Faculty of Music University of Arts in Belgrade

Faculty of Music University of Arts in Belgrade

Ljiljana Vukelja, born 1976 in Belgrade, received her first piano lessons from her mother in the age of 4. She earned her Bachelor’s (1996) and Master’s (1999) diplomas under Professor Nevena Popović on the Faculty of Music Art Belgrade (Serbia). She furthered her education on the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg (1998-2000, Germany) with the renowned French pianist Michel Beroff. In March 2002, she has met the Suisse conductor and pianist Jean-Francois Antonioli, on her solo performance with the orchestra he has been leading for 10 years (Timisoara Philharmonic Orchestra, Romania), and she has continued to work with that musician ever since. In 2007, she entered PhD studies in the performing arts at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, which she finished in 2010, defending her thesis on the topic of music in Paris, in early XX century, by Ravel, Dutilleux and Enescu, under supervision of Professor Dejan Sinadinović.

She widened her performing experience through many master classes with famous musicians like D. Bashkirov, A. Starkman, Michel D’Alberto and Jean-Claude Pennetier.
Ljiljana Vukelja is the second and special prize winner at the International Competition in Nauen, Germany (2006), and the third prize winner at the International competition in Gaillard, France (2004). She also received many awards on the youth competitions in Serbia, as well in Rome, Tortona and Riviera del Connero (Italy).
She played in many recitals, chamber music concerts and collaborated as a soloist, with many different orchestras and conductors such as: Jean-Francois Antonioli, Jordan Dafov, Anatolij Novicki, Vincent Monteil, David Porcelijn…

Her performances brought her throughout Serbia and Balkan region, Romania, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Ireland and USA. She appeared as a soloist and chamber musician on the music festivals: «BEMUS» (Serbia), «Timisoara Musicala» (Romania), «Haväellendische Festspiele» (Germany)…
She holds the position of Associate Professor at the Piano Department of the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade.