Belgrade Philharmonic Players Demand Leadership Resignations

The association representing Belgrade Philharmonic musicians has called for acting director Bojan Suđić and the orchestra’s entire management board to resign, escalating a dispute over how the Serbian institution is being run.

In a public letter, the players describe a working environment they say has become increasingly restrictive. Their complaints include what they regard as unjustified controls, limitations on professional autonomy, threats of disciplinary action and ineffective decision-making. They also criticise delays in planning the season and the absence of a clear longer-term strategy.

These are the musicians’ allegations, rather than findings by an independent inquiry. Suđić has rejected the demand for his resignation, describing it as unacceptable. The disagreement therefore concerns both the substance of management decisions and the legitimacy of the leadership itself.

The government appointed Suđić acting director in late January 2026. Before that appointment, 102 of the orchestra’s 114 employees had signed a request for an open and transparent selection process. The latest letter places the current conflict within that earlier argument about governance and consultation.

Suđić is an established conductor as well as an administrator. His career includes leadership of the RTS Symphony Orchestra and Choir, teaching conducting at Belgrade’s Faculty of Music and work as a conductor at the Royal Swedish Opera. The musicians’ demand focuses on his management of the Philharmonic, rather than a reassessment of those artistic credentials.

A resignation demand does not itself remove an acting director or dissolve a board. No completed leadership change has been announced in the material released with the letter, and the practical consequences for future concerts remain to be clarified.

For the orchestra, the immediate issue is a breakdown in confidence between performers and management. The next substantive development will depend on the response of the institution’s governing authorities and on whether the parties can establish a workable framework for artistic planning and daily operations.