Held on Montenegro's Statehood Day, 13 July, the opening concert marked a quarter-century of the festival, reaffirming its mission to preserve cultural heritage, support contemporary creativity and foster dialogue between people and cultures.
The programme honoured two anniversaries: the 120th anniversary of the birth of Kotor-born composer Ivan Brkanović and the 20th anniversary of the death of Don Branko Sbutega, one of the festival's founders whose vision shaped its identity.
Under the baton of conductor Mladen Tarbuk, the Boka Symphony Orchestra, the Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir, soprano Mihaela Kristina Mlinarić, tenor Reza Fekri and baritone-bass Krešimir Stražanac performed the premiere of Songs to Music, commissioned by KotorArt and based on Sbutega's poetry, as well as the first performance in Montenegro of Brkanović's monumental Triptych.
The festival was opened by Montenegro's Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, who said Kotor was one of the country's strongest symbols of cultural identity and that KotorArt represented its modern expression.
"Kotor belongs to the kind of cities that are not just places with history, but history itself," Spajić said, adding that the festival showed how Kotor could speak the European language of excellence and that culture was one of Montenegro's key development assets.
Culture Minister Tamara Vujović said KotorArt's 25-year journey represented more than continuity, reflecting the persistence of an idea and artistic excellence built through dedication and challenges.
Don Branko Sbutega (1952–2006), a co-founder of KotorArt, was a theologian, humanitarian and peace advocate who served as parish priest in Dobrota. He worked on restoring the cultural and religious heritage of the Kotor Diocese after the 1979 earthquake and supported refugees and humanitarian initiatives during the Yugoslav crisis. He was also an author, environmental activist and advocate of Montenegrin independence.