Vedran Smailović (born 11 November 1956), known as the "Cellist of Sarajevo", is a Bosnian musician. During the siege of Sarajevo, he played Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor in ruined buildings, and, often under the threat of snipers, he played during funerals. His bravery inspired musical numbers and a novel. He moved to Northern Ireland and is a composer, conductor, and performer. His playing of the Albinoni Adagio was introduced in a book called "A Story Like the Wind".
Smailović caught the imagination of people around the world by playing his cello, most notably performing Albinoni's "Adagio in G Minor" for twenty-two days, in the ruined square of a downtown Sarajevo marketplace after a mortar round had killed twenty-two people waiting for food there. He managed to leave Sarajevo in 1993, during the second year of the siege that ultimately lasted 1,425 days, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996.[1] He is often mistakenly identified as a member of the Sarajevo String Quartet, which played on throughout the siege.[2]
In Smailović's honour, composer David Wilde wrote a piece for solo cello, "The Cellist of Sarajevo", which was recorded by Yo-Yo Ma. Paul O'Neill described Smailović's performances as the inspiration for "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" by Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Folk singer John McCutcheon also penned a song in his honour, "In the Streets of Sarajevo." The South African singer and songwriter Coenie de Villiers wrote a song in Afrikaans, called "Die tjeiis van Sarajevo (The cellist of Sarajevo)", which was included in his 2011 album Hart van glas (Heart of glass).[citation needed]
Canadian author Elizabeth Wellburn worked with Smailović to create the children's book Echoes from the Square (1998). Another Canadian author, Steven Galloway, based a character on Smailović in his bestselling 2008 novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo. In the book, an unnamed cellist plays every day at 4:00 pm for 22 days, always at the same time and location, to honour the 22 people killed by a mortar bomb while they queued for bread on May 26, 1992. The account, including the time of the mortar attack, is fictional.[3] Smailović publicly expressed outrage over the book's publication, he said, "They steal my name and identity," and added that he expected damages, an apology, and compensation.[3] In 2012, a meeting between Smailović and Galloway took place during which the latter assured he meant no harm in telling a fictional representation of the events.[4]
Continued career
Smailović escaped from Sarajevo in late 1993, and has since been involved in numerous music projects as a performer, composer, and conductor. He now lives in Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland.
Article in the Times newspaper - "A musician who risked his life playing a lament for 22 massacre victims is incensed by a novel capitalising on his act"
M Bullen (7 February 2017), The Cellist of Sarajevo (in no linguistic content), Performer: Yo-Yo Ma, WikidataQ94607867
Beer and Tears (1994), a documentary film about Smailović's first visit to Northern Ireland where he played in public places in Belfast, Derry and Enniskillen. You Tube
