The oeuvre of Milan Mihajlović (b.1945) stands out as unique and masterful in Serbian contemporary music. Above all, it is distinguished by the immediacy of its artistic expression, alluring by its communicativeness, attracting attention by being different, intriguing by its thoughtfulness, captivating by its sincerity.

Mihajlović graduated in composition and conducting in Belgrade, received MA in composition, and attended summer courses in Cologne and Salzburg. He taught Music theory courses at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade (from 1975), whereas now he is full time professor of composition at the same Faculty as well as at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He is one of the founders of the Ensemble for Contemporary Music, and since 1992 one of the founders of International Review of Composers (Festival of Contemporary Music), which he headed as director until 2002. He was the president of Serbian Composers’ Association (1978 – 2002), the Head of Music theory Department at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, and has been Dean since 2002.

He is devoted to theoretical research (Scriabin Mode study). He wrote textbooks Music Science Basics (1983) and Music Forms (1988).

Numerous awards for his work include: Stevan Hristić Prize (1970), Belgrade Music Festival Prize (1972), October Award of the City of Belgrade (1984), First Prize at the International Review of composers (1992 and 1996), Stevan Mokranjac Prize (1994) and the City of Belgrade Award (2003). His works are often performed both in his country and abroad, all over Europe, in USA and Australia in concert halls such as: Tonhalle in Zurich, Carnegie Hall in New York, Steinway Hall in London Berlin Philharmonics Hall … His works are recorded on LP records and CDs by recording companies in his country and abroad. His piece Prelude, Aria e Finale was published by edition Peters, Leipzig.

– Memento

Memento - Milan Mihajlović’s symphonic piece, was composed in 1993 as a commission of the Belgrade Music Festival (Bemus). It is dedicated to the great Serbian composer Vasilije Mokranjac whose life tragically ended in 1984. Mementowas first performed at the opening of the 25th Bemus (1993), later at the opening of the 3rd International Review of Composers (Belgrade, 1994), at the opening of the Days of Mokranjac Festival (Negotin, 1994) and World Music Days in Slovenia (2003). For this piece the composer received the highest recognition for composers, the Stevan Mokranjac Award, in 1994.