The Fourth Austrian Ball in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will be held on June 8th in one of the region’s most beautiful buildings, Sarajevo’s City Hall. The ball will feature performances by 700 artists from Europe, pianist Robert Werner, and for the first time, the Sarajevo Philharmonic.
At a press conference, a rich repertoire was presented, and the continuation of the ball tradition was celebrated by Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karic, Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH Johann Sattler, and the Austrian Ambassador to BiH Ulrike Hartmann.
Karic announced that over 700 artists from across Europe will come to Sarajevo to offer new content to the people of Sarajevo, BiH, and guests from the region and Europe, enriching the cultural scene of Sarajevo and the entire country.
“This is an opportunity to once again show that our Sarajevo is the heart of BiH and that BiH is the heart of Europe. We belong to Europe both geographically and culturally, and this is another wonderful opportunity to remember how enjoyable it is in City Hall,” Karic said.
The Austrian Embassy in BiH has again supported the organization of the Sarajevo ball this year.
“This ball should be a symbol of the close ties between Austria and BiH, as well as a symbol of the connection between the capitals Vienna and Sarajevo. It should be a positive message to the citizens of BiH that for at least one evening, they can forget about everyday worries,” Hartmann said.
Ambassador Sattler emphasized that culture is an important aspect of the EU because, as he said, culture and art are the easiest ways to connect people.
“Although I am a born Austrian and have enjoyed the tradition of balls, this Sarajevo ball is something special for me. It is an opportunity for many guests to attend the Austrian Ball in the most beautiful building in the entire region – the City Hall,” Sattler stated.
The Austrian Ball in BiH is possible only with great dedication, and this task has been undertaken by the Association of the Austrian Ball in BiH.
The president of this association, Zinaida Jamakosmanovic, announced that the program will be held from 8:00 PM until the early morning hours of 3:00 AM, featuring performances by the principal opera singer of the Sarajevo National Theatre, award-winning baritone Marko Kalajanovic from Serbia.
The ball will also include a dance duo, Lovro Petrakovic from Croatia and Adriana Glowacka from Poland, who compete in international tournaments under our flag, Sensual Bachata with the El Panuelo choreography, Cultural Society “Jedinstvo” from Split with the Croatian Salon Dance, and Bella Arte from Sarajevo.
The salsa dance piece Mambo Madness will be performed by two dance groups – Baila Conmigo and La Negrita from Split, who will present the Corte el Bonche choreography for the first time in Europe.
“The Gala Nacht (Gala Night) will be held at the City Hall at 8:00 PM, with arrivals on the red carpet expected. The program is planned to last until 3:00 AM. The dress code this year, as for every previous ball, will be long ball gowns or dresses below the knee for ladies, and for gentlemen, tailcoats, black suits, tuxedos, and bow ties,” reminded Jamakosmanovic.
