“Classes forbidden”

Since January 2024, the IN.TUNE programme has brought together eight European partners to promote the development of music and arts education across Europe. Beyond collaboration in knowledge and expertise, such alliances carry a strong political vision aimed at strengthening solidarity among countries while promoting democratic values, academic freedom, and cultural diversity. The goal is to build a Europe open to the world, capable of addressing current social, economic, and environmental challenges. Within this framework, the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris has decided to spotlight one of the universities in this alliance each season. The first stop on this European journey: Serbia. Journalist, Balkan specialist, and correspondent for numerous French-speaking media outlets, Louis Seiller travelled to meet the students and professors of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade.

What can art and music achieve in a country sliding toward authoritarianism, whose future seems increasingly uncertain? In Serbia, an unprecedented student-led revolt has shaken the regime of authoritarian president Aleksandar Vučić. For months, almost all universities were blocked by students, and the protest spread throughout society. At the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, both students and teachers support this profoundly democratic movement in favour of the rule of law. They hold onto the belief that art has the power to transform society.

Beneath the towering linden trees of Manjež Park, nestled in the heart of Belgrade, the faculty’s door is open, but a hand-drawn poster adorned with drawings of musical instruments warns: “Classes forbidden.” No classes then, and eerily quiet corridors. Yet, from the upper floors of this former government building, violin and cello notes still drift out of the practice rooms… Music has not deserted the place. For nearly seven months, it has simply resonated to the rhythm of “plenums” and self-management. “The faculty is blocked, but it is open to all students: they can come at any time, day or night, to practice their instrument.” Doctoral flute student Strahinja Radoicic is actively involved in the “studenti u blokadi” movement.

“Even if there are many protest-related activities and current conditions are not so easy, students try to adapt and keep playing — that’s incredibly important.” In the small entrance hall, a megaphone, a solidarity donation box, and fragments of colourful banners serve as reminders of the ongoing struggle: for justice and the future of the country.

On November 1, 2024, the collapse of the concrete roof of the recently renovated train station in Novi Sad, a major city in the north, killed 16 people. A true shock for the 6.6 million Serbs, the tragedy became a symbol of the clientelist system and widespread corruption of President Aleksandar Vučić’s regime. An admirer of Orbán and Erdoğan, this nationalist-conservative, in power for 13 years, has continuously weakened the checks and balances of Serbia’s fragile democracy by taking control of the judiciary, the public administration, and the main media, as well as manipulating elections.

In response to the disaster, a powerful student movement has surged, demanding accountability and transparency from institutions tightly controlled by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Daily road and public building blockades as well as countless rallies across the country garnered public support, drawing ever-growing numbers to join the cause. On March 15, more than 300,000 people crowded into the Serbian capital for the largest protest in the country’s history. But the president remained unmoved.

In this multifaceted struggle for the rule of law and the simple desire to “live normally,” each of the 60 occupied faculties contributed its knowledge and talents to dismantle the arguments of a government unafraid to use lies and threats. Choirs, classical and jazz ensembles, percussion groups… the students of the Belgrade Faculty of Music have composed the soundtrack of the civic revolt: on Belgrade boulevards, in village squares, and even during the 80-student bike journey to the European Parliament in Strasbourg! Far from the chaos orchestrated by “foreign agents,” as defensive authorities described it, this unprecedented mobilisation has sparked a true explosion of creativity and artistic expression, while reaching the broadest audience.

“During these many months of faculty blockades, I’ve seen more concerts, more exhibitions, more artistic projects than I had ever seen before…” enthuses Tisa Lekić, a master’s piano student, before beginning Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat in the faculty concert hall. “I met a lot of people there who are neither artists nor art students. Every human being on this planet understands art — it’s a language everyone speaks… In my opinion, these artistic activities pushed many people to participate in these protests, even those who were not previously politically active.”

The political role of art and the power of music to change lives are loudly proclaimed by the students. Many of these young musicians see in their compositions, songs, and instruments concrete tools for building a fairer and more democratic society. “Art allows criticism of society, but also self-criticism, and without artistic voices, there can be no democratic society,” says Stefan Josipović, a determined fourth-year composition student. “Our society had gotten used to a simple participation every four years in an election that determines our life for the next four, leaving no space for other voices to be heard. But our movement shows that every day we can decide on changes based on the real needs of our societies.” And the young man dives into his keyboard, playing a post-impressionist-inspired piece.

The peaceful and festive methods, as well as the horizontal and decentralised organisation of the student movement, have awakened Serbian society as a whole. Across the country, with little experience of democratic freedoms in its history, “zbor” — people’s assemblies — are being organised following the model of student plenums, allowing citizens to freely express their demands. A form of direct democracy that starkly contrasts with the authoritarian practices of President Vučić, omnipresent in local media, frequently delivering aggressive speeches.

Like many of her colleagues, musicology professor Ivana Perković is proud of her students. “I truly see this movement as something wonderful. These protests have freed us from the fear of speaking out. And here, our students have been deeply involved — they organised concerts and performances at every possible protest… It gave a different perspective on the importance of art, and especially music, in today’s society. We often take them for granted, but that is not the case.”

Despised by political power and underfunded, Serbian cultural workers live in constant uncertainty about their future. The Belgrade Faculty of Music is no exception, as shown by its facilities, whose historic rooms with worn furniture have barely changed in decades. In this difficult context, joining the IN.TUNE initiative and its seven other prestigious European higher education institutions, including the Conservatoire de Paris, has been a breath of fresh air. “This alliance is an exceptional and invaluable opportunity,” says Ivana Perković, responsible for the initiative at the faculty. “It allows us to establish a network of cooperation and direct contacts between colleagues and between students. These ties will endure beyond the institutions and will last throughout students’ lives and professional careers.”

For young Belgrade musicians, upcoming exchanges and collaborations with their European peers will also help break down lingering stereotypes weighing on their society. Particularly little known in France, Serbia is often associated with a distant and grey Soviet world it was never part of, or with the brutality of the wars of the 1990s — a time the students, born in the 2000s, did not experience. “There are still stereotypes in how Serbia is perceived elsewhere in Europe. Thanks to the alliance, students from other countries will see that we are not just Balkan barbarians (laughs)… We have a phenomenal artistic scene, not just in classical music, but very few people abroad know that.”

While their country is geographically at the heart of the continent, connections and exchanges with their European peers also seem essential for young artists eager for discovery and sonic experimentation. Out of the thousand students at the University of the Arts, only two or three each year benefit from exchange programmes like Erasmus+.

“The place of a young artist, and especially of a young composer, belongs within European musical trends. Without links to other European artists and without opportunities for cooperation, it is impossible to fully thrive. Especially since Serbia is too small to meet the needs of an artistic life. The IN.TUNE alliance is a great opportunity to develop innovative practices in art faculties that are often conservative and resistant to change,” imagines Stefan Josipović.

An official candidate for EU membership since 2012, the same year Aleksandar Vučić came to power, Serbia has since drifted further away. Much to the dismay of students protesting daily in the name of the very principles and values officially defended by European institutions. All are tired of having to go elsewhere in search of a better life, weary of the corruption eating away at Serbia. Like the rest of society, most university professors support their students in this struggle for fundamental principles. But after months of blockades and European leaders refusing to give political support to the movement — preferring economic interests over defending democracy — President Vučić’s regime is trying to regain control.

Attacks against public universities and figures supporting the student movement have intensified: criminal prosecutions, financial pressure, smear campaigns in pro-government media, and a draft law favouring private education… The noose is tightening, posing a dilemma for many academics, like music theory professor Srdjan Teparić. “The majority of the academic community is fully supportive of the students, but today we are in a rather difficult situation: professors haven’t been paid for months. Perhaps we need to change certain methods and modes of action in this struggle, because the very existence of professors is simply threatened, as is that of the institution itself…”

That day, the dean of the faculty decided to resume classes in order to ensure the institution’s proper functioning for the next academic year. Almost immediately, the students present organised a new plenum and called for a gathering on social networks. Three hours later, about a hundred of them were demonstrating in front of the faculty entrance, singing and drumming on a snare. On the megaphone, Tamara, 19, a first-year student: “Personally, I have no worries about the consequences of this mobilisation. Right now, there really is no room for fear, because I believe we are fighting for something pure and just.” A quest for justice that the students of the faculty are carrying through music — and that has already begun to profoundly transform Serbian society.

Louis Seiller, Belgrade
Independent journalist in the Balkans, Louis Seiller collaborates with numerous French media outlets.