Cultural Intertwining at the Music Academy of the West
Entertaining, informative, and a look to the future was what everyone experienced who attended the Santa Barbara – Kotor Sister City event at the Music Academy of the West, on Sunday October 2nd.
Guests enjoyed original music created and performed by musicians from the department of music UCSB and Montenegro, along with performances by celebrated guitarist MILOŠ and the Crown Prince of Montenegro, Nicholas Petrovich-Njegoš. A documentary exploring the history of the U.S. and Montenegro and an emotional look back at 13 years of Sister City exchanges between Santa Barbara and Kotor were the highlights of the evening.
Dignitaries from both Sister Cities were on hand as Santa Barbara’s, Dr. Ichak K. Adizes, was awarded the newly established American Montenegro – USA Friendship Award under the patronage of the President of Montenegro, Mr. Milo Djukanović.
Ratimir Martinović, along with Helene Schnieder, presented the ME&US Fund (Montenegro & United States) a project initiated by Santa Barbara – Kotor Sister Cities, KotorArt, the SJL Foundation and the Don Branko Sbutega Foundation. With its mission to strengthen the civil and cultural ties between the two countries and their citizens.
To view the documentary or to make a tax-deductible donation to help continue cultural exchanges between Santa Barbara and Kotor, click on the buttons below.
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UCSB musicians perform at the KotorArt International Music Festival
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro, composers from Santa Barbara and Kotor created original music, representative of their home countries, which was performed by young musicians from each of our Sister Cities. The performance was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro, Judy Rising Reinke, and Sister City Committee liaison, Vickie Williams.
As an encore, these young musicians will perform this program at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara on October 2, 2022. Also performing will be Montenegrin guitarist, Miloš Karadaglić, together with Nicholas Petrovic Njegoš, the Crown Prince of Montenegro, on flute. Other dignitaries from both Sister Cities will be on hand as Santa Barbara’s Dr. Ichak K. Adizes is awarded the newly established American Montenegro – USA Friendship Award under the patronage of the President of Montenegro, Mr. Milo Djukanović.
SBCC culinary student interns at the Regent Porto Montenegro
Santa Barbara City College culinary student, Alberto Santamaria, has been chosen by the Santa Barbara – Kotor Sister City Committee to intern at the prestigious Regent Porto Montenegro for the summer of 2022. This informal program had its beginnings in 2010 when Randy Bublitz, former chair of the Culinary Arts School at SBCC, traveled to Kotor to teach a group of young students from the Institute for Children With Disabilities the basic skills for entry level work in Montenegro’s resorts and restaurants. These students, despite their hearing impairments, thrived in the restaurant environment creating multiple employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth.
The success of the program also resulted in SBCC culinary students, Ava Engle and Marcelo Chacon, being invited to intern at the Regent Porto Montenegro in the summer of 2021. The impression these two made on the manager and chef of the Resort resulted in an agreement for continuing the relationship between SBCC culinary tudents and the Regent Porto Montenegro Resort.
The Santa Barbara Sister City Committee is pleased to have established a meaningful exchange program between our Sister Cities that touches the lives of young people for years to come.
Strengthening Montenegro & United States ties
Dear Friends of Kotor,
KotorArt was invited by the U.S. Ambassador in Podgorica to apply for a small grant with a project that would strengthen the connections between the United States and Montenegro. We see no better basis for a project like this, than our established collaboration with the Santa Barbara-Kotor Sister City Committee and the University of California Santa Barbara Music Department!
Receiving this grant will allow us to commission four original pieces, from two composers, one from Montenegro and one from Santa Barbara, inspired by Montenegrin and United States heritage (local melodies, jazz standards, etc.).
To perform these pieces, we will create a small ensemble of four young musicians (two from each country). They will collaborate and prepare online, and finally meet in person, to rehearse and perform the pieces at the KotorArt International Music Festival, the University of California Santa Barbara and the Music Academy of the West in 2022.
Regards,
Ratimir Martinović
Founder and Executive Director of KotorArt
The programs we have built together that make a difference.
The success of our Sister City program has been exchanges that bring people with common interests together. The exchanges in music, culinary, and sports have allowed young people from both cities to experience international travel and participate in programs that develop their skills and creates long term relationships within our two cities.
Classical Music
Music exchanges with KotorArt, the Music Academy of the West and UCSBs Music Department.
Goran Milić Culinary Academy
Culinary exchanges with the Resource Center in Kotor , SBCC’s Culinary School and internships in Santa Barbara and Kotor.
Water Polo
Water Polo exchanges with UCSB Water Polo, Premier Water Polo Club and Kotor’s Primorac Water Polo Club.
Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor, Montenegro was established as Santa Barbara’s Sister City in the Fall of 2009. The town of Kotor is located on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historical monuments, Kotor is located on a natural harbor within the Bay of Kotor. Like Santa Barbara, Kotor offers various year-round activities including sailing, diving, fishing, hiking, water polo, and festivals encompassing everything from theatre to musical arts.
