Suzana Kostić (born 31 December 1961) is a Serbian conductor, music educator and music scholar. Her performance specialties are choral music and large-scale works for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra. She is also known for the premiere performances of works by contemporary Balkan composers.

Education

She completed all her academic degrees at Faculty of Music,

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje The Saints Cyril and Methodius University () is a public university, public research university in Skopje, North Macedonia. It is the oldest and largest public university in the country. It is named after the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Christ ...

. Kostić holds two B.M. degrees: in

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

and

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

(1984), and in

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 ...

(1986), working with composer Toma Prošev, and conductor Fimcho Muratovski as her primary advisors. She studied with Dragan Šuplevski and earned her M.M. in choral conducting in 1991, and received a

D.M.A. The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is a doctoral academic degree in music. The DMA combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually music performance, music composition, or conducting) with graduate-level academic study in su ...

in conducting in 2008 under the supervision of Fimcho Muratovski and

Dimitrije Bužarovski Dimitrije Bužarovski Ph.D. () (born 8 August 1952 in Skopje, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Macedonian composer, versatile artist and a scholar with interests in different fields: composition, musicology, computer and electronic music, performance, ...

Conducting

During her undergraduate studies she started working as an assistant conductor of the choir “Mirce Acev” in Skopje, led by Aleksandar Lekovski. She later established the children's choir ''AGM'' and became leader of the Youth Choir of the Cultural Center of Leskovac. Prior to joining the Academic Choir of the Student Cultural Center of Niš led by Milorad Veljković-Špaja, she worked with the choir EI, KUD ''Stanko Paunović'' as assistant of Radojica Milosavljević-Ica. She took over the leadership of the Academic Choir SKC in 1999. Kostić conducted the Academic Choir SKC for thirteen years, and as a leader of this ensemble she realized numerous performances in Italy, France, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Slovenia, the Republic of Srpska, Ukraine and Russia. Moscow Radio Orfey often broadcast the live recording of the concert of this choir with Orthodox spiritual music held in Rachmaninov Concert Hall of the Moscow State Conservatoire in 2005. Her career as conductor of the Academic Choir SKC is documented on 5 CDs in edition of Student Cultural Centre of Niš, and in more than 50 audio and video recordings by public broadcasting services in Serbia and abroad. She has collaborated with diverse soloists and music ensembles, and has also given performances with Niš Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra and Choir of The National Radio Television of Serbia. Kostić has performed extensive choral repertoire ranging from Renaissance to works by contemporary composers, with special interest in works by composers from the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

. Besides staging of Orff's '' Catulli Carmina'' and ''

Carmina Burana ''Carmina Burana'' (, Latin for "Songs from Benediktbeuern" 'Buria'' in Latin is a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreveren ...

'', Stravinsky's ''

Les Noces ''The Wedding'', or ''Svadebka (''), is a Russian-language ballet-cantata by Igor Stravinsky scored unusually for four vocal soloists, chorus, percussion and four pianos. Dedicating the work to impresario Sergei Diaghilev, the composer described ...

'', Sviridov's ''Pushkin’s garland'', Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Mozart's '' Coronation Mass'', she has conducted the first performances of the following compositions: * Lojze Lebić: ''Pohvala svetu'' (International Choral Festival of Niš in 1988) * Srđan Jačimović: ''Mirska pjenija'' (International Choral Festival of Niš in 1996), ''Trahinjanke'' (ICF in Niš in 1994), ''La Honte, Madrigal srama'' (ICF in Niš in 1990), ''Akatist apostolu Andreju prvozvanom'' (2001) * Aleksandar Vujić: ''Glorija'' (1997) * Miroslav Štatkić: ''Harmonija svetlosti'' (International Choral Festival of Niš in 1998) * Anatoly Kisselev: ''Vsenochno bdenie'' (International festival ''Radio Orfey Presents'' in Rachmaninov Concert Hall of the Moscow State Conservatoire, with the blessing and in honour of nameday of Patriarch Alexy II in 2005, International Choral Festival of Niš, City Assembly House in 2006) *

: ''Vocal symphony'' op. 53 (International Choral Festival of Niš in 2008, Foundation Day of the University of Niš in 2008, Festival of Youth Culture of Knjaževac in 2008, TEHO (Tetovo Chorus Echoes) in 2009, Skopje Summer Festival in 2009) * Bratislav Petković: ''Urobor i InICIjacija'' (2009). She has also given performances with orchestral music repertoire, among them: Brahms's Symphony no. 3, Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3, Mozart's Piano concerto in D-major, and Gershwin's

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition for solo piano and jazz band by George Gershwin. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects and premiered in a concer ...

and Concerto in F. Kostić frequently collaborates with the National Theater of Niš and the Puppet Theater of Niš.

Teaching

Kostić has been a professor in the

University of Niš Faculty of Arts The Faculty of Arts in Niš () is an independent department of the University of Niš in Niš, Serbia. The Faculty was established on 3 October 2002 by the Government of Serbia. History Department of Visual Arts and Music In 2000, the Depa ...

, teaching: conducting, choral singing, choir and orchestra, since the establishment of the school in 2002. Previously Kostić held a teaching position in the College of Music of Niš, which was predecessor school of the Faculty of Arts. She also taught piano accompaniment and orchestra playing at the music school “Stanislav Binički” in Leskovac, worked as music journalist in Radio Leskovac, and has been a visiting professor at the College of Teachers in Jagodina and the Faculty of Music,

Writings

Her scholarly opus includes several textbooks for choral singing and conducting, as well as the monographs on ''International Choral Festival of Niš'' (2006) and ''ICF Score Collection – Mirror of the Festival'' (publication of her dissertation, 2010). She has been editor of the music magazine ''Aperto nuovo'' (previously ''Aperto''), editor-in-chief of the ''Facta Universitatis'' peer-reviewed international journal, ''Series Visual Arts and Music'' (FU Vis Art Mus) (2015/16), and associate editor of the ''Encyclopedia of City of Niš'', volume 5: Culture (2011) by the

Serbian Academy of Science 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 ...

and the ''Lexicon of the City of Niš'' (2011) (Službeni glasnik Srbije). Suzana Kostić published the choral scores along with Academic Choir SKC CD, by the first composer from Niš, Stojan Andrić, in 2010. In addition, she has been the editor of International Choral Festival of Niš catalogues in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Professional and community service

Kostić was one of the founders of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Niš, vice-dean of the school, and currently she holds the position of the Dean of the School. She was a member of the Program board of the International Choral Festival of Niš from 2002 to 2008, and from 2004 to 2010, its

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogu ...

. In addition she has been member of the program board of the NIMUS festival, Mokranjčevi dani festival, and vice-president of the management board of Niš Symphony Orchestra. She has also served as vice-president od City Council for Culture in 2003, and has been a member of the Scholarship Board of City of Niš in 2006. She has been frequently invited as a jury member of music competitions in Serbia and abroad.

Awards

For her achievements she has been awarded with: * The Best Debutante Award of the International Choral Festival of Niš in 1990 (for the performance of ''V Rukovet'' by

Stevan Mokranjac Stevan Stojanović ( sr-Cyrl, Стеван Стојановић, ; 9 January 1856 – 28 September 1914), known as Stevan Mokranjac ( sr-Cyrl, Стеван Мокрањац, ) was a Serbian composer and music educator. Born in Negotin in 18 ...

). * Special Award of Mokranjčevi dani in 1992. * The Golden Badge Award of the Cultural Association of Serbia in 1994. * The Golden Lyre Award of The College of Music in Niš in 1997. * The Golden Badge Award of the International Choral Festival of Niš in 1998. * Grand Prix of The International Choral Festival ''Yalta – Victoria'' in 2003. * The Honorary Award for Interpretation and Conductory Mastership of the

Kiev Conservatory The Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music (), formerly Kyiv Conservatory, is a national music tertiary academy in Kyiv, Ukraine. Its courses include postgraduate education. History The Kyiv Conservatory was founded on 3 November 1913 at ...

in 2004. * Special Award for performance of Eastern-Orthodox Music and Laureate Conductor Award of VIII MCYICE Festival in Moscow in 2004. * Grand Prix and Laureate Conductor Award of the International Choral Festival ''Moscow Sounds'' in 2004. * The Golden Fairy Award for virtuoso and innovative performance of the International Choral Festival ''Golden Fairy'' in

Prijedor Prijedor ( sr-cyrl, Приједор, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it had a population of 80,916 inhabitants within its administrative limits. Prijedor is situated in the northwestern part of the Bosanska ...

in 2007. * Best Performance of Contemporary Music Award of the International Choral Festival ''Golden Fairy'' in

in 2008. * Year Award of the National Theater of Niš in 2011. * Charter of the Rotary Club of Niš (awarded for excellence in career and fostering of high ethical standards). * The October Prize of the City of Leskovac in 2015.

References

External links

Biography of Suzana Kostić at Faculty of Arts, University of Niš

Biography of Suzana Kostić at kultURA!

Official site of the music magazine ''Aperto nuovo''

Suzana Kostić’s Official YouTube channel

Naučne publikacije akademskog osoblja: Suzana Kostić
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kostic, Suzana 1961 births Living people Musicians from Leskovac Choral conductors Serbian music educators Serbian women music educators Musicians from Niš Serbian conductors (music) Serbian women conductors (music) Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje alumni Academic staff of the University of Niš 21st-century conductors (music)