Milana Stojadinović-Milić has so far written pieces for orchestra (Mimikrija, Aurora borealis – A Symphonic Scene, Duo simbolico for piano and symphony orchestra…), a number of pieces for various chamber instrumental and vocal-instrumental ensembles (Neoromantiko 1 & 2, Suze, Glas monahinje, Čudotvorna kolajna, Desankin diptih…), music for solo instruments and choral music. Her works had premieres and numerous subsequent performances in Serbia and abroad, they were recorded and released on several anthologies and special editions. She has collaborated with eminent Serbian and foreign soloists and conductors, orchestras and chamber ensembles. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies of composition at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade (in the class of Aleksandar Obradović), where she now works as a full professor of music theory at the Department of composition.

About the piece

Mimikrija [Mimicry] is my graduation work, composed in 1987. Back then, as a very young composer, for my first orchestra composition I envisaged the entire work process in advance: a single movement piece, of an arch form, based on a very small thematic nucleus which is developed, built upon, varied… and of course – presented in as opulent orchestra sound as possible. Such appearance of my music was quite in sync with the explanation of the notion of mimicry as found in nature, and as explained at Vujaklija’s Lexicon of foreign words and expressions: “… a permanent or temporary similarity of certain animals, and to a lesser extent of certain plants, in shape, colour and other external characteristics to the surrounding in which they usually live… making it hard to distinguish them”, and also: “a considerable, exclusively external similarity between animals so that they are difficult to distinguish from one another – for instance, certain butterflies resemble wasps, which is why their natural enemies do not dare attack them”. Each time Mimikrija was performed, it was accompanied by this ascetic Vujaklija’s commentary. However, its metaphoric quality is perfectly descriptive of the piece, and of its author as well… This work has had, in our circumstances, a decent number of performances, and it occupies a special place in my heart. We shall see how well it stands the test of time.