Belgrade Philharmonic to restore Tesla's bust to Cleveland

BELGRADE - The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will allocate a part of the revenues from the forthcoming concert in the Severance Hall, Cleveland, as a contribution to the procurement of a new bronze bust of Nikola Tesla, the Philharmonic Orchestra announced on Monday.

Tesla's bust was stolen from the Serbian Cultural Garden in Cleveland, Ohio, in late August. The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will help get a new bust of Tesla to place on the granite pedestal instead of the stolen artefact. The Orchestra will perform in the Severance Hall for the first time on October 7 within its U.S. tour.

The Philharmonic Orchestra offered to transfer a part of its revenues to the Serbian Cultural Garden so as to get a new bronze bust, and USD 5 per ticket will be allocated to the purpose.

If we manage to fill the Severance Hall which has a total of 1,844 seats, we will be very close to raising the necessary amount of money, Serbia's honorary consul in Cleveland and founder of the Serbian Garden Alex Machaskee said.

The costs of building and the transport of the new bust are estimated at USD 4,000 to 5,000.

Tesla's bust is the first artefact placed in the Garden which opened in October 2008 within the chain of gardens celebrating the cultural groups in Cleveland.

The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra with Muhai Tang as chief conductor will perform in Cleveland after their concert in Chicago which will open the Orchestra's first U.S. tour.

After Cleveland, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will stage concerts in Washington on October 8 and in New York's Carnegie Hall on October 9.

Photo Belgrade Philharmonic