The Cellist of Sarajevo

April 2026

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A long line of starving people stretched into the street while they waited for bread to be distributed from one of the only bakeries still open in Sarajevo. The sound of  nearby  explosions and gunfire kept them alert, but their hunger kept them in the line. At exactly 4 pm, May 27, 1992, a mortar shell fell directly into the middle of the line, killing 22 people and sending flesh, blood, bone and rubble indiscriminately over the area.

When Vedran Smailovic heard the explosion and saw the carnage, he made a decision; the next day, and for the next 22 days at 4 pm, he dressed in his full, formal concert attire, carried his cello to the scene and sat in a plastic chair next to the crater made by the mortar shell, and played music: “public music. Daring  music. Music played on a battlefield… mournful… haunting music.”

He played in memory of those who had died that day.

He played for the people who were terrified as bombs dropped and bullets flew, with buildings and walls exploding around him. He made his incredibly courageous stand for the sake of human dignity. Amazingly, he was never harmed.

A few years later, at a gathering of  professional cellists in Manchester, England, Yo Yo Ma played a tearful and wrenching rendition of “The Cellist of Sarajevo” to an audience that was stunned to silence at its conclusion. The world-renowned cellist gestured to someone in the crowd and Vedran Smailovic stepped on to the stage to the sound of roaring applause and tearful     appreciation.

We, too, are surrounded by the sights and sounds of a world at war with God. The empty hearts and broken lives and confused darkness can seem overwhelming. We are called to live courageously among the carnage, speaking gospel truth with love and compassion for those who are hungering for the Bread of Life; Jesus. Be like the bold, fearless  cellist of Sarajevo – be a voice for human dignity (which is found in a right relationship with the Creator).

Dr. Lynn Hardaway