/ˈdrɑʃko ˈaʤitʃ/
Draško holds a doctoral degree in composition which he obtained from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, under the supervision of academician Isidora Žebeljan. He works as associate professor of composition at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. His pieces have been performed across Europe, in the US, Canada, and Armenia at a wide variety of venues. His theatre music has been a part of over 60 productions across south-eastern Europe and Germany, including Staatstheater Stuttgart, Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Slovenian National Theatre Drama, Zagreb Youth Theatre, Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc etc.
detailed bio below ↓
Notable works include:
Zlakusanka – ein Technosalon für Kammerensemble und Live-Elektronik | performed by Draško Adžić (live electronics), Dobrivoje Milijanović (live electronics), Rastko Uzunović (clarinets), Ivan Marjanović (percussion), Luka Lopičić (accordion) and Aleksandar Latković (cello) | supported by The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Heartefact Fund, 2024
The End Of The World In Three Acts, incidental music for theatre | co-produced by The Creative Europe Programme (CREA), Zagreb Youth Theatre, Maribor Theatre Festival and The Belgrade Drama Theatre (dir. Selma Spahić), 2024
Mistake These Walls For Skin, a soliloquy for symphony orchestra after Ocean Vuong | performed by the RTS Symphony Orchestra, 2023
Excursion, music for a feature film (dir. Una Gunjak) | premiered at Locarno International Film Festival, 2023
I Talk Of Dreams, three songs from Romeo and Juliet for voice, viola and string orchestra, incidental music for theatre | performed by Draško Adžić and the Metamorphosis Ensemble, 2022
Smederevo 1941, incidental music for theatre, Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad (dir. Ana Djordjevic) | awarded with Sterija Award for best incidental music, 2020
B. Matinée, an aubade for string orchestra, bass drum and fixed media | last performed by the No Borders Orchestra at Berghain, Berlin, 2019
Workers Die Singing, incidental music for theatre, Bitef Theatre Belgrade (dir. Ađjelka Nikolic) | awarded with Sterija Award for best incidental music, 2012
The Dance of the Moirae, for two trumpets and piano | performed by Hans Leeuw and Gijs Levelt (trumpets) and Ere Lievonen (piano) at Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam | shortlisted for The Gaudeamus International Composers Award, 2009
Draško is a composer of contemporary classical and incidental music.
Draško Adžić, DMA, obtained his degree from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, under the supervision of academician Isidora Žebeljan. His oeuvre encompasses a broad array of styles, and he has composed numerous orchestral, chamber and choral works. In addition, Draško Adžić is equally active in writing incidental music for theatre and film and has so far collaborated on over 60 productions in Serbia, the Balkans and in Germany.
His pieces have been performed across Europe, in the US, Canada and Armenia at a wide variety of venues such as: Berghain (Berlin), Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ (Amsterdam), Salão Nobre da Escola de Música do Conservatório Nacional (Lisbon), Narodowe Forum Muzyki (Wrocław), Koerner Hall (Ghent), Uilenburger Synagoge (Amsterdam). Among some of the festivals which featured his music were: Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Berlinale, Berlin Herbstsalon, Month of Contemporary Music in Berlin, Locarno Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Prague Quadrennial, Neue Stücke aus Europa, Raindance, ISA PragWienBudapest, NOWA MUZYKA, Music Biennale Zagreb, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, MESS, Bitef... He has collaborated with various ensembles including the Belgrade Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra of Radio Television of Serbia, No Borders Orchestra, Cantus Ensemble, St. George Strings, Ensemble Metamorphosis, to name but a few, and the majority of these collaborations were commissions. He was among the artists chosen to represent the Serbian national selection at the 13th Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, after which he was one of the Students’ Selection mentors for the 14th Prague Quadrennial. Currently, Draško Adžić is Composer in Residence at the Belgrade Chamber Orchestra.
Draško Adžić has received a number of awards for his music, notably the Sterija award – Serbia’s highest prize for theatre music which he received twice – in 2012 and 2020. Apart from that, he received third prize at the Caneres International Music Competition Vienna for his piece Symphony 1 in 2023, he was among the finalists at the Amadeus Composition Award in Vienna for his piece I Talk Of Dreams, also in 2023. Draško Adžić was shortlisted for the Gaudeamus prize in Amsterdam in 2009 for the piece The Dance of the Moirae and has received one of the awards at Koor&Stem’s first choral Convention (Ghent) in 2008, which resulted in publication of his choral work Glas Gospodenj by Edition Ferrimontana (Frankfurt). Furthermore, Draško Adžić was awarded a bursary to attend the film music course at Dartington College of Arts (UK) and a bursary to take part in the Internationale Sommerakademie Prag Wien Budapest. In 2024, Draško Adžić was one of the artists to receive an ivitation from the NY Lopud Foundation Artist Retreat for their month-long Artist Residence on Lopud island (Croatia), where he gave a concert of his incidental music.
He has attended master classes held by Heiner Goebbels, Nigel Osborne, Luca Francesconi and Miguel Mera.
Draško Adžić works as associate professor of composition at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade and, in addition, has taught applied music at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 2017 and 2018. He occasionally performs as singer, conductor and pianist. In 2017, he was one of the jury members of Bitef – Belgrade International Theatre Festival. Moreover, Draško Adžić is a member of the Board of Directors of Sokoj – Serbian Music Authors’ Organization and was Chairman of Artistic Board for the inaugural edition of The Isidora Žebeljan International Festival in 2021.