Europe Symphony & The Secret: Two Orchestral Works for the 21st Century Darko Nikčević, Srdjan Bulatović, Fame’s Studio Orchestra & Claudio Ianni

• Srdjan Bulatović (b. 1972), Darko Nikčević (b. 1971): Europe Symphony:
• 1 Bulatović, Nikčević: Europe Symphony: I. Larghetto - Andante 08:34
• 2 Bulatović, Nikčević: Europe Symphony: II. Allegretto - Vivace 08:18
• 3 Bulatović, Nikčević: Europe Symphony: III. Montenegro (Allegro) 04:04
• 4 Bulatović, Nikčević: Europe Symphony: IV. Andante - Andante con moto 14:49
• 5 Bulatović, Nikčević: Europe Symphony: V. Presto 07:23
• The Secret – Fantasia Concertante for two guitars and orchestra:
• 6 Bulatović, Nikčević: The Secret – Fantasia Concertante for two guitars and orchestra: I. From Darkness to Light & Metamorphosis 08:34
• 7 Bulatović, Nikčević: The Secret – Fantasia Concertante for two guitars and orchestra: II. Entry to Eternity & Infinity 08:19
• 8 Bulatović, Nikčević: The Secret – Fantasia Concertante for two guitars and orchestra: III. Geometry & From Hands to Hearts 07:24
• Total Runtime 01:07:25

Info for Europe Symphony & The Secret: Two Orchestral Works for the 21st Century

EUROPE SYMPHONY & THE SECRET from Montenegrin guitarists and composers Srdjan Bulatović and Darko Nikčević features two large-scale works that bridge the divide between art music and popular audiences. The five-movement Europe Symphony explores the character and multicultural spirit of the continent through the lens of Montenegrin identity, blending regional musical traditions with a modern orchestral arrangement. The Secret – Fantasia Concertante for Two Guitars and Orchestra, explores the mystery of artistic inspiration, pairing the duo’s signature guitar interplay with evocative, cinematic textures. Released on Navona Records, the album marks an exciting new milestone in the duo’s international career.

Darko Nikčević, classical guitar
Srdjan Bulatović, classical guitar
Fame’s Studio Orchestra
Claudio Ianni, conductor

Darko Nikčević & Srdjan Bulatović
The guitar duo Srdjan Bulatović (Doctor of Classical Guitar) and Darko Nikčević (flamenco guitarist and Master of Audio Technology) are internationally renowned for their exceptional virtuosity and exciting performances, the most notable being their two highly successful concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York (2016 and 2017).

Their unique blend of Balkan irregular rhythms with numerous other international influences evokes the beauty of the Mediterranean and the mysticism of the Orient. They have collaborated for over three decades and performed in the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Poland, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, and Albania, presenting their own compositions. Their works are diverse in character, style, technique, rhythm, and tempo, while sharing a common thread of Montenegrin traditional, film, world, and contemporary classical music.

They have released ten joint albums: Duo (2001), Nostalgija (2005), Touch of Montenegro (Pobjeda, 2011), Synergy (Pobjeda, 2012), Ritmico (Radio Television of Montenegro, 2015), The Best of Montenegro (Aspect Media, 2016), Balkan, Mediterranean, Orient (PGP RTS, 2017), The Sea (Naxos Records, 2018), Peninsula (Naxos Records, 2020), and Feel the Moment (Naxos Records, 2022).

Many international music magazines and online portals have published highly favorable reviews of their music, including American Record Guide, Akustik Gitarre, Ritmo, Chitarre, and MusicWeb International.

Their music has been featured for years on playlists curated by Apple Music and Spotify, the most notable being Classical Live — a compilation containing video recordings of the greatest composers and performers of classical music — and The Guitar, the most representative collection of classical guitar music.

Their works have also been broadcast on numerous world radio stations: BBC Radio 3 (UK), Hawaiʻi Public Radio (USA), CJSF (Vancouver, Canada), New Hampshire Public Radio (USA), WRTI (Philadelphia, USA), KWBU (Texas, USA), WEKU (Kentucky, USA), KVNO News (Nebraska, USA), KXCR (Oregon, USA), NDR Kultur (Germany), and DZFE (Manila, Philippines).

Two of their compositions were included in the compilation album Comfortable Guitar, released by Naxos Japan.

Naxos Sheet Music Publishing has published 14 of their original guitar duo compositions.

In addition to solo and duo guitar works, they are the authors of the symphonic works Europe Symphony and Fantasia Concertante for Two Guitars and Orchestra – The Secret.

Bulatović and Nikčević are recipients of Montenegro’s highest state honor, the Thirteenth of July Award.

This album contains no booklet.