Stefan Milenkovich ( sr, Stefan Milenković, Стефан Миленковић; born January 25, 1977) is a Serbian

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist.

Early life

Milenković was born to a Serbian father, Zoran Milenković, and a Serbian-born mother of Italian descent, Lidija Kajnaco (Lidia Caenazzo).(or
in Serbian
Retrieved 2017-08-26. He started playing violin in 1980, at age three, taught by his father and often accompanied by his mother. His first public performance, in 1980, was followed by numerous youthful performances, including the Newport Rhode Island Music Festival and an appearance at a Reagan holiday special when he was ten years old, (or, vi
UofIllinoisLib
as well as a performance for Mikhail Gorbachev in 1988 and an appearance before Pope John Paul II when he was fourteen. He participated in numerous international violin competitions, starting with the Jaroslav Kozian International Violin Competition before he was ten. Then, in rapid succession during 1993 and 1994, at age sixteen and seventeen, he took high prizes in ten international violin competitions. In 1993 he took third prize in the

Menuhin Competition The Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists (or simply the Menuhin Competition) is an international music competition for violinists under the age of 22. It was founded by Yehudi Menuhin in 1983 with the goal of nurturing you ...

(England), reached the finalist level at the

Queen Elisabeth Competition The Queen Elisabeth Competition ( nl, Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd, french: Concours musical international Reine Élisabeth) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in Brussels. The competition is named after Queen ...

(Belgium), and won the Rodolfo Lipizer Prize (Italy). He entered the

Paganini Competition The Paganini Competition (aka Premio Paganini or Paganini Concore) is an international violin competition named after the famed virtuoso and founder of contemporary violin technique Niccolò Paganini. Created in 1954 it has been carried out ever s ...

(Italy) twice and the Tibor Varga Competition (Switzerland) twice, in 1993 and 1994, taking one fourth-place and three second-place prizes. Also in 1994 he took fourth place in the

International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition The International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition, Hanover (also: International Violin Competition Hanover or Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hanover) is one of the best-endowed awards worldwide. won the Louis Spohr International Violin Competition (both, Germany), and won Silver at the

International Violin Competition of Indianapolis The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) is a Classical music, classical violin competition which takes place once every four years in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana. Since its founding in 1982, "The Indianapolis" has bee ...

Academics

Milenkovich studied at the Music Academy of Belgrade, receiving his master's degree in 1995. His successes on the competition circuit, along with winning

Young Concert Artists Young Concert Artists is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting the careers of talented young classical musicians from all over the world. The competition, founded in 1961, allows artists from all over ...

status at the 1997 YCA auditions, led to his New York City recital debut at the 92nd Street Y in 1997, and his undertaking studies at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

with

Dorothy DeLay Dorothy DeLay (March 31, 1917 – March 24, 2002) was an American violin instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati. Life Dorothy DeLay was born on March 31, 1917, in Medicine Lodg ...

. He was awarded a violin degree at Juilliard in 1998 and taught in various roles at Juilliard over the next decade in collaboration with Ms. DeLay, in the

Perlman Music Program The Perlman Music Program is a summer program for gifted young musicians. Founded by Toby Perlman, wife of Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman, in 1995, the program is headquartered in Shelter Island, New York. It offers exceptionally talent ...

on Shelter Island, and as assistant to Mr. Perlman at the Juilliard School. In 2006 he joined the faculty of the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

, where he is an Associate Professor in the Instrumental Performance Division of the School of Music. Since 2011 he also teaches on the faculty of the University of Belgrade.

Performances

Milenkovich has performed extensively as a solo artist, in duets, in a wide variety of other small groups, and as a soloist with orchestra. For example, he recently performed Bach, Paganini, Ysaye and Kreisler solo works at the Hermitage of

Santa Caterina del Sasso Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso ( it, Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso) is a Roman Catholic monastery located in the municipality of Leggiuno, in the Province of Varese and the region of Lombardy, Italy. It is perched on a rocky ridge on ...

. He has recorded the Bach solo violin Sonatas and Partitas and the complete solo violin music of

Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices f ...

The 92nd Street Y recital in 1997 was one event in a long-running collaboration with pianist

Rohan de Silva Rohan De Silva is a Sri Lankan pianist. De Silva initially studied at Isipathana College, Colombo and later he migrated abroad to study at the Royal Academy of Music, London and The Juilliard School, New York, while working closely with violin pe ...

, for example, a 1999 concert at the Kennedy Center (or, vi
UofIllinois Library
Retrieved 2017-05-01 and three concerts in Sri Lanka. A long-term collaboration with pianist Adam Neiman goes back at least as far as 2001. He has also collaborated with pianist Lera Auerbach and pianist Srebrenka Poljak and, working with Massimo Paderni, recorded selected Paganini violin/piano works. Other duo performances include Kenji Bunch's ''Three American Folk Hymn Settings for Two Violins'' with Viviane Hagner and a recording of Bunch's ''Paraphraseology'' with marimbist Makota Nakura on the Kleo Classics label. Milenkovich, cellist Ani Aznavoorian and pianist Adam Neiman formed the Corinthian Trio in 1998 while they were students at the Juilliard School and this trio performed extensively for the next decade. The collaboration of Milenkovich and Adam Neiman continues, often with violist Che-Yen (Brian) Chen. For example, these three were joined by cellist

Bion Tsang Bion Yu-Ting Tsang (traditional Chinese/simplified Chinese: 章雨亭; pinyin: Zhāng Yǔ-Tíng) (born May 4, 1967) is an American cellist and professor. Biography Bion Tsang was born in Lansing, Michigan to Chinese parents. His father, Paul ...

for the opening concert of the 2017 Manchester Music Festival. The Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players series is an important outlet for Milenkovich's performance of chamber music, including a 2006 performance of an octet by Joachim Raff and a 2017 concert which featured Beethoven's second Razumovsky quartet and a

Spohr Louis Spohr (, 5 April 178422 October 1859), baptized Ludewig Spohr, later often in the modern German form of the name Ludwig, was a German composer, violinist and conducting, conductor. Highly regarded during his lifetime, Spohr composed ten Sy ...

quintet. Milenkovich played lead violin at a concert in the 2010 Naumburg Summer Concert Series, consisting of Bach's D minor keyboard concerto with pianist

Stephen Beus Stephen Beus (born 1981, Othello, Washington, United States) is an American pianist. Biography Stephen Beus began taking piano lessons at age 5, and made his symphonic debut at age 9. He won the MTNA National Competition at the high school level ...

, Mendelssohn's E-flat Major Octet, and a cello quintet by

Friedrich Dotzauer Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer (20 January 1783 – 6 March 1860) was a German cellist and composer. Life Early life and career Dotzauer was born in 1783 in , near Hildburghausen. His father, a pastor, encouraged his interest in music. I ...

with cellist David Requiro, a co-winner of the 2008

International Naumburg Competition The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsors competitions and provides awards for young classical musicians in North America. Founded in 1925, it operates the prestigious Naumburg Competition. Foundation and concerts It was founded in 1925 by Wal ...

. Beus, Requiro and Milenkovich continue to collaborate in Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players concerts. Milenkovich, cellist Riccardo Agosti, and violinist Pier Domenico Sommati have recorded selected Paganini chamber works and Milenkovich participated in recording CD #8 in 10-CD set of the complete Paganini chamber music oeuvre. He sometimes dances as he plays the violin, especially in non-classical settings. Milenkovich has played Tango concerts both in Europe and in the United States. Milenkovich has performed the solo part in the violin concertos of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

, Bruch (G minor), Dvořák, Mendelssohn (E minor),

Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

and

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

. He has recorded the violin concertos by

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

and by

Glazunov Glazunov (; feminine: Glazunova) is a Russian surname that may refer to: *Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936), Russian composer ** Glazunov Glacier in Antarctica named after Alexander * Andrei Glazunov, 19th-century Russian trade expedition leader * An ...

with the Slovenia Symphony Orchestra conducted by En Shao. Orchestras with whom Milenkovich has appeared include the

Aspen Chamber Symphony The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, th ...

, the , the

National Orchestra of Belgium The Belgian National Orchestra ( nl, Nationaal Orkest van België, french: Orchestre National de Belgique) is a Belgian orchestra, based in Brussels. Its principal concert venue is the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar). The orchestra also gi ...

, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, the Orchestra of Radio-France, the

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (in Finnish: ; in Swedish: ; literal English translation: Helsinki City Orchestra; commonly abbreviated as HPO) is an orchestra based in Helsinki, Finland. Founded in 1882 by Robert Kajanus, the Philharmonic ...

, the

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) an orchestra in the Chicago area. The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra is a member of the League of American Orchestras The League of American Orchestras, formerly the American Symphony Orchestra ...

, the

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circl ...

, the Lake Forest Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, the

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (founded 1972) is a classical music chamber orchestra based in New York City. They have won several Grammy Awards. The orchestra is known for its collaborative leadership style in which the musicians, not a conducto ...

, the

São Paulo State Symphony SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U. ...

, the

Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra The Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Sarajevska filharmonija'' / Сарајевска филхармонија) is an orchestra in Sarajevo.Utah Symphony The Utah Symphony is an American orchestra based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The orchestra's principal venue is Abravanel Hall. In addition to its Salt Lake City subscription concerts, the orchestra travels around the Intermountain West serving c ...

chamber orchestra. In 2020 Milenković started living in Serbia with his family, and he started to work as the director of the Concert hall of the city of Novi Sad.

Instruments

Milenkovich has performed on the “Lyall” Stradivari violin (1702) and the “Sennhauser” Guarneri del Gesú (1735) on loan from the

Stradivari Society The Stradivari Society is a philanthropic organization based in Chicago, Illinois, best known for its arranging deals between owners of antique string instruments such as those made by luthiers Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri, for use by t ...

. From 2006 until 2017, he performed on a violin by Peter Aznavoorian (Chicago, 2006). Currently, Milenkovich owns and plays a violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (Turin, 1783). He most often uses “Berg” bows by bowmaker Michael Duff of Bloomington, Indiana

Awards

In 2021 he was awarded the

Order of Karađorđe's Star The Order of Karađorđe's Star ( sr, Orden Karađorđeve zvezde, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Орден Карађорђеве звезде) is Serbia's highest civilian and military decoration. It originated in the Kingdom of Serbia, and was initial ...

Discography

*Vittorio Giannini: Quintet for Piano and Strings; Trio for Piano and Strings orld Premiere Recordingsref name="discography"> *Complete Music for Solo Violin *Paganini: In Cor Piu Non Mi Sento *Bach: Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin, Bwv 1001-1006 *Paganini Recital *Tango Compass *Stefan Milenkovich Brahms & Glazunov

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milenkovich, Stefan Serbian classical violinists Male classical violinists Serbian violinists Serbian people of Italian descent Living people 1977 births 21st-century classical violinists 21st-century male musicians People from Belgrade Juilliard School alumni Serbian expatriates in the United States