Written by: Sonja Staničić Photos: Duško Filipović
A few years ago, the media was buzzing with a news story about one of the top tennis players of our time. Novak Đoković generously donated eight million dinars (about 70,000 euros) through his foundation for the reconstruction of the Pinokio auditorium, one of the puppet theatres in Belgrade.
Reading international media articles or biographies about the rich and famous, owners of business empires, royal families, and their heirs, it is easy to get the impression that many of them are eager to donate or invest a substantial portion of their financial resources in the “greater good”, i.e. humanitarian projects, cultural heritage, works of art, and art itself.
In these lands, however, it is much less common to come across individuals who are so devoted to supporting culture and art that they earn the prestigious title of “patron”. One of the rare persons who truly deserves the title is Madlena Zepter, a serious devotee of theatre and music, as well as artists and all those who appreciate art, and at the same time the wife of entrepreneur Filip Zepter, owner of the eponymous renowned brand, who wholeheartedly supports her in her endeavours.
Let’s go back to 1997: the times are uncertain, marked by war conflicts, economic crises, and the bombing of Belgrade will soon follow. At that precise moment, Mrs. Zepter makes the decision to invest her financial resources, will, energy and passion into opening an opera house!
– Those were the years of dismal psychosis. Laughter was absent from the streets, and there was very little joy on the social scene – only the theatres were a sort of refuge for the disgruntled and disappointed. People were in dire need of a breath of fresh air, a little joy – culture is extremely valuable in this sense because it gives life meaning and appeal that everyday life often denies it – she once said.
And that is how the first private opera house in this part of Europe after World War II came to be – the Opera & Theatre Madlenianum!
She found an ideal location for bringing her idea to life in a then dilapidated building situated at the very heart of Zemun. Zemun is a municipality within the city of Belgrade, renowned for its charming natural surroundings and a delightful promenade along the Danube River, lined with attractive bars and fish restaurants.
The building formerly belonged to the National Theatre in Belgrade and was in dire need of restoration at the time. The Zepters invested as much as 12 million euros of their own funds in it.
– After the Madlenianum took over the building, we immediately began with a thorough reconstruction of both the interior and exterior In the beginning, our repertoire consisted of shorter opera and ballet pieces. Come April 2005, following the completion of the restoration, we began putting on plays on the new stage – recalls Tatijana Rapp, head of marketing, sales and public relations at Madlenianum.
Today, the grand hall of this impressive and lavish building can accommodate up to 500 theatre enthusiasts. It is widely known for its exceptional functionality and superb style. Additionally, the venue boosts superior acoustics compared to the majority of halls in Belgrade, thanks to its state-of-the-art technical system. The second floor also features a small stage with 150 seats, intended for smaller artistic productions and studio performances, workshops, and seminars.
There are many remarkable interior details at the opera house, such as the large iron tapestry made by Dušan Džamonja and the magnificent chandelier, custom-ordered and made of 1,000 pieces of tinted crystal Bohemian glass (the work of the Czech designer and architect Borek Šipek) which illuminates the foyer – to name a few.
The Madlenianum is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Throughout its existence, it has established itself as a respectable and popular theatre, wining the favour of the audience and becoming a significant cultural landmark in Serbia and Europe.
– We are the only Belgrade theatre on the other side of the Sava River, catering to audiences of all ages. We take great care in creating our repertoire, keeping up with global trends in dramaturgy, helping young creators and commissioning top artists from our country and abroad. The repertoire features operas written specifically for children and young people, world-famous musicals, comedies, and dramas based on contemporary texts, superb ballets, operettas, and modern versions of classical operas. We are also known for theatrical adaptations of world literature novels and biographies of great historical figures – says Mrs. Rapp.
There is a particular focus on opera, that flamboyant form of art which is often regarded as one of the most expensive and least profitable theatrical forms due to its high production costs. While talking about this topic in a recent interview for Rijeka’s Novi list, and taking into account that the Madlenianum is financed exclusively from its own resources (which includes the almost symbolic revenue generated from ticket sales), its founder Madlena Zepter said:
– Opera has been a passion of mine since my early youth. When I set out on the journey to open an ambitiously conceived theatre, my guiding principle was not one of give and take. In general, I do not view works of art through a mercantile lens, with the hope that they would “pay off” in some way. For me, theatre is not business – it’s a form of love. Someone long before me said that founding and running a theatre requires a certain degree of insanity.
And how does the art of opera rank among the younger generations of today? Are there enough opera fans in this day and age?
– From the very beginning, we have used our repertoire that is targeted for young people to introduce them to this most complex of all arts, and we are delighted that we have been able to amass an audience of young opera enthusiasts who have been attending our performances over the past two and a half decades. We also attract audiences through our selection of appealing titles and by hiring excellent directors” – says Mrs. Rapp, citing the example of the now playing Turandot opera, which they co-produced with the National Theatre in Belgrade, and whose director, Mario Pavle, is a young and very promising member of the Del Monaco family.
In addition, they frequently collaborate with artists from Croatia. Maestro Vladimir Kranjčević has conducted on their stage, Ronald Savković and Staša Zurovac have contributed choreography, and they have also organised the Miro Gavran festival. After the actor and director Robert Bošković’s fourth production at the Madlenianum, she explains, they have already started “considering him their own”, which also applies to his crew – Igor Weidlich, Duška Nešić and Vesna Režić.
– We’ve hosted actors such as Lucija Šerbedžija and Janko Popović Volarić, and ballet artist Ognjen Vučinić was a member of the Grand Hotel ballet ensemble. When it comes to Croatian opera singers, Ivana Medić, Irma Dragičević, Lidija Horvat Dunjko, Antonia Dunjko, Blanka Tkalčić, Ronald Braus and Marko Špehar-Piehler all made guest appearances – our interviewee recounts.
Madlenianum does not have its own ensemble; instead, it commissions artists on a project-by-project basis. They admit that bringing together and coordinating such a large number of guest actors, musicians and performers is no easy feat.
– On the one hand, this theatre practice known as staggione provides us with the opportunity to work with the crème de la crème of our industry. However, it does require us to wait till they announce their availability at their respective resident theatres before we can finalise our schedule. However, our fruitful long-term cooperation with the management of other theatre companies really comes in handy here.
The Madlenianum is a renowned venue that attracts many prominent individuals from all over Europe. In the auditorium, you may frequently encounter the members of the Karađorđević family, as well as the French American actor Jean-Marc Barr (who has performed in the drama Kreutzer’s Sonata at the Madlenianum for several seasons), the Italian actress Ornella Muti, members of European nobility, such as Silvia and Amadeo de Savoia-Aosta, Marta Marzotto and Vitoria Capelli, and the president of the Swiss confederation, Johann Schneider-Amman.
– We had the pleasure of hosting renowned opera singers Ioan Holender and Nicholas Payne for peer visits. Additionally, we were honoured to welcome famous Italian opera stars Daniela Dessì and Fabio Armiliato, as well as Nicoletta Mantovani, the widow of Luciano Pavarotti, who organised a concert on our stage in honour of her late husband. Prince Mihailo of Yugoslavia set up his first photo exhibition in Serbia at the Madlenianum. Other celebrities, such as Frano Lasić and Severina, are also no strangers to our opera house – adds Rapp.
Speaking of productions that have caught the public eye and turned out to be a hit with the audience, one musical that truly stands out is Les Misérables. This global hit has been part of the repertoire for an impressive 16 years: from its premiere in 2007 until today.
– The musical Les Misérables has become synonymous with the Madlenianum brand, and many who have seen it in both our and foreign productions agree that ours is by far the best! So it’s no wonder that we’ve staged it so many times and with such amazing success. We are also proud of the drama titled Frida Kahlo, directed by Ivana Vujić, which we have also staged for almost 20 years. The play The Scent of Rain in the Balkans directed by Ana Radivojević Zdravković and based on the novel by Gordana Kuić, is virtually always sold out. When it comes to opera, I would like to highlight our signature Traviata, directed by the ever innovative Jurij Aleksandrov, as well as The Tales of Hoffmann, an opéra fantastique with a downright magical scenography by Miljen Kljaković Kreka. With the operetta The Merry Widow, this musical genre came back to Belgrade with a bang, and the show has garnered many fans across the region. Ballets such as Triptych (choreographed by Ramon Ulje), Amadeo (choreographed by Renato Zanella), A Fairytale from the North (choreographed by Staša Zurovac) and The Dictionary of the Khazars (directed by Livija Pandur, choreographed by Ronald Savković) happened to be true gems of our scene – she reveals.
And while the Madlenianum keeps packing the halls and enchanting audiences with its theatre productions, Mrs. Madlena continues to work tirelessly and promote the arts. In addition to the theatre, she founded the Zepter Museum, the Zepter Book World publishing house, the Madl’Art auction house, as well as many other foundations.
She also has a prestigious European literary award named after her, which is given to authors of novels written in French or translated into French and she sponsors the Žensko pero literary award as well.
During last year’s Dedinje Fest in Belgrade, they opened the Palace of Arts called Madlena, a new temple of culture for all types of art, which, thanks to the business success of her husband Filip’s company, she donated to the Republic of Serbia.
On that occasion, when asked by a journalist why she invests in culture since it has been perceived for decades as a waste of state funds, she confidently responded:
– Investing in culture may be many things, but it most certainly isn’t a “waste of money”, be it state’s or anyone else’s funds. Culture serves as the foundation for progress and a higher quality of life. Uncultured people are trapped in darkness and ignorance; unable to find answers to the questions that perplex them, they keep going backwards, and that path leads to the abyss of inhumanity and collective misfortune. Culture makes us better by toning down our base impulses. The culture of one nation belongs to all other nations, and vice versa. My efforts to contribute to culture in general are, of course, limited. But everyone should do as much as they can. In these uncertain times, the narrowing of knowledge and excessive reliance on screens pose a threat to spirituality, imagination, appreciating beauty and expanding the mind.
