Milenko Stefanović

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Milenko Mima Stefanović (born February 19, 1930 in Belgrade, Serbia, then Kingdom of Yugoslavia ) is the most famous Serbian and Yugoslav clarinetist.

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[edit] Education

Born in a family of amateur musicians, he started to study music at the age of five ( violin, piano and, later, clarinet). He graduated from the Belgrade Music Academy (later named The Faculty of Music in Belgrade) as a student of renowned Professor Bruno Brun (1956) and completed there, with the same teacher, his postgraduate studies for 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.

[edit] Awards

Stefanović won many awards at different Yugoslav and international musical competitions, including the First Prize at the Yugoslav National Competition (1956) and several prizes at the international competitions in Moscow (1957), Munich (1957), Geneva (1957), and Prague (1959). He was also rewarded the Award of the Yugoslav Radio-Television (Ohrid, 1972), Award of the Community for Culture of the City of Belgrade for the most successful musical creation (1975, 1980, 1981), "7th July" Prize (1962), the highest state's prize for the arts, as well as many other honors.

[edit] Performance career

In the year 1956, while was still a student, Stefanović was engaged as a principal clarinetist of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. Apart from that position which he held for many years, he also achieved a huge international success as a soloist and chamber music player.

During his long career, Stefanović has played in Europe, North America and Africa. As a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician he has collaborated with some of the most significant musicians of his time: Aaron Copland, Herbert von Karajan, Živojin Zdravković, Jovan Šajnović, Lorin Maazel, Leopold Stokowski, Kiril Kondrashin, Eric Hope, Zorica Dimitrijević-Stošić, Zagreb String Quartet and many others.

Stefanović was also a jazz musician - soloist, composer and member of the Belgrade Jazz Trio.

He has recorded for the radio and TV stations in Yugoslavia, but also in Moscow, Rome, Paris, London and Berlin.

Distinguished Yugoslav composers Aleksandar Obradović, Petar Bergamo, Dušan Radić, M. Ilić, Petar Ozgijan, Dejan Despić, and others dedicated to him their works.

Milenko Stefanović has been esteemed by the critics very much. Despite of the great number of his appearances, he has the honor to be one of the very few musicians who have never been reviewed negatively by the critics.

[edit] Teaching career

Stefanović has been very successful as a teacher, too. His former students hold teaching positions and/or play in orchestras in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.

He had taught at the School of Music " Josip Slavenski" in Belgrade, Faculty of Music in Belgrade (since 1976, when he was appointed upon recommendation of the previous teacher, Professor Brun, until his retirement), Faculty of Arts of Priština (Stefanović is among the founders of its Music Division and now is Professor Emeritus at this Faculty), and was also a Vice-Chancellor of the University of Arts in Belgrade.

[edit] Affiliations

He is a member and former president of the Association of Musical Artists of Serbia and was president or member of juries at many Yugoslav and several international competitions.

[edit] Selected recordings

[edit] Reviews

" The brilliant Yugoslav clarinettist Milenko Stefanovic" (The Guardian Journal)

"Yugoslav clarinetist number one Milenko Stefanovic has played his solo part in Obradovic's Concerto with technical brilliancy and deep expression." (Politika)

" Clarinettist of sensitive gifts

It was a pleasure to hear the Yugoslav clarinettist again last night...he showed a quite outstanding technical facility. Listening to his performances... one realised that he is not just another fine player but an artist endowed with unusually comprehensive and sensitive gift of interpretation." (The Daily Telegraph)

" Outstanding clarinet

...the musical event of evening was Milenko Stefanovic's performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. The soloist's breath control, tonal quality and mastery of phrase and paragraph was such that the work seemed to be taking shape on the spot. I have heard a few outstanding performances of this work, but never one so inspired as this." (Music and Musicians)

" Romanticism flowed at full tide... exciting" (The Guardian Journal)

" Brilliant virtuosity" (Music and Musicians)

" A magnificent...strong and brilliant." (The Yorkshire Post)

" Listening Milenko Stefanovic performing we have considered the confirmed estimation which put him among the most talented clarinetists of now days." (Politika)

"The middle items of the concert were Debussy's Rhapsody for Clarinet and Copland's Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp and Piano. In those works we recognized again Milenko Stefanovic as an excellent clarinetist and interpreter. Even better than in Debussy was the young master in Copland's work. This interesting fresh and original work he played with all technical virtuosity and with a radiant tone." (Delo)

" Virtuosity with the clarinet

Milenko Stefanovic, the clarinettist, must be a tremendous asset to the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra for he is remarkably virtuoso performer... he seemed to be performing on an instrument which was at times akin to the trumpet at others to whispering oboe... breadth and humanity in Schumann's 'Phantasiestucke' where the clarinet's tone took on a sunny tinge, and the long, voluptuous phrases of Brahms's sonata in E flat were generously produced.Debussy's first Rhapsody was always diverting and a sensuous tone increased its romantic elements. An unaccompanied work 'Concerto Abbreviato' ...was technical tour the force." (The Daily Telegraph)

" Clarinet player of a wide range

...Mr. Stefanovic has a tone of enormous range and power... He has - what so many clarinet players lack - the best asset of all: a stout pair of lungs. But his breathing into the instrument, its warmth of tone especially in lowest registers and his impeccable phrasing, atamp him more particularly as an outstanding musician." (The Yorkshire Post)

"The interpretation of the Brahms' Quintet was remarkable in the sense of perfection sinking into the refined texture of the strings, which was due to clarinetist Milenko Stefanovic who has given in his performing almost a dematerialized vocal line in which Brahms' musical lyricism has gained a new poetical and sounding dimension." (Politika)

"Milenko Stefanovic's last recital confirmed his renome of a perfect artist of his instrument. He exhibited his highest technical and musical quality. With much taste and invention his well constructed programme enabled him to point out his exceptional affinity towards twetieth century music, and in the same time to stress its variety..." (Borba)

[edit] Trivia

Two members of the Milenko Stefanović's family are also well-known musicians: his son Predrag is a clarinetist and his daughter-in-law Jovana is a composer. Both of them have built significant music careers. Beside that, they are also very esteemed as pedagogues. They have been teaching at the Josip Slavenski School of Music in Belgrade.


[edit] References

  • Eberst, A. (1963): Klarinet i klarinetisti , Forum, Novi Sad
  • Maksimović, M. (1971): Beogradska filharmonija 1951-1971 , Beogradska filharmonija, Beograd
  • Mala enciklopedija Prosveta, III (1978), Prosveta, Beograd
  • Mišić, R. (2001): Živeti uz note , Muzička škola "Stevan Hristić", Kruševac
  • Muzička enciklopedija, III (1977), Jugoslovenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb
  • Odom, D. (2005): A Catalog of Compositions for Unaccompanied Clarinet Published between 1978 and 1982 with an Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works , A treatise submitted to the College of Music, Florida State University
  • Pedeset godina Fakulteta muzičke umetnosti (Muzičke akademije) 1937-1987 (1988), Univerzitet umetnosti u Beogradu, Beograd
  • Peričić, V. [1969]: Muzički stvaraoci u Srbiji , Prosveta, Beograd
  • Petrović, D. (2006): NIMUS - Niške muzičke svečanosti: 1975-2004, Punta, Niš

[edit] External links

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