Dejan Despić (, sr-cyr, Дејан Деспић; 11 May 1930 – 16 November 2024) was a Serbian classical composer, author, music theoretician and pedagogue.

Biography

Despić studied

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

with Marko Tajčević and

conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or Choir, choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary d ...

with

Mihajlo Vukdragović Mihajlo ( sr-cyr, Михајло) is a South Slavic variant of the name ''Michael'', often found among Serbs. Cognate names include Mihailo and Mijailo. ;Science *Mihajlo Pupin (1858–1935), Serbian physicist *Mihajlo D. Mesarovic (born 1928), ...

between 1950 and 1955 at the Music Academy in Belgrade. After his studies, he devoted himself to composing and teaching. From 1956 to 1965 he was teacher at “Mokranjac” music school in Belgrade and from 1956 to 1995 he worked as a Professor at the Belgrade Music Academy (FMU). Despić was a full member of the

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (; , SANU) is a national academy and the most prominent academic institution in Serbia, founded in 1841 as Society of Serbian Letters (, DSS). The Academy's membership has included Nobel Prize, Nobel la ...

(SANU). Despić was the author of more than 240 compositions - with a special penchant for concertante genres and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

– and an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

, in addition to several scientific and theoretical studies, and numerous textbooks (music theory, harmony, harmony analysis, orchestration) for both school and university level. Despić died on 16 November 2024, at the age of 94.

Music

Despić won many awards for his music; his "Manchester Trio for flute, violoncello, and piano, Op. 93" (1987) – composed specifically for a

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

performance – and "Diptih, Op. 166, for English horn and chamber orchestra" (2005) – for which he won the " Mokranjac Award" – have been particularly singled out.

References

External links

Official website

Official publisher

Biography at the website of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
* 1930 births 2024 deaths Musicians from Belgrade Serbian composers Serbian musicologists Academic staff of the University of Arts in Belgrade University of Arts in Belgrade alumni Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts {{Serbia-academic-bio-stub