Ohrid, 23 July 2023 (MIA) – The chamber orchestra Concertante of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Niš will give a performance at the Ohrid Summer Festival on Sunday. 

Chamber orchestra Concertante is a representative ensemble comprised of the best students of the instrumental departments. During its activity the orchestra has performed numerous concerts as well as guest performances at festivals in Greece and Italy, as well as at the Guitar festival “Naisus” in 2011. 

In 2012, the orchestra is a laureate at the “Euro orchestra” festival in Moscow. “Concertante” has performed at the “Bolshoi” festival in Mokra Gora in 2014 and has recorded the music for the feature films “Woman in red” and “The secret garden” by Danish composer Frederik Magle. In 2018 the orchestra releases its first CD “Vivamus Musica”, and in 2020 wins the silver medal at the online competition for orchestras in Vienna. The orchestra is led by conductor Milena Injac and assistant conductor Ivan Djacic.

Milena Injac is a renowned Serbian conductor and University Professor. Her musical studies at the University of Belgrade, Universität für Мusik und darstellende Кunst in Vienna and culminated in receiving a DMA at the University of Arts in Belgrade in orchestra and opera conducting in the class of prof. emeritus Darinka Matic-Marovic. She worked with renowned conductors such as Salvador Mas Conde in Vienna, as well as maestros Jorma Panula, Peter Eotvos and well known Serbian conductors Mladen Jagušt and Angel Surev.

She has won many prestigious awards including First Prize at the 3rd International festival ”World of music” in Italy, conducting the Niš Symphony Chamber Orchestra in 2000. Maestra Injac has performed with some of the prestigious orchestras in Serbia including the Belgrade Philharmonic, RTS Symphony as well as the “Stanislav Binichki” orchestra, the Montenegro and Sarajevo Symphony orchestras, the Macedonian philharmonic and Opera orchestra, the Sofia Philharmonic orchestra and choir, as well as the orchestras in Vratsa and Shumen in Bulgaria. She is a regular guest conductor of the Niš symphony orchestra and the artistic leader of the ensemble “Concertante”. Injac is also the director and music selector of the Niš Choir Festival. 

Born in the city of Niš, Marija Rajkovic starts her music education at five years old at the School for talents in Cuprija where she studies with Dragoljub Jovanovic. She continues to graduate from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade in the class of prof. Jovan Kolundzija and earns her master’s degree in the class of prof. Dejan Mihailovic. During her studies she is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships.

She has her debut with orchestra at the age of 11, continuing to perform in concert in the countries of former Yugoslavia as well as in Europe.  In the season 1993/94 she was associate concert master of the RT3 National Orchestra in Greece. Rajkovic is one of the founders of the “International collegium of artists Strad” in Niš and is a professor at the Faculty for Arts of the University in Niš.

Jovan Bogosavljević, MA (1980) acquired his music education from his father Dragutin Bogosavljevic and prof. Tatjana Olujić at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade and earned his master’s degree at the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels in the class of one of the greatest performers and pedagogues of our time- Igor Oistrakh. During his studies in Brussels, he was the concert master of the student orchestra and the contemporary music ensemble. 

He is the winner of numerous awards in the country and abroad, but also the award for the best young artist – by the Association of Musical Artists in Serbia. As a soloist, he has performed with the most eminent orchestras and conductors in the country and in prestigious concert halls around the world. He has performed at the international scene as a soloist and chamber musician in China, Japan, Argentina, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, UAE etc. His recital partners include among other pianists Aleksandar Serdar and guitarist Sanel Redzic, and since 2019 he regularly collaborates with Bulgarian pianist Ljudmil Angelov. 

Since 2009, he has performed as a soloist and guest at the concerts of the award-winning European Quartet from Munich- Basiona Amorosa. For many years he was part of the tango-quintet Beltango and has been awarded numerous prizes including “Artist of the year” in 2006 by the Ministry of culture in Serbia and “Performer of the year” in 2012 by the Classical music association. Bogosavljevic is a professor at the Faculty of Arts at the Niš University.

Sunday's performance includes works by Piazzolla, Andovska, Gardel and Bogosavljevic. 

Photo: Ohrid Summer