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One of the best young Serbian pianists, Vladimir Acimovic, 18, a third-year student at the Belgrade Faculty of Music and the Graz Conservatory, wrote a letter to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warning that “if he is found guilty of playing the piano, could lead to catastrophic consequences for music education in the Republic of Serbia. “
Photo: FacebookAcimovic is being tried in the Nis Misdemeanor Court on the accusation that on February 16 of this year he disturbed public order and peace by practicing the piano in his apartment from 10 am to 2 pm.
“This is probably the first case like this that has reached the competent institutions, but since the position of the Law is not clear, a negative verdict can serve as a cornerstone for a series of similar solutions in the future.” “Serbia is a hotbed of classical music talents achieving significant success around the world, and the verdict against me may be a precedent for all other musicians who practice at home because they have no room to play in schools and universities, “said the young pianist in a letter to Vucic.
The talented pianist mentioned that it is necessary to clearly distinguish in Serbia that playing the piano is not noise.
“Dealing with art is not and should not be considered a misdemeanor. In the age of unprecedented attacks on culture, which is an integral and essential part of a nation’s identity, as well as an extremely important economic factor in Europe, there is a growing social intolerance towards any art that goes beyond turbo-folk and the mass culture of kitsch, “he said. Acimovic.
He informed Vučić that he has proudly represented Serbia on the international scene for years, and that he has won numerous foreign national awards and recognitions, but that he has been “fighting” for four years with a neighbor who constantly reported him to the police and communal police. survived severe trauma and is under constant stress.
“The problem has existed since I was 14 years old. That neighbor called the police dozens of times, even though I strictly follow the house rules and never played the piano at the scheduled time for the tenants’ break.” Now it is all over. with the beginning of a process for violation of the Law of Public Order and Peace before the Court of Misdemeanors of Nis “, said Acimovic.
He added that for the past two years, he did not exercise at all in the afternoon, but only in the morning while people were working.
“We bought a new instrument that can only be played with headphones, it does not produce any sound, but that was not enough for the neighbor, so he continued to report me. Other than him, the other tenants have nothing against me practicing in my apartment and I have their written consent, “Acimovic said.
Acimovic informed Vučić that the big problem is that there is no space to exercise in schools and colleges, so the only possibility is to exercise inside the house.
“It’s not fun for me, it’s a job. If they prohibited me from exercising, they would deprive me of the right to work, study and live. This whole story sends me a message that it would be better for me to drop out of college and do another job or go to another place and to do this work in a place where it is better received, “said Acimovic.
The talented pianist presented his biography to Vučić, in which he stated, among other things, that he was the winner of the Art Link Foundation award for the most promising artist in Serbia in 2019 and a fellow of the Young Talent Fund of the Ministry of Education, and that he represented to Serbia internationally. festival in the Kremlin, where he performed as a representative of the Ministry of Culture with the Presidential Orchestra of Russia.
Trial as for vandalism
Vladimir Acimovic said that he felt extremely defeated at court, as well as that “it was perhaps the most terrible moment that he has lived until now”.
“It is not clear to me how it is possible that someone who takes his work extremely seriously and at the same time does not endanger anyone, is prosecuted under the same law as someone who committed a vandalism,” he said.
The witnesses will be heard at the next hearing in the Misdemeanor Court, and after measuring the noise he produces when playing the piano in his apartment, Acimovic will be sentenced – he can be acquitted, he can be reprimanded or fined 5,000 to 30,000 dinars.
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