STEFAN MILENKOVICH, violin

Biography 2018-2019

Serbia’s Artist of the Century, Most Humane Person, and Brand Personality of the Year, violinist Stefan Milenkovich enjoys a prolific career as an internationally sought-after soloist and recitalist, with an extraordinary productive longevity, professionalism and creativity.

Milenkovich’s 2018 – 19 season includes performances with Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana (Italy), New Jersey Festival Orchestra (USA), Orchestra Camera di Perugia (Italy), as well as regular performances in recital with pianist Rohan De Silva. Recent performances include collaboration with Utah Symphony Orchestra (USA), Prague Symphony Orchestra (Czech Republic), Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra (USA), Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra (USA), Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi (Italy), Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (Croatia) and Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra (Slovenia).

Established as one of the great violinists of his generation, Milenkovich appeared on multiple occasions in some of the world’s most celebrated venues such as Carnegie Hall, New York City (USA), Kennedy Center, Washington (USA), Cadogan Hall, London (UK), Suntory Hall, Tokyo (Japan), as well as Italy’s theatres La Fenice, Venice, San Carlo, Naples, and Petruzzelli, Bari. His numerous appearances with orchestra include Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Aspen Chamber Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Radio-France, Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Mexico State Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonica de Estado de Sao Paolo, and the Melbourne and Queensland Symphonies, and has performed under the baton of such conductors as Sir Neville Marriner, Lorin Maazel, Vladimir Fedoseyev, and Daniel Oren.

Milenkovich started his career at a very young age. He performed for U.S. President Ronald Reagan at a Christmas concert in Washington, DC, at age 10. The following year, he played for Mikhail Gorbachev in Belgrade, Serbia. At age 14, he played for Pope John Paul II and at age 16, Milenkovich gave his 1000th concert in Monterrey, Mexico. By age 17, he was the winner of The Young Concert Artists International Competition (USA), as well as a prizewinner in the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (USA), the Queen Elisabeth Competition (Belgium), Hannover Violin Competition (Germany), Tibor Varga Competition (Switzerland), Rodolfo Lipizer Competition (Italy), Paganini Competition (Italy), Ludwig Spohr Competition (Germany), and the Yehudi Menuhin Competition (England). 

Deeply committed to international humanitarian causes, in 2002 Milenkovich received the Lifting Up the World With Oneness Heartaward for his humanitarian activities, handed to him personally by the guru Sri Chinmoy. He also participated in a number of gala concerts under the auspices of UNESCO in Paris with such artists as Placido Domingo, Lorin Maazel, Alexis Weissenberg, and Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and was active as the First Child Ambassador during the Balkan wars in early 90’.

As a musician of broad stylistic interests, Milenkovich performed with five-time Grammy Nominee rock band Gorillaz in one of the world’s most renowned venues – Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City. The critically acclaimed performance was featured live on MTV. Recent collaborations include performances with Grammy Award Nominee lutist Edin Karamazov, as well as a musical partnership with guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski and his trio, where Milenkovich explored the realm of improvisation and acoustic-electric violin.

Milenkovich’s discography includes four commercial releases of the Italian label Dynamic, featuring J. S. Bach Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, Complete Music for Solo Violin – Nicolo Paganini 24 Capricci, N. Paganini Recital, and N. Paganini In cuor piu non mi sento. He also released numerous recordings for the Yugoslavian label, PGP. Milenkovich’s recent CD release includes a First Recording disc with the Manchester Music Festival of Vittorio Giannini’s Piano Trio and Piano Quintet.

Firmly dedicated to pedagogical work, Milenkovich taught in collaboration with Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School in New York City, NY, and Perlman Music Program, before accepting his current position as an Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Milenkovich is still the youngest graduate of the Music Academy in Belgrade, Serbia, finishing his Masters’ studies at 19 years of age, and has completed the Professional Studies program at the Juilliard School in New York City, NY under tutelage of Mrs. Dorothy DeLay.

Milenkovich plays a 1783 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin.

Please do not alter this biography without artist’s permission.

Season 2017/18 -­‐ Please do not use previous versions. 

Stefan Milenkovich’s official web site

” Serbian-Italian virtuoso Stefan Milenkovich offered a stellar rendition of Sibelius’ warhorse.  Milenkovich brought icy stoicism to the opening of the Allegro moderato, and poignant ardor to the movement’s second theme. His commanding technique was on display throughout, especially in his idiosyncratically inflected cadenza and searing delivery of the coda. Milenkovich’s concentrated tone leant itself well to the emotional vehemence of the Adagio di molto, and his hooked bowing in the finale was snappy and buoyant. “

– Chicago Classical Review

“Violinist Stefan Milenkovich’s recital at the Kennedy Center was so disarmingly magical that it is not easy to describe it’s glories. Milenkovich is clearly at the treshold of a major career. This is not so much a matter of a dazzling virtuosity ( though he has it all) as of searching musicianship.”

– The Washington Post

“Milenkovich has it all: the beauty of sound like David Oistrakh, the clearity and logic of the phrase like Henryk Szering, the virtuosity of Jasha Heifetz, the love for the music like Yehudy Menuhin and the humor and joy of Itzak Perlman.”

– Die Hannoverishe Zeitung

” Milenkovich is a star, and that’s something that comes along only a few times in a century. I may not know much, but I know magic when I hear it.”

– The Indianapolis Star

“The 24-year-old Belgrade-born violinist Stefan Milenkovich has remarkable control over his instrument and is blessed with superb intonation and what seems like a limitless capacity for sustaining a big, broad, smooth line.”

– The Los Angeles Times

” Milenkovich’s recital at the 92nd Street Y was impressive. He is a stunning virtuoso.”

– Strings

” Milenkovich won me over as the most exciting talent the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis has ever brought to my attention.”

– The Indianapolis Star

New York Times – SYMPHONY CHAMBER PLAYERS, June 26, 2017

Slavic Accent

In a bit of luxury casting, the Serbian violin virtuoso Stefan Milenkovich joined string groups in a quintet by Louis Spohr and a quartet by Beethoven at the ensemble’s recent concert in Christ and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on the Upper West Side. Mr. Milenkovich provided strong leadership in both works, but the most delicious moment came in the third-movement Allegretto of Beethoven’s Quartet No.8, with its incorporation of a Russian theme. Mr. Milenkovich seemed to celebrate his Slavic origins with special relish in a delightful reading. JAMES R. OESTREICH

With super tone and a firm command of the technical challenges involved, Milenkovich was strong in the dramatic segments and meltingly persuasive in the songful middle movement. His superb fingering resulted in an electrifying conclusion of both soloist and the well-conducted orchestra.

John Frayne, The News-Gazzette, March 8, 2018

Solistički repertoar uz orkestar

Bach, J.S.:

Concerto No. 1 in a minor, BWV 1041

Concerto No.2 in E major, BWV 1042

Concerto for Two Violins BWV 1043 in D minor

Concerto in D minor BWV 1052

Bernstein, Leonard

Serenade, after Plato’s Symposium (1954)

Chausson, Ernest

Poeme, op. 25   

Khachaturian, Aram

Concerto in d minor  

Concerto No. 5 in A major, K 219

Adagio in E Major, K 261

Rondo in B-flat Major, K 261a

Rondo in C Major, K 373

Paganini, Nicolo

Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6

Concerto No. 2 in b minor “La Campanella”  

Ravel, Maurice:

Tzigane

Sarasate, Pablo de

Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20

Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25

Introduction and Tarantella, Op. 43

Sibelius, Jean

Concerto in d minor, op. 47

Vieuxtemps, Henri

Concerto No. 5

Legende Op. 17

Williams, John

Three Pieces from Schindler’s List

Bartók, Béla: 

Concerto No. 2 

Barber, Samuel 

Violin Concerto Op. 14  

Brahms, Johannes 

Concerto in D major op.77

Concerto for Violin and Cello, Op. 102

Dvorak, Antonin

Concerto in A minor  

Haydn, Franz Joseph

Concerto in C major, Hob. VIIa: 1  

Korngold, Erich

Violin Concerto, Op. 35

Mozart, W.A.

Concerto No. 1 in Bb major, K. 207, Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 211  

Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216

Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218  

Piazzolla, Astor

Cuatro estaciónes porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) 

Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai

Fantaisie de Concert, op. 33

Schubert, Franz

Rondo in A Major, D 438

Tchaikovsky, Piotr

Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35

Serenade Melancolique, op. 26

Waltz – Scherzo, op. 34

Meditation D minor

Vivaldi, Antonio

The Four Seasons, op. 8, Nos. 1-4

Violin Concerto in A Minor RV356

Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor RV522

Concerto for 4 Violins in B minor RV 580

Beethoven, Ludwig

Concerto in D major, op. 61

Romance for Vio

lin and Orchestra No. 1 in G major, Op. 40

Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in F Major, Op. 50

Bruch, Max 

Concerto No. 1 in g minor, op. 26

Concerto No. 2 in d minor, op. 44, Scottish Fantasy Op. 46  

Glazunov, Alexander

Concerto in a minor op.82

Mendelssohn, Felix

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in e minor, op. 64

Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra in d minor  

Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings in D minor, MWV O4 (1823)

Prokofiev, Sergei:

Concerto No. 1 in D major, op. 19

Concerto No. 2 in g minor, op. 63

Saint-Saëns, Camille

Concerto No. 3 in b minor, op. 61

Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, op. 28

Havanaise, Op. 83

Shostakovich, Dmitri

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in a minor, Op. 77 

Vaughan-Williams, Ralph

The Lark Ascending

Wieniawski, Henri

Concerto No. 2 in d minor, op.22

Polonaise No. 1 in D major, op. 21