Vuk Dragičević has won the third prize in the most difficult category of Guitar Art Festival's competition

Vuk Dragičević is a second year student of the Music Academy in Belgrade under mentorship of professor Srđan Tošić. The young guitarist has been participating at the Guitar Art Festival for many years now, and this year he has won the third prize in the heaviest category of the Guitar Art Festival.

When did you first start to participate at the Guitar Art Festival? I have started to participate at the GAF in 2012 for the first time. It was my first festival appearance, my first contest and it was a wonderful experience.

The prize that you have won this year, what does it mean for you? It is important to me in a financial kind of way because in these times all of us need money. Regarding the prestige of the prize it matters indeed but I am not a man that considers that contest is that important to a musician. For his career, it is important but for his understanding of art, I think it is not of any importance.

What is the greatest accomplishment in your carreer so far? I could say, regarding the competing part of the festival and from that point of my career, that I find the prizes from the GAF and the festivals from the region are very important to me. Maybe, the most important prize that I have won is the prize from this year.

What is your plan, for the future? I would go somewhere abroad. I haven’t decided yet.

What do you think about the current scene for classical guitar here in Serbia? Today’s scene in Serbia, that is a very interesting question. From one point of view, we have many people who are working on improving themselves, trying to leave something behind, a legacy. From the other point of view we have the result of all that effort. I think it’s not showing its full potential, not just with the guitar or music but in the arts in general.

What kind of projects young musicians need? It is a very odd question and it relates to the previous one. I think that both sides need to make a great effort to create one integrity in the art world. We should not allow ourselves to behave like men who come from entirely different professions. Technically speaking we are different but we are in fact doing the same thing. This should change.

Your impressions about the project “Guitar Integrations”? That project is a very interesting idea and it should be elaborated even more.