DOBRODOSLI

Milivoje Veljić (1983, Belgrade) graduated from the Department of Piano and earned his doctoral degree at the Department of Chamber Music of the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade. He was awarded the Jelena Pavlović Fund Prize as the best graduate of the Department of Piano. He is a laureate of the Cultural and Educational Association of Serbia for his long-term contribution to the development of cultural activities.

He is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, Department of Piano, having previously worked for fourteen years as an artistic associate and later senior artistic associate at the Department of Solo Singing.

Since 2024, he has been the Resident Pianist of the Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment for programs with vocal artists.

As an acclaimed chamber musician, he has given opening performances at the International Summer Academy organized by the Vienna Music Academy (Austria) and at the Ohrid Summer Festival (North Macedonia). In Serbia, he has performed at BEMUS and BELEF (Belgrade). He has given full-length recitals in India, Israel, France, Italy, Switzerland, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in more than thirty cities across Serbia, as well as in enclaves in Kosovo and Metohija. He frequently collaborates with the Music Production of Radio Television of Serbia, the Opera of the National Theatre in Belgrade, and the Opera & Theatre Madlenianum. He was the official pianist of the Belgrade Youth Music Competition (2013) and has served as official pianist of the international competition Lazar Jovanović in Belgrade for the past eight years. At the Days of Josif Marinković festival, he has appeared seven times. He is a laureate of the international competition Davorin Jenko in the piano duo category. He is a member of the Association of Music Artists of Serbia.

Zorica Beloica, mezzo-soprano, was born in Novi Sad, Serbia.

She completed her undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Philology and Arts (FILUM) in Kragujevac under the mentorship of Prof. Marina Trajković Bidžovski and earned her Master’s degree at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade in the class of Prof. Aneta Ilić. During her studies, she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Freiburg University of Music in Germany.

Throughout her education, she won first prizes at several vocal competitions, including the National Competition in Belgrade, the Petar Konjović Competition (Belgrade), and the Serbian Solo Song Competition (Mladenovac). She was also awarded a scholarship from the Melanija Bugarinović Foundation for the Advancement of Young Vocal Artists. In 2018, she reached the semi-final round of the prestigious international competition for young opera singers, Belvedere, held in Latvia.

In productions of Opera Nova Kragujevac, staged at the Knjaževsko-srpski Teatar (Princely-Serbian Theatre) in Kragujevac, Terazije Theatre in Belgrade, the Music Centre of Montenegro in Podgorica, and the Cultural Centre in Čačak, she performed the roles of Tirinto (Imeneo, G. F. Handel), Orfeo (Orfeo ed Euridice, C. W. Gluck), Philidel (King Arthur, H. Purcell), Maria (Maria de Buenos Aires, A. Piazzolla), and Anna I (The Seven Deadly Sins, K. Weill). As part of the celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the Music School Dr Miloje Milojević in Kragujevac, she performed the role of Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Knjaževsko-srpski Teatar.

As a soloist, she has also appeared in major vocal-instrumental works, including Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, and Handel’s Theodora (Irene).

She has participated in masterclasses led by distinguished artists and pedagogues, including prima donna Radmila Bakočević, Marijana Mijanović, Ksenija Lukić, Marjana Lipovšek, Alfred Burgstaller, René Jacobs, Jory Vinikour, and Predrag Gosta.

Particularly dedicated to the Baroque repertoire, she has pursued further professional development at the Belgrade Baroque Academy under the mentorship of Marijana Mijanović and Predrag Gosta, as well as at Marijana Mijanović’s Baroque Atelier.

As a soloist, she has performed with the Dušan Skovran Orchestra in Belgrade, the Niš Symphony Orchestra, the Kragujevac Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad.

Since 2016, she has been a faculty member at the Music School Dr Miloje Milojević in Kragujevac, where she teaches solo singing and chamber music. Her students have won laureate titles and first prizes at numerous competitions, including the National Competition in Belgrade, Nikola Cvejić (Ruma), Stanislav Binički (Belgrade), Lazar Jovanović (Belgrade), Dr Miloje Milojević (Kragujevac), Donne in Musica (Kragujevac), and Mita Topalović (Pančevo), and have continued their studies at music academies in Serbia and abroad.

As a member of Opera Nova Kragujevac since its founding, she has actively contributed to the development of the chamber opera scene in Kragujevac, supporting the decentralization of cultural life and advocating for broader access to high-quality artistic programs beyond major cultural centres.

PERSONAL DETAILS Date of birth February 24th 1968. Address Leberecht-Migge-Anlage 25, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Contact email zeljkolucic@aol.com Telephone +49 157 80613329 Agency: Opera Agency Sandra Milankov www.agenturmilankov.com EDUCATION Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, Serbia | Department of Vocal Studies Prof. Biserka Cvejić Languages English – Proficient level German – Proficient level Italian – Proficient level Russian – Proficient level PRIZES | Selection 1 st prize at the International Opera competiton Francisco Viñas | 1987. TEACHING EXPERIENCE: 2013. to 2023. | Guest professor at Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, Serbia for Master and Doctoral studies 2023. - current | professor at Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, Serbia Master Classes in the Opera Studio of the Opera Frankfurt and in Zagreb/Croatia. ŽELjKO LUČIĆ baritone ARTISTIC CAREER | Opera Houses From 1993. do 1998. | Ensemble member at Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad From 1998. to 2008. | Ensemble member at Frankfurt Oper 2008. - current | Guest soloist at : Metropolitan opera, Covent Garden, Wienerstaatsoper, La Scala, Opéra Bastille, as well as opera houses in: Nagoya, Tokyo, München, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Bilbao, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Zürich, Bern, Bratislava, Budapest, Bucurest, Hamburg, Berlin, Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, San Francisco, Seattle, Salzburg, Rome, Firenze, etc. ARTISTIC CAREER | Roles Rigoletto (Rigoletto) | Metropolitan Opera, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Romanian National Opera Timisoara, Teatro alla Scala, Lyric Opera Chicago, Oper Frankdurt, HNK Zagreb Silvio (Pagliacci) | Oper Frankfurt, Dutch National Opera and Ballet, Amigos de la Opera de A Coruna Lescaut (Manon Lescaut) | Oper Frankfurt The Count di Luna (Il Trovatore) | Oper Frankfurt, Fondazione del Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Opernhaus Zurich, Bregenz Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Royal Ballet and Opera, State Opera Stara Zagora Germont (La Traviata) | Fondazione Arena di Verona, Wiener Staatsoper, Royal Ballet and Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Oper Frankfurt, San Francisco Opera, Festival d'Aix en Provence Ford and Falstaff (Falstaff) | Slovak National Theatre, Internationale Maifestspiele, Oper Frankfurt, State Opera Istanbul Belcore (L’Elisir d’amore) | Oper Frankfurt Marcello (La Bohème) | Oper Franfurt, International Opera Festival Miskolc, Dutch National Opera and Ballet, Semperoper Dresden Gérard (Andrea Chénier) | Oper Frankfurt, Metropolitan Opera, Royal Ballet and Opera, Bavarian State Opera Opera, Oper Frankurt The Count of Toulouse (Jérusalem) | Oper Frankfurt The Comte de Nevers (Les Huguenots) | Oper Frankfurt Yeletsky (The Queen of Spades) | Oper Frankfurt Michele (Il Tabarro) | Oper Frankfurt, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Metropolitan Opera Eugene Onegin (Eugene Onegin) | Oper Frankfurt Simon Boccanegra (Simon Boccanegra) | Oper Frankfurt, Bavarian State Opera, Semperoper Dresden Michonnet (Adriana Lecouvreur) | Opera National de Paris Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi) | Oper Frankfurt Sharpless (Madame Butterfly) | Teatro Cervantes Malaga, Royal Ballet and Opera, Oper Frankfurt Carlo Gérard (Andrea Chénier) | Royal Ballet and Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Metropolitan Iago (Otello) | Opera de Monte-Carlo, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Opernhaus Zurich, Metropolitan Opera, Royal Ballet and Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Bucharest National Opera Macbeth (Macbeth) | Gran Teatre del Liceu, Bavaria State Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Royal Ballet and Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Salzburg Festival, Oper Frankfurt Barnaba (La Gioconda) | Oper Frankfurt, Metropolitan Opera Miller (Luisa Miller) | Bavarian State Opera, Oper Frankfurt Scarpia (Tosca) | Teatro Colon, The Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro alla Scala, Bavarian State Opera, Opera National de Paris, State Opera Stara Zagora, etc. Don Carlo (La Forza del destino) | Oper Frankfurt, Wiener Staatsoper, Bavarian State Opera, San Francisco Opera, Opera National de Paris Jochanaan (Salomé) | Metropolitan Opera, Wiener Staatsoper Nabucco (Nabucco) | Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wiener Staatsoper, Salzburg Festival, Oper Frankfurt, The Dallas Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Romanian National Opera Timisoara, etc. Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana) | Metropolitan Opera, Dutch National Opera and Ballet Jack Rance (La Fanciulla del West) | Metropolitan Opera, Thessaloniki Concert Hall Amonasro (Aida) | Teatro alla Scala, Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Romanian National Opera Timisoara ARTISTIC CAREER | Conductors (Selection) | Riccardo Muti, Roberto Abbado, James Levine, Nelo Santi, Carlo Franci, Zubin Mehta, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Paolo Carignani, Gustavo Dudamel,Fabio Luisi, Nicola Luisotti, Marco Armiliato, Paolo Carignani, Pier-Giorgo Morandi, Tiberiu Soare, Ivaylo Krinchev, Robert Homen, Antonello Allemandi, Giuseppe Finzi, Marco Guidarini, Keri-Lynn Wilson, Michelangelo Mazza, Josep Pons, Josip Šego, Dejan Savić, Michael Guttler, etc.

Željko Andrić – baritone, Director and Principal Artist of the Opera of the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad

He has achieved notable performances in numerous operas and concerts in Serbia, Russia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Austria. He has collaborated with conductors Berislav Skenderović, Željko Milanović, Dejan Savić, Mikica Jevtić, Aleksandar Kojić, Wolfgang Scheidt, Alessandro Benigni, Gianluca Marcianò, Ilmar Lapinš, Norbert Bax, Andrea Solinas, Dijana Čobanov, Ajub Guliyev, Luis Gorelik, and many others.

Since March 2023, he has served as Director of the Opera of the Serbian National Theatre.

Awards: 2009 First Prize at the solo singers’ competition “Nikola Cvejić”, Ruma, Serbia; 2009 First Prize at the International Solo Singing Competition “Lazar Jovanović”, Belgrade, Serbia; 2016 Special Prize – Beethoven Award of the European Music Academy in Prague, Czech Republic.

His repertoire includes the following roles: W. A. Mozart – Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni, Masetto) Le Nozze di Figaro (Countedi Almaviva),Giuseppe Verdi – Rigoletto (Rigoletto, Ceprano), La Traviata (Germont, Marquis), Nabucco (High Priest of Baal), Simone Boccanegra (Paolo), Il Trovatore (Count di Luna), Aida (Amonasro), Gaetano Donizetti– Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (Viva la mamma) (Prospero), L’elisir d’amore (Dulcamara), Giacomo Puccini – Madama Butterfly (Commissioner), La Bohème (Alcindoro), Tosca (Angelotti), Pietro Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio), N.Rimsky-Korsakov – The Tsar’s Bride (Gryaznoy), Isidor Bajić – Knez Ivo od Semberije (Turkish Messenger), Aleksandra Vrebalov – Mileva Marić (Jakob Erat), Samuel Barber – A Hand of Bridge (David), G.C. Menotti – The Telephone (Ben).

Violeta Pančetović Radaković graduated from the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade, where she also received her master’s degree in solo singing in the class of professor Radmila Bakočević. In 2019, she completed doctoral academic studies under the mentorship of Professor Emerita Radmila Bakočević, having defended her doctoral artistic project: “The Relationship between Music and Text in the Selected Cycles of Lieder by Dejan Despić: Dubrovački kanconijer, Đulići and Uveoci”. As a part of her professional development in Italy she attended the classes of maestro Carlo Bergonzzi (Accademia Verdiana, Busseto), Maestro Riccardo Serenelli (Accademia di canto Domenico Alaleona, Monterubbiano) and Leonardo de Lisi (Italy, Slovenia). She completed the program of the Opera Studio at the National Theatre in Belgrade, led by maestro Jovan Šajnović. The artistic rendering of Violeta Pančetović Radaković, Doctor of Musical Arts, includes a variety of solo performances. The recitals performed comprise pieces ranging from solo songs of the old masters to baroque, romanticism and impressionism, including a variety of opera arias and roles, as well as the 20th century music. She boasts numerous performances on major concert stages including SANU (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts), Kolarac, Belgrade City Hall, Sava Centre Concert Hall, the Main Stage of Belgrade National Theatre, Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad, Army Concert Hall Stanislav Binički in Belgrade, the Hall of Niš Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Sciences in Skopje, and participation in numerous festivals in Serbia and abroad (NIMUS – Niš Music Festival, LEMEK, Belgrade; OKTOX – October Music Festival in Kragujevac, Skopsko leto – Skopje Summer Festival, Skopje, Macedonia, etc.). Violeta Pančetović Radaković, Doctor of Musical Arts, appeared as a solo singer with Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of Belgrade National Theatre Opera, the Orchestra of the Opera of the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad, the Orchestra of Stanislav Binički Art Ensemble, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Niš Symphony Orchestra, the Mandolin Orchestra of Skopje. She also cooperated with the maestros, such as: Riccardo Serenelli, Jovan Šajnović, Angel Šurev, Bojan Suđić, Đorđe Pavlović, Aleksandar Spasić, Zorica Mitev, Šerif Damadžić, Ramada Šukri. Still, her main concert performances comprise recitals accompanied by piano in collaboration with the pianists: Vladimir Gligorić, Ana Aćimović, Milivoje Veljić, Dragana Bunjac, Petar Marković, Jelena Đajić, Zorka Milivojević etc. Thanks to her ongoing activities and high criteria, her artistic achievements are highly recognized by the critics and public alike. Violeta Pančetović Radaković, Doctor of Musical Arts, is a jury member at international competitions (Nikola Cvejić, Lazar Jovanović, Radmila Bakočević, Mika Topalović, etc.), the president of the Association Nikola and Marica Cvejić (Ruma) and a lecturer at Opera Summer School (Divčibare) organized by MOTO, Belgrade (Music, Opera, Theatre Organization). She is renowned for permanent recordings for Serbian Radio and Television. In addition to her concert activities, she is also actively involved in teaching as Associate Professor of both solo singing and solo singing teaching methods at the Department of Solo Singing, Faculty of Music at the University of Arts in Belgrade, being the organizer of various public discussions and gatherings. Her students have won numerous awards at national and international competitions, such as Alcamo (Sicily) and Elena Nicolai (Bulgaria), as well as at the international contests: Petar Konjović, Nikola Cvejić, Lazar Jovanović, Bruna Špiler and Radmila Bakočević.

Violeta Pančetović Radaković, Doctor of Musical Arts, was conferred various awards and an Outstanding Achievements Award in the field of music pedagogy.

Vedrana Šimić (soprano) was born in 1979 in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1998 she started her university education in singing at the Music Academy in Sarajevo in the class of Prof. Paša Gackić, and in 2003 she graduated singing at the Music Academy in Zagreb in the class of Prof. Mira Zidarić Orešković.

From 2006 till 2009 she was a scholarship holder of the CEE Musiktheater/Deutsche Bank Vienna. She is a freelance artist. She had her operatic debut in 2004 singing La chauve-souris and Une pastourelle in Ravel’s L'enfant et les sortilèges. During her very active career she performed in the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka, Croatian National Theatre in Split, and the National Theatre in Sarajevo.

There she performed the following roles: Adriana in Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur, Suor Angelica in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Mimi in Puccini’s La bohème, Manon in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Amelia in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, Donna Leonora in Verdi’s La forza del destino, Madame Lidoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Tatyana in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Djula in Gotovac’s Ero the Joker, Mara in Hatze’s Adel and Mara, Eva in Zajc’s Nikola Šubić Zrinski, Danica in De Sarno’s Balkan Empress, Second Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Fifth Flowermaiden in Wagner’s Parsifal, Allania in Zanettovich’s Marco Polo, Miss Jessel in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, and Elena in Boito’s Mefistofele.

She participated in the opera festival in Brasília, Brazil in 2013 and 2014, where she performed the role of Tosca in Puccini’s Tosca, and participated in gala concerts performing Salome’s final scene from Strauss’s opera Salome.

For the role of Madame Lidoine from Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites she was nominated for the Croatian Artist Award in 2007 in the category for exceptional artist achievement for singers under the age of thirty.

For the role of Adriana from Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur she received the Croatian Artist Award in 2011 in the category best female role in opera. For the same role she received the “Štefanija Lenković” award from the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka for the best female role in two seasons.

For the roles Donna Leonora from Verdi’s La forza del destino and Manon from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut she received her second “Štefanija Lenković” award for best female role in the last two seasons.

She has been very active also as a concert soloist and collaborated with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Rijeka Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the Croatian National Television, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Sarajevo Philharmonic, and Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra.

As a soloist she performed in Great Britain, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania under the conduct of prominent conductors such as N. Bareza, I. Lipanović, M. Homen, L. Voltolini, Z. Juranić, K. Arp, N. Matošević, M. Sinkevich, U. Lajovic and others.

In cooperation with the Sarajevo Philharmonic she realized a large number of performances, one of the highlights being the concert in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna in June 2007. For the Croatian National Television archives, she recorded 15 solo vocal compositions by Croatian composers Ivana Lang, Ferdo Livadić and Milan Prebanda, accompanied by piano and string orchestra.

Sofija Cingula, mezzo-soprano, began her musical education at the Music School in Varaždin. She studied solo singing at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. She completed her undergraduate studies and subsequently began and completed her master’s studies in Opera (vocal class of mag. art. Sebastian Vittucci, opera studio of Prof. Curt Malm and Prof. Uwe Theimer). She first enrolled in master’s studies in Lied and Oratorio in the class of the primadonna KS Marjana Lipovšek, and later in the class of the renowned opera soloist, concert artist and composer KS Robert Holl, with whom she completed this part of her studies as well.

The concert and operatic performances of mezzo-soprano Sofija Cingula cover a wide and diverse repertoire – from early music to contemporary world premieres by modern authors, who often dedicate their works to her. Since her student days, she has successfully performed operatic roles in Croatia and abroad.

She collaborates with many Croatian and international conductors, ensembles, and renowned artists. She is a promoter of Croatian women composers and composers abroad, with a special focus on the composers of the Varaždin and Istrian compositional circles, as well as women composers from her region.

She has been actively engaged in vocal pedagogy for about twenty years. She participates in numerous Croatian and international artistic and pedagogical workshops, seminars, and symposia, and is the author of several papers, lectures, and presentations that approach vocal technique and pedagogy from the perspective of science and the latest research.

She is a member of juries at international competitions in solo singing and chamber music.

Since 2016, she has been involved in creating a special music concept titled “Koncert u mraku” (“Concert in the Dark”). The realization of these concerts has been supported for almost a decade by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia.

At the Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin, she conceived and for two seasons moderated a concert matinée series titled “Koncert uz kavu”.

Performing the role of Abuela in Manuel de Falla’s opera La vida breve, she made her debut at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka, where she has since been active both as assistant to stage directors Christian Romanowski, Fabrizio Melano, Renata Carola Gatica, Marin Blažević, Dražen Siriščević and Diana Haller, and as a soloist. In 2022, she performed (both as assistant to stage directors in three opera productions and as a singer in the role of Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi) at the renowned international Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland.

In 2025, within the Croatian Opera Academy, she directed a production independently for the first time (W. A. Mozart, La clemenza di Tito).

Sofija Cingula has performed at festivals such as the Savonlinna Opera Festival, Varaždin Baroque Evenings, Orgulje Heferer, VaCLAF Festival, Marulić Days, BeMus Festival, Opera in the City, Concerts in the Euphrasian Basilica, etc.

She is employed as an Associate Professor in the Music and Media program at the University North.

Silvia Minea began her musical education in the piano department of the Music School “Isidor Bajić” in Novi Sad, and in 2000 she graduated from the same school’s solo singing department in the class of Prof. Dr. Milica Stojadinović. During her studies, she won prizes at national competitions, as well as at the “Nikola Cvejić” Competition in Ruma.

With a scholarship from the Government of Romania, she completed her undergraduate studies at the National University of Music in Bucharest, where she graduated in 2005, marking the completion of her studies with a series of performances of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, performing the roles of Pamina and the First Lady, as well as solo concerts of lieder and oratorio repertoire. At the same university, she completed her master’s degree in 2006, performing the role of Mimì in Puccini’s opera La Bohème..

During her studies, her mentors were distinguished Romanian artists and pedagogues: baritone Mircea Bezetti, Victoria Bezetti, long-time prima donna of the Romanian National Opera in Bucharest, and baritone Emil Matei. She also continued her professional development by attending numerous masterclasses with eminent singers and pedagogues, including Kaludi Kaludov, Claudia Visca, Olga Makarina, and David Bižić.

In addition to numerous concert and recital appearances in Bucharest, she won a Special Prize at a competition organized by the Hungarian Cultural Centre in Bucharest in 2006, which enabled her to give a series of solo concerts. From 2005 to 2009, she was a member of the choirs Divina Armonie and Nihil Sine Deo, frequently appearing as a soloist in their concerts. With these ensembles, she gave numerous performances featuring sacred, Romanian folk, and operatic music, and toured throughout Romania, Bulgaria, and France, including a Christmas performance in the renowned festival city of Aix-en-Provence.

In 2009, she returned to Novi Sad and began working in the music editorial department of the Romanian- and Serbian-language programmes of Radio Novi Sad – RTV Vojvodina, where until 2013 she worked as a programme associate and editor of several original broadcasts.

Parallel to her work in the media, she performed at concerts and festivals in Romania, Croatia, and Serbia, as well as at several editions of the Festivals of Romanian Romance and Christmas Music. She also gave a series of solo recitals throughout Vojvodina (Vršac, Zrenjanin, Pančevo, Sombor, Senta, Kanjiža, Bečej, etc.).

Within the the project Songs of Our Surroundings (2017–2019), she presented concerts of art songs and operatic arias by Serbian, Hungarian, and Romanian composers in significant cultural institutions and concert venues: the George Enescu Museum in Bucharest, Ruse in Bulgaria, Matica Srpska in Novi Sad, the Subotica City Hall, as well as the Gallery of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Belgrade.

Since 2010, she has been working as a teacher of voice at the Petar Konjović Music School in Sombor. She has participated as a jury member in several competitions in Serbia, including the Nikola Cvejić Competition in Ruma, the Mita Topalović Competition in Pančevo, and Vocal Rhapsody in Belgrade. Her students regularly win prizes at national and international competitions and successfully continue their education at music academies, while some have already established themselves as promising young talents on the operatic stage.

Nada Nikolić is a Serbian soprano, Professor of Vocal Art, vocal artist, and voice pedagogue. Born in Niš into a musical family, she began her rich vocal career at the age of sixteen by participating in numerous festivals, where she received multiple awards for Best Vocal Soloist and Artistic Interpretation. The pinnacle of her early achievements was the title “PRVI GLAS SRBIJE,” which she won in 1997 at a singers’ competition organized by Radio Beograd and the Radiodifuzna agencija Srbije. As a result of this distinction, she made permanent recordings for Radio Beograd and RTV Banja Luka. Today, she is a distinguished vocal artist of Radio-televizija Srbije.

She began her musical education in Niš, where she graduated from Srednja muzička škola in two departments: the Department of Vocal Art in the class of Professor Gordana Milošević and the Theoretical Department. In 2005, she enrolled in undergraduate studies at Fakultet umetnosti Univerziteta in the Vocal Art Study Program under the guidance of M.A. Violeta Pančetović Radaković, graduating in 2011. In 2016, she enrolled in specialist academic studies in the Vocal Art Study Program at Muzička akademija u Beogradu, also in the class of M.A. Violeta Pančetović Radaković.

Throughout her career, she has continuously pursued professional development. In 2014, she actively participated in the masterclass of Professor Emerita Radmila Bakočević, where she performed Tosca’s aria “Vissi d’arte” (G. Puccini) at the final concert. In 2016, she attended a masterclass led by opera collaborative pianist Đorđe Nešić as part of advanced training for vocal artists at Zadužbina Ilije M. Kolarca.

Her pedagogical work has been marked by exceptional and sustained success. Since 2011, she has worked as a Professor of Vocal Art, Chamber Music, and Jazz Singing at Muzička škola „Stanislav Binički” in Leskovac and Muzička škola „Stevan Mokranjac” in Vranje. Since 2021, she has been engaged as a Professor of Vocal Art, Chamber Music, and Sight-Reading at Muzička škola u Nišu. Between 2011 and 2025, students from her vocal studio achieved outstanding results at national and international competitions and festivals, winning more than sixty awards and distinctions. Alongside her teaching activities, she served as a jury member at the solo singers’ competition “Mita Topalović” in Pančevo (2012 and 2014), the International Festival of Muzička škola „Petar Stojanović” in Ub (2016), and the International Solo Singing Competition “Belkanto” in Niš (2024).

Nada Nikolić’s artistic career has been distinguished by notable solo performances with prominent orchestras and ensembles. In 2008, she appeared with the Niš Symphony Orchestra in Niš and Belgrade, performing Santuzza’s aria from “Cavalleria Rusticana” (P. Mascagni). In 2012, at the New Year’s Concert, she premiered 410 for voice and orchestra, as well as Rosalinde’s aria from the operetta “Slepi miš.” In 2016, at a major humanitarian concert with the same orchestra, she performed Elena’s aria from “I Vespri Siciliani” (G. Verdi) and Silva’s aria from the operetta “The Gipsy Princess” (E. Kálmán). As a soloist, she regularly performs with the Academic Choir of the University of Niš at the renowned festival “Muzički edikt” and at the celebration of the University of Niš Day. She has established highly successful collaborations with Serbian conductors such as Dejan Savić, Suzana Kostić, Milena Injac, Miroslav Ivanković, and Zoran Stanisavljević, as well as conductors of international reputation, including Le Fi Fi (Vietnam) and Svilen Simeonov (Bulgaria).

She actively participates in the opera projects of Fakultet umetnosti u Nišu. In 2013, she performed the role of Count Orlofsky in the operetta “Slepi miš” (J. Strauss), appearing in Niš and Belgrade, while in 2016 she performed the role of Berta in the opera “Seviljski berberin” (G. Rossini). In 2014, she participated in the ceremonial opening of the music festival “Ledamus” in Leskovac, performing Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” She has also maintained fruitful collaborations with the vocal ensembles “Libero” from Leskovac, “Konstantin” from Niš, and the vocal ensemble “Fuego.”

A significant part of her artistic activity consists of recitals with piano accompaniment and chamber music performances. Under the title “EMOTIONS,” she presents on the Serbian music scene a representative program featuring works by early masters, Baroque composers, Romantic repertoire, and works by German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Slavic, and Serbian composers. Within this activity, she has given full-length recitals in collaboration with M.A. Dragan Jovanović at Galerija Narodnog muzeja u Vranju (2011, 2014, 2015), the Ceremonial Hall of the Municipality of Leskovac (2014, 2016), the Ceremonial Hall of Muzička škola „Stevan Mokranjac” (2015), Zamak kulture in Vrnjačka Banja (2015), and Muzej Narodnog pozorišta u Beogradu (2016). In 2020, she gave a full-length recital at Kulturni centar u Surdulici with piano collaboration by Professor Pavle Šokac.

As a soloist, she also collaborates with the chamber orchestra “Amoroso” from Leskovac, with whom she toured Tuzla, Skopje, and East Sarajevo in 2018. In 2022, she also participated in their jubilee concert “20 dana za 20 godina Amoroza” in Leskovac.

Nada Nikolić is the founder and a member of the renowned chamber ensemble “TRIO GRAZIOSO” (two voices and piano), with which she has achieved notable performances throughout Serbia. In 2007, the ensemble received the highest critical acclaim at the Festival kamerne muzike u Beogradu, which led to an appearance at the final concert of the most successful ensembles in the Great Hall of Zadužbina Ilije M. Kolarca. The following year, in 2008, the trio premiered Mozart’s work at the annual concert of Fakultet umetnosti u Nišu.

Over the years, “TRIO GRAZIOSO” has presented numerous full-length concerts and festival performances at the Concert and Exhibition Hall of Fakultet umetnosti u Nišu (2011, 2013), Galerija Narodnog muzeja u Vranju (2012, 2014), the festivals “Maj, mesec muzike” in Vranje and “Ledamus” in Leskovac (2013, 2014), Zamak kulture in Vrnjačka Banja (2016), and Kulturni centar u Medveđi (2018).

She further confirmed her international pedagogical engagement in 2026 by giving a masterclass at the Kalamaria Conservatory in Thessaloniki.

Aleksandra Vojvodić-Jovović is a soprano with an extensive educational and professional background in music. She was born in Bar, Montenegro. Her musical journey began at the Lower Music School in Bar, where she completed her primary music education. She continued her studies at the “Vasa Pavić” Secondary Music School in Podgorica, specializing in both Music Theory and Solo Singing under the guidance of Professor Larisa Dašić-Simović. She graduated from the Music Academy in Cetinje with a degree in Music Theory and subsequently pursued studies in Solo Singing at the Music Academy in East Sarajevo under the tutelage of the renowned prima donna Professor Radmila Bakočević. She later earned a Master's degree in Solo Singing under the mentorship of Aleksandra Ristić, MA.

Aleksandra has performed extensively in Montenegro and abroad. Her notable appearances include performances at the Pavel Slobodkin Concert Hall in Moscow; Expo Milano; and concerts in Rome, Istanbul, Sarajevo, Skopje, the Croatian Music Institute and the Mimara Museum in Zagreb, the Filodramatica Hall in Rijeka, Pula, the Croatian National Theatre in Split, Ljubljana, Belgrade, and many other cities. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with distinguished ensembles, including the Symphony Orchestra of Montenegro under the baton of the renowned Croatian opera conductor Miroslav Homen. She has also performed with Radovan Papović's Revue and Mediterranean Orchestra, as well as with the choir Antivari Musica under the direction of Miro Krušić.

Aleksandra has taken part in numerous musical and stage productions, collaborating with acclaimed directors such as Slobo Milatović, Draško Đurović, Goran Bjelanović, and others. She released the album Korijeni (Roots), featuring Montenegrin songs arranged in a New Age style. Together with her colleague Aleksandar Basarab, she prepared arrangements of Montenegrin songs for voice, piano, and flute, which she performed with the trio Gracije. As a highlight of her recording career, she released the single and music video Iskra Vječnog Plamena (The Spark of the Eternal Flame), with music composed by Slaven Knezović. Most recently, she performed in the concert Music of the Film Universe at the Music Centre of Montenegro, organized by the Montenegrin Cinematheque. The concert was directed by Goran Bjelanović and conducted by Miro Krušić, MA. Aleksandra is also actively involved in national and international music competitions. She served as a jury member at the International Competition “V. A. Lemeshev” in Moscow, where she additionally conducted a masterclass for the participants. For many years, she served as the music selector of the Barski ljetopis Festival.

Alongside her performing career, Aleksandra is dedicated to music education. She teaches at the “Petar II Petrović Njegoš” School of Music in Bar, where she served as Head of the Institution for three terms. She also teaches at the “Andre Navarra” Secondary Music School for Gifted Students in Podgorica, where her students have achieved notable success at international competitions.

Maja Đokić was born in Sarajevo in 1973. She graduated from the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, majoring in solo singing, under the mentorship of professor Aleksandra Ivanović. She is actively involved in the world of music as a long-time pedagogue and a member of various organizations, and she has also served as the head of the solo singing department.

She has been working as a professor since 1996. Throughout her career, she worked at music schools in Šabac, Ub, Vršac, and Pančevo, where she led the department of solo singing at the "Jovan Bandur" Music School in Pančevo. From 2011 to 2018, she held the same role at the "Dr Vojislav Vučković" Music School in Belgrade, where she has been actively teaching since 2010.

Professor Đokić gained a deep understanding of music theory and interpretation during her studies. Her career is shaped by her long-term work with her students, who have participated in various events, projects, and competitions, winning over 200 awards at both national and international competitions.

In addition to her teaching work, professor Đokić has been a member of juries at numerous competitions. Some of the national competitions where she has served as a jury member include: the "Dušan Protić Memorial" in Belgrade, the National Music School Competition, the National Festival of Music Schools, Serbian Song in Mladenovac, and the "Binički" competition in Belgrade. She has also been a jury member at international competitions, including the "Mita Topalović" International Competition in Pančevo, "Vocal Rhapsody" in Belgrade, "Primavera" in Bijeljina, the "Federal Competition of Bosnia and Herzegovina," "Nikola Cvejić" in Ruma, and "Lav Mirski" in Osijek.

Professor Maja Đokić also shows interest in other vocal activities outside of her pedagogical work. As a long-time soloist of the Academic Choir "Jovan Bandur" from Pančevo, she has performed at many of its concerts. She has also collaborated successfully for many years with the "Children for Children" foundation and the Children’s philharmonic on the project "May, Month of Music," aimed at promoting music education for young children, supported by the "Novak Đoković Foundation." She also collaborates with the Regional Children's Philharmonic in Sarajevo.

Dedicated to her profession for many years, professor Maja Đokić has encouraged her students to be active in concerts, as evidenced by the full concert halls where they have performed, both in Belgrade and other cities in Serbia and the region. These venues include: Guarnerius Fine Arts Center, Artget Gallery, Belgrade City Library, Kolarac Endowment (solo and chamber performances), Kolarac Gallery, Palilula Cultural Institution, the concert hall of the "Dr Vojislav Vučković" Music School, the "Čukarica" Cultural Center, the "Jovan Bandur" Music School in Pančevo, the "Mihailo Vukdragović" Music School in Šabac, SANU Gallery, King Peter I House, the Museum of Theater Arts of Serbia, the Historical Museum of Serbia, the City Museum of Pančevo, the ceremonial hall of the Serbian Army House, the "Cvijeta Zuzorić" Art Pavilion, the Cultural Center of Gornji Milanovac, the "Parobrod" Cultural Institution in Belgrade, and the Nušić Foundation in Belgrade.

Through collaboration with the Music-Opera-Theater Organization (MOTO), professor Đokić’s students participate in the BEMUS festival in the premiere of the first opera for children, "Children’s Room" by Milenko Živković, based on the stories of Desanka Maksimović. They also collaborate with the Italian Embassy in the concert for the "Buongiorno Italia" event. Additionally, they perform in the region, including at the Portrait Gallery in Tuzla.

Her pedagogical approach is characterized by dedicated, individualized guidance for each student, striving to discover and develop their unique artistic potential, and a commitment to helping them succeed in the music profession. This is demonstrated by the fact that many of her students have gone on to enroll in and successfully complete their studies at art academies, not only in Serbia but abroad as well.

Rezulati I kategorija

Petar Marković graduated from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade in 2000, majoring in piano in the class of MA Jokut Mihajlović, with an average grade of 9.33. He completed his specialist studies in the field of piano (GPA 10.00) at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, in the class of Dr. Biljana Gorunović. In 2011, he obtained his Master of Arts degree in the field of piano (GPA 10.00) at the Music Academy in East Sarajevo, under the mentorship of MA Irina Skerl, earning the academic title of Master of Arts – Piano.

During his studies, he collaborated as an artistic associate at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, at the Department of Singing, in the classes of Dr. Emeritus Radmila Bakočević and Prof. Zvonimir Krnetić. After completing his specialist piano studies, he continued to actively collaborate as an artistic associate at the Faculty of Philology and Arts (FILUM) in Kragujevac.

Upon the invitation of Full Professor Dr. Milica Stojadinović (soprano), he worked with singers in her class (on a freelance basis) at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He has also built a successful career as a pianist and chamber music performer. He has collaborated with many distinguished professors of solo singing, including Dr. Emeritus Radmila Bakočević (Faculty of Music in Belgrade, FILUM Kragujevac, Music Academy East Sarajevo), Dr. Emeritus Biserka Cvejić (Faculty of Music in Belgrade), Dr. Violeta Pančetović-Radaković (Faculty of Music in Belgrade), MA Marina Trajković-Bidžovski (FILUM Kragujevac), MA Georgi Minov (FILUM Kragujevac), MA Višnja Pavlović (Faculty of Music in Belgrade), and MA Jasna Šajinović (FILUM Kragujevac).

Since 2009, he has been employed as a full-time artistic associate at FILUM in Kragujevac. He has performed extensively in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro as a pianist and artistic collaborator. Since 2017, he has also been active in chamber music, particularly in a piano duo.

He served as official piano accompanist at the International Singing Competition "Nikola Cvejić" in Ruma, and the International Singing Competition "Radmila Bakočević" in Kragujevac. Additionally, he has participated in numerous vocal competitions in Belgrade, Mladenovac, Novi Sad, Bečej, Bijeljina, Ub, Herceg Novi, and other cities.

Since 2014, he has held the title of Senior Artistic Associate at FILUM in Kragujevac, at the Department of Singing, working in the classes of MA Oliver Njego and MA Vojislav Spasić. As of February 27, 2024, he holds the academic title of Independent Artistic Associate at FILUM in Kragujevac.

Vojislav Spasić, Professor at the University of Kragujevac and an Honorary Doctor of Science of the same University. He holds a Master of Arts degree and is a regular member of the Serbian Academy of Innovative Sciences.

Born in Niš into a musical family, Spasić received his primary music education at the Elementary Music School in Niš, violin department. He completed his secondary music education in Kragujevac, specializing in both violin and solo singing.

In 1998, he began his singing studies at the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade, in the class of prima donna Prof. Emeritus Dr. Radmila Bakočević. He later completed his postgraduate studies at the Academy of Music in East Sarajevo, where he earned his Master’s degree in solo singing.

His first pedagogical experience dates back to 1999 at the Music School in Kragujevac. In 2005, he began his academic career at the Faculty of Philology and Arts (FILUM), University of Kragujevac, as a teaching assistant. He subsequently advanced through the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and ultimately Full Professor. His continuous and successful artistic and pedagogical activity, both in Serbia and abroad, has significantly contributed to his professional development and reputation. As a soloist, he has performed in Russia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Hungary, and beyond.

At FILUM, he teaches the main subject Solo Singing, as well as Methodology of Vocal Instruction, , sharing his knowledge and experience with new generations of vocal artists and pedagogues.

Spasić is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions in the field of art and culture, both in Serbia and internationally. His dual engagement as an artist and pedagogue has been widely recognized through public performances, professional seminars, and masterclasses he has led at home and abroad.

Saša Čano, born in Slavonski Brod, studied at the Academy of Music in Sarajevo in the class of Prof. Blanka Kurpjel-Danon (who had studied with Nikola Cvejić). He graduated in 1991 in the class of Prof. Borislav Aleksandrov. He continued his professional development in master classes with Prof. Dunja Vejzović. He made his debut in 1992 as Zuniga in Bizet’s opera Carmen at the National Theatre in Sarajevo. A year after graduating, he became a soloist of the Croatian National Theatre Opera in Osijek, and since 1995 he has been a permanent soloist, and later a principal soloist, of the Slovenian National Theatre Opera in Ljubljana.

As one of the leading soloists on the stage of the SNG Ljubljana Opera, he has performed an impressive number of roles in the leading bass repertoire, such as: Mephisto in Faust, Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love, Zacharia in Nabucco, Ferrando in Il trovatore, Count Walter in Luisa Miller, Colline in La Bohème, Ivan Susanin in A Life for the Tsar, Rocco in Fidelio,Marcel in Les Huguenots, Kecal in The Bartered Bride,Don Pasquale, Basilio and Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Geronte de Ravoir in Manon Lescaut, the Water Gnome in RusalkiRusalka, Daland in The Flying Dutchman,King René in Iolanta, and many others.

In January 2005, he performed the role of Gottfried in the world premiere of Offenbach's Rhine Nymphs, with which he toured in Switzerland, Italy, and Austria. He has also performed the roles of the King of Clubs and the Cook in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges , Khan Konchak in Prince Igor, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Ramfis and the King in AidiAida, and Marko in Ero the Joker...

In November 2008, he appeared in London, at Cadogan Hall, in a concert performance of Favoritkinja Donizetti’s La Favorita. He later made his debut at the Longborough Festival in 2010 as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, followed by engagements in 2011 as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte and in 2012 as Sarastro in The Magic Flute..

He has performed in Manaus (Brazil) in the famous Amazon Theatre with the Amazon Philharmonic, and in Kaliningrad with their Philharmonic Orchestra (concert arias). He appeared in Beirut at the Al Bustan Festival with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (bass solo), in Poland at the Wrocław Opera in Beethoven’s Fidelio, at the Opéra de Rennes in France as Dikoy in Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová, and in cities such as London, Hong Kong, Macau, Maribor, Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula, Split, Osijek, Novi Sad, Bolzano (Italy), Sankt Pölten (Austria), Winterthur and Neuheim (Switzerland), Pécs and Baja (Hungary).

His concert repertoire includes Verdi's Requiem, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Rossini's and Dvořák's Stabat Mater, as well as recitals of Romantic music by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Schubert, and Grieg.

For many years, he has been working as a vocal pedagogue at the Moste-Polje Music School in Ljubljana, and since 2021 he has been the artistic director of the women’s choir Rosa in Ljubljana.

Dragana Radaković was born in Novi Sad. She graduated and received her master’s degree in two departments: conducting and solo singing, at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. She completed her conducting studies in the class of Prof. Stanko Šepić, and singing in the class of Prof. Radmila Bakočević. She further perfected her skills in masterclasses with Mirella Freni, Renata Scotto, and Nikola Mitić. Since 2000, she has been employed at the Faculty of Music, where for 16 years she has been successfully leading the Opera Studio course, holding the title of full professor. Together with FMU students, she has staged numerous productions and concerts, participating in the most significant festivals in the country and the region.

She has built an exceptionally rich operatic career on many European and world opera stages (over 1200 performances to date). In recent years, these include: Sydney Opera House, Handa Opera by Sydney – Sydney; Arts Centre – Melbourne (Australia); Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía – Valencia (Spain); Hungarian State Opera – Budapest (Hungary); Opera Nice – Nice (France); Bolshoi Theatre – Minsk (Belarus); Romanian National Opera House – Bucharest, Timișoara, Cluj, Craiova, Constanța (Romania); China National Centre for the Performing Arts – Beijing; Macao Cultural Centre – Macao (China); Slovenian National Theatre – Maribor; Cankarjev dom – Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kaohsiung Centre for Performing Arts (Taiwan); Moldavian National Opera House – Chișinău (Moldova); Cairo Opera Company – Cairo (Egypt); Bulgarian National Theatre – Sofia, Varna, Stara Zagora, Ruse (Bulgaria); State Opera Banská Bystrica (Slovakia); Croatian National Theatre – Osijek (Croatia); the National Theatre in Belgrade, and the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad...

In Germany, she has sung in opera houses such as Staatsteater am Gärtnerplatz – Munich, Opernhaus – Dortmund, Scharoun Theater – Wolfsburg, Saarländisches Staatstheater – Saarbrücken, as well as at festivals in Schwerin Schloss – Schwerin and Braunschweig. She has also appeared at festivals in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Among her soprano roles are: Turandot – Turandot, Abigaille – Nabucco, Tosca – Tosca, Santuzza – Cavalleria Rusticana, Aida – Aida, Leonora – Il Trovatore, La Forza del Destino, Odabella – Attila, Desdemona – Otello, Elisabetta – Don Carlo, Adriana – Adriana Lecouvreur, Norma – Norma, Marguerite – Faust, Donna Anna – Don Giovanni, Mimì – La Bohème, Mary Warren – The Crucible, Rosalinde – Die Fledermaus, Sylva – The Csárdás Princess...

As a conductor, she led the Opera Studio at the National Theatre from 2008 to 2010, and for several seasons conducted the opera Rigoletto. In June 2022, she conducted Carmina Burana with the Opera ensemble of the National Theatre as part of the Belef Festival. She also realized a collaboration between the FMU Opera Studio and the National Theatre Opera Studio with the production of Suor Angelica, which was performed on Theatre Day, November 22, 2024. For the closing of the RTS summer season on July 5, 2024, she conducted a concert titled An Evening of Argentine Music at Kolarac National University with the RTS Choir. She has performed with all Belgrade orchestras: Belgrade Philharmonic, RTS Symphony Orchestra, the Art Ensemble of the Ministry of Defense “Stanislav Binički,” and the Orchestra of the National Theatre Opera. She was also, for three seasons, the artistic director and conductor of AKUD Lola.

Since 2021, she has been a member of the Management Board of the Guarnerius Art Centre and a member of the Council of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. From December 2024 to October 2025, she served as Artistic Director of the Opera of the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad.

Dragoljub Bajić, born in Belgrade on February 22, 1976, is an opera singer and professor. He began his musical education at the “Stanković” Music School under the guidance of Prof. Ljubica Živković, and completed both his Bachelor's and Doctoral studies in vocal performance at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, in the class of Prof. Nikola Mijailović.

He is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions, including “Vojislav Vučković,” “Petar Konjović,” and “Lazar Jovanović,” as well as first prizes at the international competitions “Jeunesses Musicales” in Belgrade (2008) and “Elena Teodorini” in Romania (2013).

As a scholarship recipient of the Musik Theater Foundation in Vienna (2006–2008), he was recognized as one of the most promising young voices from the Balkans. Since 2009, he has collaborated with Riccardo Muti, performing in concerts in Salzburg, Ravenna, and Florence, which led to an invitation to perform at the Vienna State Opera.

Throughout his career, Bajić has performed in prestigious opera houses and concert halls around the world, including in Vienna, Salzburg, Dubai, Seoul, Florence, Moscow, and Bucharest. In 2017, he was awarded the title of Principal Opera Singer at the National Theatre in Belgrade.

In 2023, he was awarded a Doctor of Music degree from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, where he now holds the position of Assistant Professor. His interpretations are praised as inspiring, technically precise, and deeply musical. As of July 2025, he serves as Acting Director of the National Theatre in Belgrade.

Snežana (Nena) Brzaković Vocal Pedagogue and Singer ,Mezzosoprano ,Artistic Director, Guest Professor

Internationally renowned vocal pedagogue and opera singer Snežana Nena Brzaković combines the highest artistic quality with profound pedagogical expertise. She studied voice in Belgrade and Berlin, refining her technique under the guidance of Norma Sharp and Brigitte Fassbaender.

Her artistic career includes collaborations with world-famous conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, and Sir Simon Rattle. As a soloist, she has built a rich concert career, performing on distinguished stages across Europe and worldwide.

She has also contributed to opera productions through role coaching and rehearsal preparation at the Staatsoper Berlin as well as at other opera houses in Germany.

At her Institute for Singing and Breathing Technique in Berlin, which she founded in 2007, she prepares singers for professional engagements and academic studies, particularly for entrance examinations at music universities.

From 1998 to 2007 she taught at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. She is currently Associate Professor of Opera Singing and Stage Movement at the Academy of Music in Berlin, where she trains young artists for professional careers. As a Guest Professor and lecturer, she is in high demand internationally: her teaching has taken her to institutions in Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden. Beyond Europe, she has achieved great success in Mexico City, where her online masterclass on functional breathing technique was followed live by more than 10,000 viewers. She has also taught in Singapore, Malaysia, and Borneo with outstanding results.

Since 2007 she has served as Artistic Director of the international opera masterclass Oper Oder-Spree – a role that requires year-round dedication. Selecting and confirming faculty, coordinating schedules, designing and publishing calls for applications, selecting participants, managing scholarships, and maintaining the festival’s social media presence. Artistically, she is responsible for the creative direction, rehearsals, and highlights of the festival.

Since 2015 she has also been Vocal Coach at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, preparing children’s choirs and young soloists for major opera productions. Work with choirs as a vocal coach has become one of her specialties, including projects such as the Federación de la Coros de Región de Murcia (FECOREM), and collaborations with outstanding ensembles such as the Ljubljana Philharmonic Choir, Junges Consortium Berlin, and Voices of Singapore, all of which have received excellent acclaim from singers and audiences alike.

In addition, she regularly serves as a jury member at international competitions and as an examiner at the Opera Studio of the Faculty of Music in Bern, Switzerland. Since 2020, she has been the founder and artistic director of the “Masterclass de canto lírico,” held every October in Spain, bringing together young opera singers from around the globe. She also works as a consultant for opera agencies, supporting the professional development and career paths of singers with her wide-ranging expertise. With her infectious passion for voice, expression, and breathing, Snežana Nena Brzaković continues to inspire singers and musicians worldwide – on stage, in the classroom, at festivals, and in the digital sphere.

Smiljana Ružić was born in 1976 in Sombor, where she completed her primary music education at the “Petar Konjović” Music School, flute department, in the class of Anica Sokol. As a flutist, she won numerous first prizes at national and federal competitions.

She continued her musical education at the “Isidor Bajić” Secondary Music School in Novi Sad, at the solo singing department—first in the class of Dr. Milica Stojadinović, and later in the class of Prof. Vera Kovač Vitkai, M.Mus.

In 1995 she enrolled at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, Department of Solo Singing, where she graduated in 1999 in the class of Prof. Radmila Bakočević, M.Mus.

During her studies, she received a number of awards, participated in projects of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, and performed at many concerts and cultural events.

After graduating, she joined the “Studio za lepo pevanje” where she collaborated with the prima donna Olga Milošević and Professor Aleksandar Kolarević. During her time with the studio, she gave numerous concerts across the country and took part in many radio and television programs.

She began working as a vocal pedagogue in 2002 at the “Stanković” Music School in Belgrade, and since 2003 she has been permanently employed at the ‘Davorin Jenko’ Music School in Belgrade.” Throughout her teaching career, her students have won numerous awards at national and international competitions and festivals (in Serbia, Austria, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, etc.). Many of them have continued their education at prestigious music universities both at home and abroad, such as the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, the School of Fine and Performing Arts – Columbia College (USA), Berklee College of Music – Boston (USA), and the Taras Shevchenko National University – Luhansk (Ukraine), among others. She has further developed her artistry through masterclasses with Mirella Freni (Italy), Elena Obraztsova (Russia), and Dr. Helen Tintes (Austria).

Ljubica Miladinović was born in 1984 in Požarevac. She completed both lower and secondary music school at the “Stevan Mokranjac” Music School in Požarevac. She studied solo singing in the class of Professor Olivera Janićević and later in the class of Professor Tatjana Milovan at the “Dr. Miloje Milojević” Music School in Kragujevac. She continued her education at the Faculty of Philology and Arts in Kragujevac, where she studied two departments – General Music Pedagogy and Solo Singing in the class of the prima donna Radmila Bakočević.

Alongside solo singing, numerous competitions, awards, and appearances as a soloist at all city celebrations in Požarevac, she developed a special love for choral music. In 1999, she became a member of the City Women’s Choir “Barili” from Požarevac, where she gained significant stage experience, later also performing as a soloist of the choir on the most prestigious stages and competitions in Serbia and abroad – Kolarac Endowment, BEMUS – Sava Center, SANU Gallery, Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein with a performance alongside the Vienna Boys’ Choir, the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava, the National Theatre Belgrade, Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Madlenianum, Andrićgrad, and others.

She was also a member and soloist of other notable choirs: the Academic Chamber Choir “Lyceum” Kragujevac, the Church Choir “Braničevo” Požarevac, the Chamber Choir “Odjek” Požarevac, among others. Together with colleagues from the “Stevan Mokranjac” Music School Požarevac – soprano Marta Blagojević and Professor Ilija Rajković – she founded the Chamber Ensemble “Lyrica” in 2016.

In addition to solo, chamber, and choir performances, she dedicates special attention and love to traditional Serbian music as well as conducting. In 2013, she formed the Women’s Singing Group of the City Ensemble of Folk Dances and Songs at the Cultural Center Požarevac, where she successfully worked for more than ten years as a vocal pedagogue and conductor. The most significant achievements include first prizes and laureate titles at competitions and festivals, permanent recordings for Radio Belgrade, a performance at the international conference of the SANU Institute of Musicology, full-length concerts at the Milena Pavlović Barili Gallery, and others. She also founded a Children’s Ethno Choir within the same ensemble, which included over forty singers aged six to thirteen. Since 2019, she has been the conductor of the Preschool Teachers’ Choir of the “Ljubica Vrebalov” Preschool Institution in Požarevac.

She also nurtures and performs traditional and urban folk songs. She was the laureate of the “Carevac Days” manifestation in Veliko Gradište (2018), and as the competition winner, she performed with the RTS National Orchestra conducted by Vlada Panović at the concert “Carevac in Vračar,” within the “European Heritage Days” event on the plateau in front of the Temple of Saint Sava, both as a soloist and in a duet with Oliver Njego. With the RTS National Orchestra, she made permanent recordings for Radio Belgrade and a CD “Zlatno gudalo” (“Golden Bow”) marking the 30th anniversary of the “Carevac Days” competition.

Her pedagogical work began in 2007 at the “Dr. Miloje Milojević” Music School as a solo singing teacher, and since 2018 she has been employed at the “Stevan Mokranjac” Music School in Požarevac, teaching solo singing and theoretical subjects. She has also served as the head of the department for wind instruments and solo singing. Her students have won high prizes and laureate titles at the most important competitions in Serbia – the National Competition, the International Competition of Solo Singers “Nikola Cvejić” in Ruma, the International Competition of Solo Singers “Lazar Jovanović” in Belgrade, the International Competition of Young Solo Singers “Mita Topalović” in Pančevo, the International Competition “Belcanto” in Niš, and others.

Natalija Ilić, soprano, was born in Belgrade. She completed her primary and secondary musical education at the “Mokranjac” Music School in Belgrade, in the solo singing department under Professor Gordana Protić. She began her solo singing studies at the Faculty of Contemporary Arts in the class of Professor Radmila Smiljanić, and later continued in the class of Professor Aleksandra Stamenković, from whose class she graduated.

During and after her studies, she performed as a soloist in well-known concert halls both in Serbia and abroad, winning awards at international competitions. Within the Opera Studio of the National Theatre, she debuted in Puccini’s opera Suor Angelica, performing one of the sisters.

Among her numerous performances, notable solo concerts include the Kolarac Endowment in the cycle “Encounter with the Artist”, and a concert at the Student Cultural Center, as well as performances with the Zemun Chamber Orchestra and the Art Ensemble of the Ministry of Defense “Stanislav Binički”. In the theatrical monodrama by Terence McNally, “Master Class”, in which the title role of Maria Callas was masterfully performed by Jelisaveta Seka Sablić, Natalija successfully interpreted the role of Sophie de Palma, her student. The production was highly attended and educational. She remains active as a concert performer.

Since 2007, she has been engaged in pedagogical work at the “Petar Konjović” Music School in Belgrade, as well as at the Graphic Media School. The experience of both individual and group teaching she gained in these schools proved highly applicable, and within the institution, she gave lectures sharing her experience with colleagues and students.

Later, she moved from the Graphic Media School to the “Josif Marinković” Music School in Belgrade, where she continued to develop her pedagogical skills at the secondary school level. Students of Natalija Ilić’s solo singing class have achieved success in international and national competitions and festivals, solo performances in premiere works by composers, performances with choirs and orchestras, and received full scholarships for masterclasses with eminent international professors.

For several years, she has been recognized as a teacher with the highest pedagogical achievements in the solo singing department. She is also an active member of juries at international solo singing competitions, national gatherings of high school music students, and children’s music competitions and festivals across various genres.

Macedonian soprano Vesna Ginovska Ilkova is the leading drama soprano in the National Opera and Ballet Skopje, North Macedonia.

The woman with the velvet voice impressed the audience with her musicality, charisma and strong musical drama. She is said to possess the most sophisticated piano (a part of opera technique) as well as specific vocal creation in which everyone could recognize her performance and musical stage work interpretation.

Her debut in the “Macedonian Opera and Ballet” was with the role of "Michaela" in the opera Carmen - G. Bizet in 1996. The critics recognized her as young Illyria-like soprano that owns a remarkable legato technique in her singing.

The international debut started at the National Opera in Sofia in 2001,where she worked on extremely technically complexed role of "Elizabeth" in the opera "Don Carlo" by G. Verdi. This performance brought to her an employment contract for the next production of the opera "Tosca" G. Puccini, where she interpreted the main role. She accomplished tours and performances in Rostham Teather, Airborg Center - Copenhagen, Denmark. Immediately after followed a starring engagement for the Summer Histria Festival in Pula Arena, with the role of Aida from the opera Aida, G. Verdi, where she performed together with the National Opera - HNK Zagreb, under the conductor baton of Maestro Pavle Deshpalj. She accepted the role of "Desdemona" Othello - G. Verdi, at the invitation of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and debuted on stage together with the leading tenor Janez Lotric. The most important production she worked for in that period was her apearance at the festival in Aspendos, Antalia. For that occasion she prepared Aida and the partner on stage was Boyko Tsvetanov.

For the first time she took part in the Macedonian opera "Lydia of Macedonia" by composer Risto Avramovski, where she sang the main role “Lydia” under the conductor Janosh Pshibilski.

When someone mentions "Madame Butterfly" and the role of Cio-Cio San from G. Puccini, it is an association of women who managed to raise the audience on their feet. After her performance no one stayed indifferent. With this performance she reached the pedestal of artistic creation and interpretation. In the Premiere of the opera "Turandot" she debuted with the role of "Liu" which was accepted with superlatives by domestic critic.....proved to be a true master of phrase shaping, clearly captured through the special sensibility of Ginovska Ilkova......."With her performance of the role "Mimi" in the opera "La Boheme", became recognizable the emotionally dramatic expression that she owns.

Followed the productions “Caballeria Rusticana" with the role of Santuca, P.Mascagni, "La Forca del destino", with the role of Donna Leonora, G. Verdi, "Un ballo un maschera” with the role of Amelia, G.Verdi,.....debuted in the role of Turandot in the opera "Turandot" G. Puccini.

She also made her debuts in the A. Ponchielli opera, “La Giaconda” - Giaconda, (NHK Rijeka);..G. Verdi, "Macbeth" - Lady Macbeth, G. Verdi; "Simon Bocanegra" - Amelia, "Attila" - in the role of Odabela G.Puccini Tosca - Tosca.

In concerts she performed together with Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, while also performed together with chamber orchestras and took part in numerous recitals. She took part at the opening of the high ranked "Ohrid Summer Festival" with a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, "Skopje Summer Festival" with the Verdi Requiem under the conducting baton of Josip Shego.

Her artistic repertoire brought her to the most difficult form of performance, a recital. She performed the works of Schubert, Schuman, Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Weber, Liszt, Sibelius, and Bernstein in the numerous stages and concert halls.

For the purposes of MTV has recorded premieres together with the MOB and has released her CD titled "True Value".

She worked with many conductors;Gianluca Martinenghi,Alessandro D’Agostini ,Diego Garcia Rodrigues, Sergio Alapont,Francesco Rosa,Janes Psibilski,Noorman Widjaja,Simon Krečič,Nada Matoshević,etc.

In November 2002 she was awarded with November 13th - Award of the City of Skopje, 2005 - "In the world of success," 2006 - Honorary Ambassador of Commerce of Macedonia, 2009 - "Golden Lyre" by the Association of Musical Artists of Macedonia, 2014 - " Virtuoso”

Vesna Ginovska Ilkova was born in Skopje, 1972. She graduated in the class of prof. Milka Efimova, and took MA in the class of prof. Radmila Bakochevic, Belgrade.

Marta Balaž, vocal pedagogue and concert soloist, was born in 1977 in Novi Sad. She received her secondary music education at the “Isidor Bajić” Music School, studying under Prof. Milica Stojadinović. She continued her vocal training at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade in the class of Prof. Radmila Bakočević, where she also began her postgraduate studies in concert singing. The following year, she completed her Master’s degree at the Academy of Arts in Banja Luka under the mentorship of Prof. Radmila Smiljanić.

Her artistic interests span a wide range of musical styles and periods, from early Renaissance works, masses, cantatas, and oratorios, to cycles of solo songs. A special place in her repertoire is devoted to Serbian art song, which she actively promotes. Several contemporary Serbian composers have dedicated original works to her, inspired by the unique qualities of her voice.

She has performed extensively throughout Serbia and abroad, with some of her concerts permanently archived by Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) and Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV). As a soloist, she has collaborated with notable ensembles such as the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra, “Novosadski solisti,” the Novi Sad Chamber Orchestra, “Artisti del Arco,” and the Chamber Symphony Orchestra of Zenica. In addition, she is a long-standing member of the neo-Renaissance ensemble Vitriol, with which she has given numerous concerts and recorded four CD albums.

Since 2002, Marta Balaž has been a dedicated solo singing teacher at the “Isidor Bajić” Secondary Music School in Novi Sad. Under her guidance, her students have achieved outstanding success, winning top prizes and laureate titles at both national and international competitions and festivals. Many have been awarded scholarships from the Melanija Bugarinović and Daughter Mirjana Kalinović-Kalin Foundation, and several have continued their vocal studies abroad..

In recognition of her exceptional pedagogical work, she received the Pokrajinska nagrada (Provincial Award) for educational achievement. Her professional engagements also include working as a music associate at the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. She is frequently invited to serve on the jury of prestigious vocal competitions, including the National Solo Singing Competition in Belgrade and various others across Serbia.

As the founder and director of the cultural association FloriArt, she has initiated and organized a wide range of projects for young artists—seminars, workshops, concerts, and more. Among her most notable initiatives is the solo singing competition in Novi Sad, originally named after the celebrated opera singer and professor Vera Kovač Vitkai. Now known as Artisti della Voce, the festival has grown into a comprehensive platform that includes competitions, lectures, masterclasses, and concerts, all dedicated to vocal and operatic art. The event is officially recognized by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia and is included in the national calendar of significant music competitions.

Through FloriArt, she has also engaged in music education for young children, serving as the artistic director and conductor of a children's choir that has performed at major cultural events in Novi Sad and beyond.

Since 2022, Marta Balaž has held the position of Senior Assistant at the Department of Solo Singing at P. Slobomir University in Bijeljina, further expanding her contributions to vocal education at the academic level.