Aleksandar Simic
Encyclopedia
Aleksandar Simić is an accomplished Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

n composer; according to the US State Department website, he has established a reputation as one of the leading classical composers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He is noted for composing music for official events, including Bicentennial of the modern Serbian state, 50th anniversary of victory over fascism in WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and a text read by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...

 at the fourth anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...

.

From his earliest days, the family residence constantly shifted: from Bremen to Singapore, Rome to London, Nicosia to Istanbul… Not surprisingly, so too did his fields of interest—from art to biology, from literature to physics…

In 1994, while completing his third year of study at the Belgrade Medical School, he took the entrance exams at the Faculty of Music, and, although lacking a single day of formal musical training, placed first among all the applicants and entered formally into the world of music. Since then, his opus has expanded rapidly and he has established a reputation as one of the leading classical composers of the late 20th/early 21st centuries.

Some of his more acclaimed works include:
  • Missa Solemnior: marking the Year of Reconciliation following 950 years of schism
    East-West Schism
    The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...

     between eastern and western Christianity.
  • Zhukov
    Georgy Zhukov
    Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...

     - A Portrait: commissioned by the Russian Federation
    Russia
    Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

     to mark the 50th anniversary of victory over fascism in WWII
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

    .
  • Prayer of Deliverance From Our Evil Enemies: in commemoration of victims of the Shoah (60 years of the Holocaust)
  • Lullaby for Baby Jesus: marking 2000 years of Christianity, performed at official celebrations in more than fifteen different countries during millennial celebrations by Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches.
  • Remember: inspired by the victims of 9/11
    September 11, 2001 attacks
    The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...

    . Text read by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the fourth anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero.
  • Yesenin
    Sergei Yesenin
    Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin was a Russian lyrical poet. He was one of the most popular and well-known Russian poets of the 20th century but committed suicide at the age of 30...

    : a cycle of songs commemorating the centenary of the birth of this famous Russian author, undertaken in cooperation with the renowned Serbian artist Olja Ivanjicki
    Olja Ivanjicki
    Olja Ivanjicki was a well-known Serbian contemporary artist, in fields such as sculpture, poetry, costume design, architecture and writing, but was best known for her painting...

    , as inspired by the Hartman/Musorgsky collaboration.
  • Crucified: a world anthem of people suffering from Muscular Dystrophy, commissioned by the Telethon Foundation.
  • A Little Mass: commemorating 25 years of the papacy of His Holiness Pope John Paul II
    Pope John Paul II
    Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

    , commissioned by the Bishopric Conference of Europe
  • The Little Town Where Time Stood Still: a symphonic poem inspired by Bohumil Hrabal
    Bohumil Hrabal
    Bohumil Hrabal was a Czech writer, regarded as one of the best writers of the 20th century.- Life and work :...

  • Faust: an opera for solo violoncello, marking the bicentenary of J.W. Von Goethe
    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...

    .


His music has also been used to mark numerous other official events, including the Bicentennial of the Serbian state, the Tricentennial of Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Ecumenical gatherings of all the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs. He has also written scores for TV, film and theatre.

Mr. Simić is a member of British Academy of Composers and Songwriters and a president of the Association for Promotion and Popularization of Classical Music.

He is the founder of an ensemble called The Seraphim.

External links

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