Vukdragovic, Mihailo

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Vukdragović, Mihailo

Vukdragović, Mihailo, Serbian conductor, pedagogue, and composer; b. Okučani, Nov. 8, 1900; d. Belgrade, March 14, 1986. He was a pupil in composition of Milojevic at the Belgrade School of Music, then studied composition with Jirák and Novak and conducting with Talich at the Prague Cons, (graduated, 1927). He subsequently was active as a choral, operatic, and sym. conductor in Zagreb and Belgrade. He was prof, and director of the Stankovic School of Music, prof, of conducting (1940-73) and rector (1947-52) of the Belgrade Academy of Music, and also of the Belgrade Academy of the Arts (1957-59). Vukdragovic was made a corresponding member (1950) and a full member (1961) of the Serbian Academy. He wrote several works in an impressionistic style before embracing the aesthetics of socialist realism.

Works

dramatic: Theater music; film scores. ORCH.: Simfonijska meditacija (1938); Put u pobedu (Road to Victory), symphonic poem (1944; Belgrade, Oct. 19, 1945); Besmirtna mladost (Immortal Youth), symphonic suite (1948). CHAMBER: 2 string quartets (1925, 1944). VOCAL: Vezilja slobode (The Embroidress of Freedom), cantata (1947; Belgrade, Jan. 5, 1948); Svetti groboiv (Illustrious Tombs), cantata (1954); Vokalna lirikafor Voice and Orch. (1955); Srbija (Serbia), cantata (Nis, July 6, 1961); choruses; folk song arrangements.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire