Over the last few years, classical guitarist Miloš Karadaglić has endured more interruptions to normality than most. At the end of 2016, a hand injury forced him to withdraw from performing for almost two years. Later, the release of 2019’s Sound of Silence marked the end to his grueling period of recovery, but it was only a few months later that the world began to enter lockdown. For the Montenegrin, such adversity encouraged an even deeper understanding of the power of music—reflected in the versions of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Prelude No. 5 and Toru Takemitsu’s arrangement of “Over the Rainbow” that you can listen to here. “These pieces were my comfort when at times a sense of direction was lost,” he tells Apple Music. “Their meaning is so personal and deep to me. They speak to me and remind me why I love music so much.” Even while the pandemic brought a limiting of choices to the world, the guitarist was able to forge a new sense of musical freedom. “The past year, probably for the first time ever, allowed me to, without pressure or deadline, experiment and explore with my sound and phrase,” he says. “Guitar has millions of colors and textures, so each day is new and exciting. I feel my playing became better through the pandemic—more connected and true. I think I understand it all much better now.” With venues opening up once more, Karadaglić is relishing the opportunity to realize the full potential of his music again. “I believe that music only becomes alive once you’re on stage playing for people,” says the guitarist, who played live for the first time since COVID-19 struck at a performance at London’s Wigmore Hall alongside saxophonist Jess Gillam in September 2020. “All else is just preparation. To feel this energy after so long felt like a new lease of life. It’s something I will never take for granted ever again.”