Milenko Stefanović

Milenko Stefanović (19 February 1930 – 25 July 2022) was a Serbian classical and jazz clarinetist. He was a prizewinner in the international competitions in Moscow, Munich, Geneva and Prague, and achieved an international career as a soloist. He was a long-time principal clarinetist of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and Professor of Clarinet at the University of Priština and University of the Arts in Belgrade.

Education

Born in Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (present day Serbia) in a family of amateur musicians, he began his musical studies at the age of five (violin, piano and, later, clarinet). His first clarinet teacher was Franjo Partlić, principal clarinetist of the Belgrade Opera. Stefanović graduated from the Belgrade Music Academy, as a student of Professor Bruno Brun, the founder of modern Serbian school of clarinet playing (1957). He completed there, with the same teacher, his postgraduate studies and was awarded the Magister of Arts degree (1971). Additionally, he studied chamber and orchestral playing in Salzburg, Austria in the class of Igor Markevich, Erich Leinsdorf and Fernand Oubradous.''Muzička enciklopedija'' (1971–1977), s. v. “Stefanović, Milenko”Gianluca Campagnolo, ''The Great Clarinettists'' (Modica: the author, 2010), p. 15''Milenko Stefanović – clarinet''. Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio-televizije Beograd. LP 22-2528 STEREOAllan Ware, “A Chat With Professor Milenko Stefanovic and His Son Predrag” ''The Clarinet'' Vol. 15/3 (May–June 1988), p. 30Roksanda Pejović, “ Jugoslovenski umetnici sa orkestrom Filharmonije” ''Pro musica'' no. 79-80 (1975), p. 39''Ko je ko u Srbiji 1991'', s. v. “Stefanović Lj. Milenko”“Milenko Stefanović, ” ''Bulletin No. 1 of the XLII International Jeunesses Musicales Competition Belgrade'', edited by Maja Čolović Vasić (Belgrade: Jeunesses Musicales of Belgrade, 2012) ''Vreme muzike'' (dedicated to Milenko Stefanović) by Maja Čolović Vasić, Radio Belgrade 2, Thursday, March 3, 2016
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Awards and honors

Stefanović was a top-prize winner or finalist in the major Yugoslavian and international competitions, including the competitions in Sarajevo (1952), Skopje (1954), Ljubljana (1956), Moscow (1957), Munich (1957), Geneva (1957) and Prague (1959). Additionally, he was presented with the Award of the Yugoslavian Radio-Television (Ohrid, 1972), awards of the City of Belgrade for the best concert in the previous concert season (1976, 1981, 1986), with 7 July Award (1962) – the state's highest award for the arts, as well as with many other honors. In 2007, upon recommendation of the Expert Committee of the Serbian Ministry of Culture, he was awarded Special Acknowledgment for the Highest Contribution to the National Culture in the Republic of Serbia. In 2010 he was awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Musical Artists of Serbia. In 2011, at the ''ClarinetFest®'' in Northridge, California, the membership of the International Clarinet Association unanimously voted Stefanović to become an Honorary Member. On behalf of Milenko Stefanović, his granddaughter Irina received the Award on 27 July 2013, at the I.C.A. Awards Ceremony, during the ''ClarinetFest®'' in Assisi, Italy. On 12 February 2016, in Belgrade, Serbia, President of the European Clarinet Association Stephan Vermeersch awarded Professor Stefanović with the European Clarinet Association Honorary Membership for Lifetime Achievements in Performance, Teaching and Professional Service.''Mala enciklopedija Prosveta'' (1978), s. v. “Stefanović, Milenko”Andrija Blagojevic and Milan Milosevic, “Milenko Stefanovic Awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award“ ''The Clarinet'' Vol. 37/4 (September 2010), p. 17Allan Ware, “A Chat With Professor Milenko Stefanovic and His Son Predrag” ''The Clarinet'' Vol. 15/3 (May–June 1988), pp. 30–31Maxine Ramey, “I.C.A. General Business Meeting” ''The Clarinet'' Vol. 39/1 (December 2011), p. 93Živomir Milenković, “Priznanje stiglo iz Kalifornije” ''Prosvetni pregled'' ( 14–21 June 2012), p. 11Milenko Stefanović, “Interview,” interview by Maja Čolović Vasić (Belgrade, 2012), ''Bulletin No. 3 of the XLII International Jeunesses Musicales Competition Belgrade'', edited by Maja Čolović Vasić (Belgrade: Jeunesses Musicales of Belgrade, 2012).Maxine Ramey, “I.C.A. General Business Meeting” ''The Clarinet'' Vol. 40/1 (December 2012), p. 101John Cipolla, “The President's Message” ''The Clarinet'' Vol 40/2 (March 2013), p. 106Žika Milutinović, “Poslušni klarinet,“ ''Ilustrovana politika'', No. 369 (November 30, 1965), p. 29
/ref>European Clarinet Association Newsflash, July 2016
Retrieved on 16 July 2018Milenko Stefanović receives ECA Lifetime Achievement Award, by Andrija Blagojević, ECA Newsletter, July 16, 2016
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RTS2, 8 October 2013, RTS Svet, 9 October 2013 ‘’Vizija’’ (dedicated to Milenko Stefanović) by Aleksandra Glovacki, Radio Belgrade 202, Wednesday, March 9, 2016
/ref>Živomir Milenković, "Milenku Stefanoviću, univerzitetskom profesoru i legendarnom srpskom klarinetisti Evropska nagrada za životno delo," ''Prosvetni pregled'' (10 March 2016), p. 10"Milenko Stefanović počasni član Evropske klarinetističke asocijacije." ''Politika Online'', March 10, 2016
/ref>"Milenko Stefanović počasni član Evropske klarinetističke asocijacije." ''Politika'' (11 March 2016), p. 13 “Mera za muziku”, Radio Television of Serbia, March 28, 2016
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Performance career

Stefanović was the principal clarinetist of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra (1954–1976).
Apart from holding that position, he also achieved international success as a soloist and chamber music player.

During his extensive career, Stefanović has played in Europe, North America and Africa. As a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician he has collaborated with Yugoslavian and international artists, including: Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir John Barbirolli, Herbert von Karajan, Lorin Maazel, Leopold Stokowski, Kirill Kondrashin, Bernard Keeffe, Francesco Mander, Jerzy Katlewicz, Jovan Šajnović, Uroš Lajovic, Anton Kolar, Anton Nanut, Vančo Čavdarski, Živojin Zdravković, Oskar Danon