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PONTANIMA INTERRELIGIOUS CHOIR
 History
Awards
CDs
Members
Repertoire
Performances
Collaborators
History
 Established in 1996, Pontanima is an interreligious choir based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is widely acclaimed as an innovative peacemaking project, a shining ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and a major contributor to the cultural life of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The choir celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2006 in affirmation of the vision shared by the founding group of singers, who allowed themselves to hope in the future and dreamed that spiritual music could heal and reconcile the people of Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In 1996, Sarajevo and all the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina were emerging from a war horrific beyond understanding. Massive ethnic cleansing and campaigns of terror had scarred the people and left them with little hope. In this environment the founder of the choir, Franciscan priest Ivo Marković, gathered a small group of musicians to sing for mass in his church. Because they could not find enough Catholics, he and the conductor, Josip Katavić, invited people of other faiths. A name was chosen which combines the Latin words pons (bridge) and anima (soul). Pontanima took on a life of its own, widening its membership and repertoire until it became a truly interreligious choir. The choir now numbers around 60 members and is an accomplished ensemble that frequently performs for high-profile events, but also a dynamic community that gives tangible life and meaning to the dream of a diverse, peaceful society.
Pontanima chooses repertoire representing all religious communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina today, particularly those of Abrahamic/Ibrahimic origin: Jewish, Christian Orthodox, Catholic, Islamic and Protestant. People from all these religious traditions also sing in the choir. By singing each other's songs, members of Pontanima attempt to better understand and respect each other. Pontanima's music is a celebration of the beautiful artistic diversity that has resulted through the differing spiritual influences in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The goal is to enter into the heart of what is different in order to receive these differences in the heart of one's own being, to feed the soul with the highest spirituality of different people. This is not syncretism, but a method of dialogue, ecumenism and creative life.
 Pontanima has faced many challenges. In the beginning, some of the choir members found it horrifying to sing the songs of their enemies. Singers have been criticized by friends who thought they were betraying their own people or religion. Some religious leaders continue to oppose what they see as syncretism. Nevertheless, the group has grown and flourished beyond expectation.
Pontanima performs between 20-30 times each year, appearing throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina and touring in Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France and the USA. Our music touches souls, and some of our most moving concerts have taken place in small community halls. However, Pontanima also performs frequently at prestigious events, appearing on Millenium Stage in Washington, DC (2000), representing Bosnia and Herzegovina at UNESCO in Paris (2003), singing at a concert marking the European Union's Year of People with Disabilities in Rome (2003), and performing at the World Council of Churches Interreligious Conference in Geneva (2005). [back to menu]
Awards
Pontanima has received the following awards:
 • The Sixth of April award (2006). Commemorating the liberation of Sarajevo from Nazi forces in 1945, this award is given annually to honor those who have made the most important contribution to life in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• Best interpretation of an early sacred work award at the international choir festival “Zlatna Vila” (2005).
• The City of Sarajevo Plaque for the choir's contribution to the arts, building a culture of peace and promoting the cultural heritage of Bosnia-Herzegovina (2005).
• The Common Ground Reconciliation Through the Arts Award (2004), recognizing the choir's extraordinary peacemaking activities. Search for Common Ground, the organization presenting the award, is the largest NGO in the world solely dedicated to conflict prevention and resolution. In previous years it has recognized Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter, conductor Daniel Barenboim and other well-known figures.
• Tanenbaum Peacemakers in Action Award (1998), presented to the choir's founder Ivo Marković for his work with Pontanima by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Dialogue in New York City. 
CDs
The Mystery of Peace (1999)
Pontanima's first CD, The Mystery of Peace, presents Jewish, Orthodox, Western Christian, Islamic and even Indian music. Several of the compositions are familiar favorites, while others offer the unique chance to hear composers or traditional songs from the region (Dujic, Katavic, Mokranjac, Vinaver and the Sephardic traditional Para Noche de Alhad).
 1. Š. Vinaver,  MASHPIL GEIM (Solo Dragana Ilić)
2. Trad. Sephardic, PARA NOCHE DE ALHAD (arr. M. Katavić, solo Drago Rudolf Kos)
3. S. Mokranjac, TEBE POEM
4. S. Mokranjac, HERUVIMSKA PESMA
5. S. Mokranjac, DUHOVNI STIH
6. O. di Lasso, BENEDIC ANIMA MEA DOMINO
7. F. Schubert, SALVE REGINA
8. A. Bruckner, LOCUS ISTE
9. P. Battista, O SANCTISSIMA ANIMA
10. N. Dujić, SALVE, SANCTE PATER
11. W.A. Mozart, AVE VERUM CORPUS
12. M. Katavić, ALLAHU EKBER
13. Trad. Indian, TU HI ALLAHU EKBER, TU HI YESHU SAI SHANKAR
(Arr. M. Katavić, solo Zdenka Kužatko)
14. N. Dujić, AVE MARIA, TI SI SUNCE SVIJETA
15. Trad. Spiritual, BOŽE MOJ, DOPUSTI MI (arr. Ivo Marković)
Bosnian Te Deum (2000)
To mark the coming of the new millenium, Pontanima gave a special concert premiering the work of Mario Katavic, an oratorio incorporating the musical tonalities and texts of Bosnia's diverse religious communities. Katavic, a Sarajevo native, approaches the Christian Te Deum hymn of praise in the spirit of interreligious understanding and cooperation, and creates a recognizably Bosnian work exalting God and expressing hope in the future.
 1. TE DEUM
2. Islamic traditional DOVA SUB-HANEKE
3. TE DEUM
4. MOLITVA UJEDINJENIH NARODA/PRAYER OF THE UNITED NATIONS
5. Trad. Indian, TU HI ALLAHU EKBER, TU HI YESHU SHANKA
6. St. Francis of Assisi, PJESMA STVORENJA/THE SONG OF CREATION
7. TE DEUM
8. Sephardic, ZA JEDNU LJETNU NOĆ
9. Sephardic, PARA NOCHE DE ALHAD
10. TE DEUM
11. GOSPODI SPASI SVOJE POBOŽNE
12. TE DEUM
13. TE DEUM
The Power of Diversity (2002)
 On its third recording, Pontanima presents a lovely selection of its acapella favorites, including several Bosnian traditional Islamic songs (ilahiyas) that have been arranged for four-part choir by Mario Katavic.
1. Louis Lewandowski, PSALM 150
2. Rafail Blam, SAHKI, SAHKI (Solo Miran Karabašić)
3. A.A. Arhangelski, PSALM 102
4. Todor Skalovski, VELIČANIJA KIRILU I METODIJU (Women's choir)
5. Stevan St. Mokranjac, DUHOVNI STIH
6. Trad. Islamic, KAD PROCVATU BEHARI (arr. M. Katavić, solo Željko Božinović)
7. Trad. Islamic, TEKU RAJSKI POTOCI (arr. M. Katavić, solo Željko Božinović)
8. Trad. Islamic, U DERGJAHU MOG SRCA (arr. M. Katavić, solo Željko Božinović)
9. Anon., ADORAMUS TE, DOMINE
10. Linda Steen Spevacek, A CHORAL FANFARE (organ Maja Budimir)
PontAnima: Soul Bridge (2005)
With its fourth CD, Pontanima shows itself at full strength, a choir capable of moving audiences to tears with its dynamic performances of diverse music ranging from beautiful homophonic melodies to complex polyphonic orchestral music.
 1. Trad. Hebrew, YOM SEH-LE YISRAEL (arr. Dudley Cohen, soprano Lejla Selmanović, tenor Ivan Hrkaš and Mijo Marjanović)
2. Trad. Hebrew, AL HA-NISSIM (arr. Elliot Z. Levine)
3. S. Rachmaninov, BOGORODICE DIEVO
4. P.I. Tschaikovski, HVALITE
5. Trad. Islamic, NAD KEVSEROM TUBA LIŠĆE (solo Željko Božinović)
6. Trad. Islamic, EJ ALLAHU, POGLEDAJ ME (arr. Mario Katavić)
7. Trad. Islamic, PUHNUT CE BEHAR (solo Željka Katavić-Pilj)
8. Peter Philips, ASCENDIT DEUS
9. Thomas Luis da Vittoria, O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM
10. Alessandro Scarlatti, EXULTATE DEO
11. Trad. Afro-American, EV'RY TIME I FEEL THE SPIRIT (arr. W.L. Dawson, solo Željka Katavić-Pilj)
Bonus with guest director ANDRIJA PAVLIČ:
12. W.A. Mozart, MISSA BREVIS G-DUR, KW 49
Please contact Face to Face at ociuoci@bih.net.ba for more information on ordering CDs.
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Members
Pontanima's members are people of different religions and of diverse ages, occupations and ethnic backgrounds. Over the last ten years, more than 130 men and women have joined together as part of Pontanima, and we currently have 55 active singers. Click to see a complete list of members from the choir's conception in 1996 through the present. [back to menu]
Repertoire
Pontanima's repertoire is a celebration of the beautiful spiritual and artistic diversity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and includes music from the Islamic, Orthodox, Catholic, Jewish and Protestant traditions around the world. During the last ten years we have sung over 150 compositions, many of which have been commissioned for or premiered by Pontanima. Click to see a complete list of Pontanima's repertoire which includes pieces composed or arranged specifically for the choir. [back to menu]
Pontanima's Performances
 Pontanima's performances are high-energy events that introduce the audience to a broad range of musical styles and experiences of the sacred. The choir has appeared in tiny community meeting rooms, in great halls, and in houses of worship across Europe and the US—but always establishes a genuine rapport with the audience. Click to see a complete list of Pontanima's performances over the past ten years. [back to menu]
Collaborators
Most of Pontanima's performances are acapella and its soloists come from within the choir. However, Pontanima also has the privilege of working regularly with orchestras and guest artists. Click here to see a complete list of collaborators who have joined with us over the years. [back to menu] |
