As we approach the 25th edition of “Horizons on the Tisa,” besides the usual and expected praise for the original achievements of this completely unique festival in our region, and the mention of its great moments and interpretive successes of numerous artists, the organizers have decided to portray the Days of Josif Marinković with a monograph. Given the preserved rich documentation, this monograph could certainly be the most authentic witness to the festival's history.

I was born in Vranjevo (Banat) on October 11, 1851, to father Jovan and mother Mileva. After finishing primary school and lower secondary school, my father wanted me to continue with high school and then attend university. However, I was drawn to studying music, as from an early age, singing and playing were my favorite pastimes—I grew up with them.

The musical works of Josif Marinković belong to the highest achievements of Serbian Romanticism in the 19th century. They reveal various aspects of his personality—cheerful and sunny in solo songs, and patriotic, sometimes even tragic, in choirs. The stylistic frameworks he embraced in his youth remained with him throughout his life, though he always enhanced them, particularly in terms of harmony. His first compositions emerged during the period of the "rise of the youth movement ideology" and the "flourishing of Romantic patriotic poetry," as well as the "refined and sensitive moods of Romantic lyricism."

Vranjevo, Franjevo, or the trench Vranjevo is a settlement in Banat, which was settled in the mid-18th century by Serbian border guards from Bačka after the dissolution of the Potisje-Pomorišje border. From 1774 to 1876, Vranjevo was part of the Velikokikinda district¹, an autonomous territorial area within the Habsburg Empire, and had a privileged position. In 1806, Vranjevo received the status of a small town and the right to organize two fairs annually. After the abolition of the district in 1876, it became part of the Torontal County, specifically the new Bečej district.

In the "Sveska Matice srpske" (Materials and Contributions to Culture and Social History), number 6/1987, Mr. Milana Bikicki, in the article "First Steps in Musical Education of Serbs in Hungary," writes:

The name of composer Josif Marinković is spoken with deep reverence by the people of Novi Bečej, especially by the residents of the Vranjevo district. And rightly so — he is the most distinguished figure ever born in this town.

May 14–15, 1993

After months of preparation and searching for the right concept and content, the first Days of Josif Marinković – “Horizons on the Tisa” were held on May 14 and 15, 1993, at the Workers’ Hall “Jovan Veselinov Žarko” in Novi Bečej.

May 11–13, 1994

The successful organization of the first “Horizons on the Tisa” festival did not go unnoticed in the musical circles of Serbia.

May 25–27, 1995
Open Competition for Solo Singers

After the first two “Horizons on the Tisa,” the organizers began preparations for the third festival with even greater enthusiasm and foresight.

May 23–25, 1996
Invitational Composers’ Competition

After the highly successful first competition for solo singers, the devoted cultural workers from the town on the Tisa organized the 4th “Horizons on the Tisa”, held from May 23 to 25, 1996, as the first invitational composers’ competition for solo song.

May 29–30, 1997

In the last days of May 1997, the small town on the left bank of the Tisa River once again came alive with the spirit of the Days of Josif Marinković.

May 24–25, 1998
Invitational Composers’ Competition

After the first invitational composers’ competition on the theme Bread, Grain, Harvest, which resulted in 14 new solo songs, the organizers of this year’s Days of Josif Marinković decided that the new theme would be Hilandar, as 1998 marked the 800th anniversary of this Serbian sanctuary.

June 3 and October 4, 1999

After two open solo-vocal competitions (1995 and 1997) and two invitational composition contests (1996 and 1998), the organizers of “Horizons on the Tisa” planned the seventh edition of the event with great ambition.

May 31 – June 3, 2000
Open Solo Singing Competition

What could not take place in 1999 due to the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia — the Open Solo Singing Competition — was successfully held one year later, at the 8th “Horizons on the Tisa,” from May 31 to June 3, 2000.

May 31 – June 1, 2001
Invitational Composers’ Competition

The jubilee marking the 150th anniversary of the birth and 70th anniversary of the death of composer Josif Marinković was celebrated throughout the year with numerous rich and diverse cultural events. The 9th “Horizons on the Tisa” festival centered around the third composers’ competition for art songs, held on May 31 and June 1, 2001.

Open Competition for Solo Singers

The tenth edition of the Serbian Solo Vocal Music Festival, dedicated to the founder of Serbian art song Josif Marinković, was held from 23 to 25 May 2002 and centered on the Open Solo Singing Competition.

A decade of the festival “Horizons on the Tisa” has placed Novi Bečej among the rare towns that can proudly claim an event of high cultural importance—one that has steadily won the attention of musicians, composers, musicologists, and audiences alike.

19–21 May 2004
Open Competition for Solo Singers

The biennial alternation between the solo singers’ competition and the invitational composers’ competition for solo songs found its rhythm, so the 12th edition of “Horizons on the Tisa” was marked by the fifth open competition for solo singers.

24–27 May 2005
Invitation Composers’ Competition

The 13th edition of the event “Horizons on the Tisa” – Josif Marinković Days began on 18 May in Belgrade, when a delegation from Novi Bečej laid flowers at the graves of Josif Marinković and his grandson, Dr. Ivan Valčić. On the official opening day, 24 May, a wreath was also placed on the building of the former birthplace of the composer in Novi Bečej.

24–26 May 2006
Open Competition for Solo Singers

The 14th edition of the festival “Horizons on the Tisa” – Josif Marinković Days was held from 24 to 26 May 2006. This year’s program was dedicated to marking the 155th anniversary of the birth and the 75th anniversary of the death of composer Josif Marinković, with the central event being the sixth competition of young solo singers.