Melinda and Troy were our first students from Santa Barbara to attend our Culinary School in Kotor, Montenegro. After completing the course in Kotor both interned at Divino’s and found employment in prestigious California restaurants
Santa Barbara Symphony Conductor and Symphony Principal Stringperform at KotorArt 2024 International Music Festival!
One of our most exciting exchanges to date was having members of the Santa Barbara Symphony travel to our Sister City Kotor, Montenegro to perform at the KotorArt 2024 International Music Festival. Santa Barbara Symphony conductor, Nir Kabaretti, along with the Symphony’s principal strings: Jessica Guideri (violin), Ina Vel (violin), Eric Rynearson (viola), and Trevor Handy (cello) were joined by featured violinist and former Symphony concertmaster, Gilles Apap.
In a concert titled Santa Barbara Connection, held in the courtyard of St. Nicolas Franciscan Monastery, the Santa Barbara Symphony string quartet debuted three pieces which included Mozart, Montgomery, Dvořák, and a special arrangement of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
In addition, with the launching of the 2024 Tivat Music Festival, Porto Montenegro’s Dom Vojske Auditorium was all glamor and glitz as Nir Kabaretti conducted Santa Barbara Symphony musicians alongside KotorArt Symphony musicians in a concert titled California Dreaming: From Baroque to Rock. The orchestra brought the house down and received a standing ovation from the concert attendees, which included U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro, Judy Rising Reinke, and Santa Barbara visitors George and Denise Lilly, Vickie Williams, Franki Williams, and Roberta Christiansen.