Milenko Stefanović

Milenko Stefanović (19 February 1930 – 25 July 2022)Preminuo Milenko Stefanović: Odlazak svetski poznatog klarinetiste Gordana Krajačić, "In memoriam - Milenko Mima Stefanović," Blic, August 9, 2022, p. 23 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. 15Roksanda Pejović, ed., Pedeset godina Fakulteta muzičke umetnosti (Muzičke akademije) 1937–1987 (Beograd: Univerzitet umetnosti u Beogradu, 1988), pp. 165, 176Milenko 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. 30Andreja Preger, Stoleće uz muziku (Beograd: Fakultet muzičke umetnosti, 2007), p.82Roksanda Pejović, “ Jugoslovenski umetnici sa orkestrom Filharmonije” Pro musica no. 79-80 (1975), p. 39Ko 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

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. 17WKA website on Stefanovic's Lifetime Achievement Award, Retrieved on May 17, 2010Roksanda Pejović, ed., Pedeset godina Fakulteta muzičke umetnosti (Muzičke akademije) 1937–1987 (Beograd: Univerzitet umetnosti u Beogradu, 1988), p. 41Allan Ware, “A Chat With Professor Milenko Stefanovic and His Son Predrag” The Clarinet Vol. 15/3 (May–June 1988), pp. 30–31Glas javnosti, April 19, 2010Međunarodni Radio Srbija, April 19, 2010“Nagrade i priznanja.” Treptaj No. 2 (June 2010), p. 17 Faculty of Music in Belgrade – Awards , Retrieved on 26 November 2010Jean-Marie Paul, "Milenko Stefanovic honoré pour sa carrière" Vandoren Infos et Concerts Clarinette, 8 mai, 2010Maxine Ramey, “I.C.A. General Business Meeting” The Clarinet Vol. 39/1 (December 2011), p. 93"Awards and recognitions."Trill No. 2 (March 2010), p. 17 “Nagrade i priznanja.“ Treptaj No. 7 (February 2012), p. 20 Živomir Milenković, “Priznanje stiglo iz Kalifornije” Prosvetni pregled ( 14–21 June 2012), p. 11The winners of the Association of Musical Artists of Serbia's awards, Retrieved on 8 September 2012Milenko 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).Andrija Blagojevic, “Jeunesses Musicales International Competition in Belgrade, Serbia,“ The Clarinet, Vol. 39/4 (September 2012), p. 81Maxine 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. 106“Nagrade i priznanja.” Treptaj No. 12 (October 2013), p. 17 Award winners of the Association of Musical Artists of Serbia, Retrieved on 25 January 2015I.C.A. Serbia Newsletter, 2013, Retrieved on 1 February 2016“Nagrade i priznanja.“ Treptaj No. 20 (January 2016), p. 8 Žika Milutinović, “Poslušni klarinet,“ Ilustrovana politika, No. 369 (November 30, 1965), p. 29European Clarinet Association Newsflash, July 2016, Retrieved on 16 July 2018Milenko Stefanović receives ECA Lifetime Achievement Award, by Andrija Blagojević, ECA Newsletter, July 16, 2016"Ad libitum", RTS 2, 8 October 2013, RTS Svet, 9 October 2013 ‘’Vizija’’ (dedicated to Milenko Stefanović) by Aleksandra Glovacki, Radio Belgrade 202, Wednesday, March 9, 2016Živomir 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"Milenko Stefanović počasni član Evropske klarinetističke asocijacije." Politika (11 March 2016), p. 13 “Mera za muziku”, Radio Television of Serbia, March 28, 2016

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.Anton Eberst, Klarinet i klarinetisti (Novi Sad: Forum, ), p. 43Miodrag Maksimović, Beogradska filharmonija 1951–1971 (Beograd: Beogradska filharmonija, 1971), p.122Vera Ikonomova, Živojin Zdravković i zlatna epoha Beogradske filharmonije (Beograd: Clio, Jugokoncert, 1999), p. 65Andrija Blagojevic, “Ante Grgin – clarinetist and composer” The Clarinet Vol. 39/1 (December 2011), p. 44Beogradska filharmonija – Gostovanja u inostranstvu od 1937. do danas, Retrieved on 10 August 2017

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, Igor Markevitch, Bernard Keeffe, Francesco Mander, Marcus Dods, Jerzy Katlewicz, Jovan Šajnović, Borislav Pašćan, Uroš Lajovic, Anton Kolar, Anton Nanut, Vančo Čavdarski, Živojin Zdravković, Oskar Danon, Dušan Skovran, Djura Jakšić, Mladen Jagušt, Julio Marić, Franc Klinar, Juraj Ferik, Sandro Zaninović, Roman Skrepek, Lambra Dimitrijević, Eric Hope, Evgeni Koroliov, Michel Dussault, Andreja Preger, Nikola Rackov, Aleksandar Pavlović, Viktor Jakovčić, Zorica Dimitrijević-Stošić, Mirjana Kršljanin, Aleksandar Lekovski, Zbigniew Chwedczuk, Josef Daniel, Oivin Fjeldstad, Bogo Leskovic, Petr Vronsky, Freddy Došek, Milan Horvat, Stanko Šepić, Bogdan Babić, Dušan Miladinović, O. Pipek, Božidar Tumpej, Jasmina Chakar, Vojislav Simić, The Zagreb Soloists, The Belgrade Trio, The Serbian String Quartet, Zagreb Quartet and many others.

Stefanović was one of the few artists to perform Copland's Clarinet Concerto under the baton of Maestro Aaron Copland (1961).Andrija Blagojević, Pregled istorijskog razvoja klarineta i literature za klarinet. (Zvečan: Fakultet umetnosti, 2010), pp. 71–73Miodrag Maksimović, Beogradska filharmonija 1951–1971 (Beograd: Beogradska filharmonija, 1971), p.134Vlastimir Peričić with Dušan Kostić and Dušan Skovran, Muzički stvaraoci u Srbiji (Beograd: Prosveta, ), pp. 56, 356Dragoslav Petrović, NIMUS – Niške muzičke svečanosti: 1975–2004 (Niš: Punta, 2006), p. 22Roksanda Pejović, Oskar Danon (Beograd: Univerzitet umetnosti u Beogradu, 1986), pp. 126, 137Andreja Preger, Stoleće uz muziku (Beograd: Fakultet muzičke umetnosti, 2007), pp. 86, 88Roksanda Pejović, “Domaći umetnici u izgradnji muzičkog života“ Pro musica no. 79-80 (1975), p. 32Roksanda Pejović, “Jugoslovenska dela na repertoaru beogradskih umetnika” Pro musica no. 79-80 (1975), p.34The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Dussault, MichelŽivot sa muzikom: Milenko Stefanović, written by Branislav Jarić, directed by Katarina Rogić. Radio Television Serbia, 2010Julijana Žabeva, ”Presentations of Serbian Musicians at the Ohrid Summer Festival 1961–1991” New Sound 29 (2007), p. 89 Music Biennale Zagreb – Index of Performers , Retrieved on 26 November 20105. Music Biennale Zagreb, 1969 , Retrieved on 26 November 2010Tijana Popović Mlađenović, ”Aleksandar Pavlović: Anthology of the Serbian Music of 20th Century for Strings – The premiere performances of the Belgrade String Orchestra ’Dušan Skovran’” New Sound 32 (2008) , pp. 258–260.Anthology of 20th Century Serbian Music for Strings Premiered by Belgrade Strings, CD 11. Aleksandar Pavlović, 2006. Koncertni podijum: Klarinetista Milenko Stefanović, Stereorama, 1 October 2011Matinada, Stereorama, 31 December 2011Stana Đurić-Klajn, Istorija srpske muzike- Izvođačka umetnost, Retrieved on 27 January 2012Concert with Zagreb Quartet, May 12, 1972, Retrieved on 27 January 2012Andrija Blagojevic, “Jeunesses Musicales International Competition in Belgrade, Serbia,“ The Clarinet, Vol. 39/4 (September 2012), p. 82 Vreme muzike (dedicated to Milenko Stefanović) by Maja Čolović Vasić, Radio Belgrade 2, March 3, 2016Milica Stojković, Bila sam svedok: Muzička produkcija RTB 1976–1992 (Beograd: RDU Radio-televizija Srbije, 2011), pp. 9, 25, 51, 79, 111, 141, 142Milenko Stefanović performer at the 1976 Oktobru hododarje in Kragujevac, Serbia29. 04. 1975 | Ansambl Nova muzika, Retrieved on 16 August 2020ARCHÍV BHS – Milenko Stefanovič (YU), Retrieved on 17 August 2020Štvrtok 27. 4. 1967 o 20:00, Koncertná sieň Slovenskej filharmónie, Retrieved on 17 August 2020Piatok 28. 4. 1967 o 20:00, Koncertná sieň Slovenskej filharmónie, Retrieved on 17 August 2020Bratislavské hudobné slávnosti 1967, Retrieved on 17 August 2020Bratislava Music Festival 1967, Retrieved on 17 August 2020Pianist and university professor Jasmina Chakar has died, Sloboden pečat, November 12, 2020