Stefan Milenkovich is a Serbian-Italian international concert violinist.
Biography
Stefan Milenkovich was born to a Serbian father and Italian mother. A former child prodigy – as known to the public, Milenkovich started playing violin at age three and was taught violin lessons by his father. He held his first violin performance as a soloist with an orchestra at age five, starting an extensive international concert career at age seven.
Milenkovich performed for U.S. President Ronald Reagan at a Christmas concert in Washington, D.C., at age ten. The following year, he played for Mikhail Gorbachev in Belgrade, Serbia. At age fourteen, he played for Pope John Paul II and at age sixteen, Milenkovich gave his 1000th concert in Monterrey, Mexico. By age seventeen, 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 Violin Competition (Switzerland), Rodolfo Lipizer Competition (Italy), Paganini Competition (Italy), Ludwig Spohr Violin Competition (Germany), and the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition (England).
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, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, and the Melbourne and Queensland Symphonies, and has performed under the baton of such conductors as Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Daniel Oren, En Shao, and Lorin Maazel. Milenkovich gave concerts at the Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, 92nd Street Y, Steinway Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Teatro La Scala, Teatro di San Carlo, Teatro Petruzzelli, and Teatro Carlo Felice, to name a few.
In addition to an acclaimed concert career, Milenkovich graduated at age seventeen and received an honorary master’s degree at age nineteen from the Music Conservatory in Belgrade, Serbia - the youngest student in the history of this institution to receive both to this day. At age twenty Milenkovich was invited by Mrs. Dorothy De Lay to study with her at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he spent the next two years at professional violin studies. Milenkovich met Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School, who invited him to teach at the Perlman Music Program in 2000. He also taught at the Juilliard School 2003 – 2006, before accepting his current position as an Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Illinois.
Milenkovich is deeply committed to international humanitarian causes. In 2002 he received the Lifting Up the World With Oneness Heart award 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’.
Instrument
Milenkovich played the 1702 Lyall Stradivarius on a loan from the Stradivari Society of Chicago. He owns 1880 Vincenzo Postiglione violin, as well as several modern instruments.
Discography
N. Paganini: In Cor Piu Non Mi Sento
N. Paganini: Recital
N. Paganini: Complete Music for Solo Violin
J. S. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Vittorio Giannini: Quintet for Piano and Strings; Trio for Piano and Strings
J. Brahms & A. Glazunov: Concertos for Violin and Orchestra
References
