkans. March will commemorate the Peace Accords that were signed in Dayton. Dayton-a name people in
Sarajevo know as a place where peace was made. Let us spread the word that the name Sarajevo is a place where hope is again in bloom.
HOMECOMING - UNITED THROUGH MUSIC
By Stuart McDowell, Ph. D., October 18, 2004
I am standing in a graveyard. Surrounding me are endless rows of gray, white, black stone markers,
some with images of loved ones, old and young side by side. Now and then, a weather worn wooden marker has hand
painted letters and numbers. Most bear the years 1992 and 1993. Buried beneath are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Gypsies.
Death is not partial here. Fresh flowers cover many graves, perhaps commemorating a birthday that would have been,
The sun shines down in all its ironic brightness. A young Dino’s student emerges from our group of twenty, and
unzips a large vinyl bag. He sits at the base of a towering stone statue.
A large sad lion with haunting eyes looks down on the student as he positions a cello against his shoulder and begins
to play. From this cello emerges a strong, doleful tune that seems to drift through the graveyard, curling around the markers.
Beside me stands a tall handsome man, the brilliant composer, conductor, director and humanitarian who had invited us all to
this place at this time and for this reason. We are all here to honor the dead, to learn from the past, and to celebrate life.
Name of this remarkable person is Maestro Edin Dino Zonic.
Some dozen years before Maestro survived the great and hideous Bosnian war as commander of military platoon.
Later he change rifle into conductor’s baton to emphisezed and honor human life, a multicultural life. Maestro Zonic left
Sarajevo with clefts of his compositions and conductor’s baton under his arm and forgiveness in his heart. After touring the
capitals of Europe and prestigious theatres and concert halls he settled in Dayton Ohio, as cultural Ambassador of Dayton Peace Accords and Dayton Peace Prize. He has returned to Sarajevo and with him has brought a delegation of United States
from the schools and colleges, businesses and government.
Our stay will culminate with a concert of Maestro Zonic’s mission of United Through Music; with his remarkable Stivers
Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic, musicians from other countries and the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra
in the Bosnian National Theatre one of the buildings that survived when Sarajevo was under a terrible siege which killed tens
of thousands multicultural peaceful citizens of this lovely Balkan city. The concert will commemorate the tenth anniversary of
the Dayton Peace Accords, a diplomatic triumph that finally brought peace to this war torn region. A bird begins to sing.
The music of the cello wafts over this sacred ground. Thursday the concert will celebrate life. Today we honor the dead.