Dear colleagues, professors, parents, students, and fans of the art of classical guitar!

It is our great pleasure to announce the upcoming 20th VOJVODINA GUITAR FEST, which will take place from April 6-9, 2026, in Novi Sad.
The coming year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Jovan Jovičić, the most significant guitarist from this region, and part of the festival program will be dedicated to celebrating this important jubilee.
At the same time, the Guitarists Association of Vojvodina, the umbrella organization for classical guitar, will celebrate its 20th anniversary. This occasion will be marked by a retrospective of the organization’s development and its influence on establishing Novi Sad as a regional center for classical guitar.
The festival’s organizing team has also carefully considered all your suggestions regarding the competition segment. As a result, the International Competition “Dr. Jovan Jovičić” will introduce numerous innovations and improvements at several levels—some of which will be implemented for the first time in guitar competitions in our country, and even beyond.
In addition to the competition, you can look forward to concerts, masterclasses, presentations of new publications, exhibitions of guitar makers, and inspiring gatherings with renowned musicians.
More information will soon be available on the AGV website and social media channels.

Join us in celebrating these milestones — welcome to the 20th VOJVODINA GUITAR FEST!

COMPETITION RULES – “DR JOVAN JOVIČIĆ” 2026

The competition is organized in the following categories:

First Category – born in 2015 or later
Two or more compositions of different styles and character, with a total duration of up to 5 minutes.

Second Category – born in 2013 or later
Two or more compositions of different styles and character, with a total duration of up to 8 minutes.

Third Category – born in 2011 or later
Two or more compositions of different styles and character, with a total duration of up to 10 minutes.

Fourth Category – born in 2009 or later
Two or more compositions of different styles and character, with a total duration of up to 12 minutes.

Fifth Category – born in 2007 or later
Two or more compositions of different styles and character, with a total duration of up to 15 minutes.

No age limit – professional category
Two or more compositions of different styles and character, with a total duration of up to 20 minutes.

Amateur Category – for participants who do not attend a regular music school
Two or more compositions of different styles and character, with a total duration of up to 7 minutes.

SPECIAL INVITATION FOR COMPETITORS

As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the most prominent Serbian guitarist, Dr. Jovan Jovičić (1926–2013), a Special Award for the Best Performance of a Composition by Jovan Jovičić has been established for the 2026 competition.

The winner in this category will receive the award as the performer who demonstrates exceptional artistic quality and depth of interpretation when performing a composition by Jovan Jovičić.
The prize, in the amount of 300 euros, is provided and awarded by Jovan Jovičić’s daughter, Prof. Dr. Dubravka Jovičić.

The selected composition by Jovan Jovičić is not included in the official time limit of the competition program; instead, the candidate performs the piece as an addition to their regular program. For evaluating the quality of performances of Jovičić’s works, the jury will apply the same criteria as for the rest of the competition, in accordance with the Competition Rulebook.
Eligible participants are candidates born in 2010 or earlier.

List of published editions containing compositions by Jovan Jovičić:

– Dr. Jovan Jovičić: Kompozicije na folklorne teme I, Radnički univerzitet u Knjaževcu, Knjaževac, 1969

– Dr. Jovan Jovičić: Kompozicije na folklorne teme II, III i IV, Izdavačka organizacija Nota, Knjaževac, 1970

– Dr. Jovan Jovičić: Škola za gitaru 3, Muzičko izdavačka „Nota“, Knjaževac, 1973

– Dr. Jovan Jovičić: Kompozicije na folklorne teme za solo gitaru, Album V, Izdavačka organizacija „Nota“, Knjaževac, 1991

– Dr. Jovan Jovičić: Kompozicije na folklorne teme za solo gitaru, Album VI, Muzičko izdavačka organizacija „Nota“, Knjaževac, 2005

– Dr. Jovan Jovičić: Kompozicije na folklorne teme Balkana i Španije za klasičnu gitaru, Zajednica muzičkih i baletskih škola Srbije, Belgrade, 2005

The Guitarists Association of Vojvodina invites all teachers and students to apply for this part of the competition and thus participate in marking this significant anniversary!

More information coming soon…