TEOFIL MILENKOVIC

Born in Italy on January 11, 2000, to a Serbian father and an Italian mother, Teofil Milenkovic began playing the violin at a very young age under the guidance of his parents, both violinists. His extraordinary talent became evident early on: at just four years old, he won the San Bartolomeo International Competition for Young Talents, the first of over forty awards earned in prestigious national and international competitions. From an early age, Milenkovic graced some of the world’s most renowned stages. At the age of nine, he made his solo debut with an orchestra, opening the concert seasons at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome and the Teatro Greco in Lecce, performing Mendelssohn and Mozart violin concertos. Since then, his career has taken him to festivals and concert halls worldwide, including the Festival des Portes du Mercantour in France, the Mozart Festival of Saxony, the Krka Festival in Slovenia, and the Bohinjsko Leto Festival in Serbia.

He has performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras, including I Solisti Veneti conducted by Claudio Scimone, I Virtuosi Italiani, J. Futura Orchestra, I Cameristi Triestini, Orchestra Sinfonica di Lecce, Orchestra della RTV di Serbia, Orchester des Musischen Gymnasiums Salzburg, Orchestra Filarmonica “Mihail Jora” di Bacau, Haydn Orchester, and UNIMI Orchestra in Milan, collaborating with conductors such as Ovidiu Balan, Marcello Panni, and Branimir Djokic. In 2014, he was awarded the Unicredit “Maura Giorgetti” Scholarship, granted by the Filarmonica della Scala to the most promising young violinists and cellists. The following year, he was selected by the Stradivari Foundation of Cremona to give three audition-concerts with the Stradivari “Vesuvio” (1727) at the Violin Museum Auditorium. In 2022, he returned to the same venue, this time accompanied by the Brass of the Sistine Chapel, performing with both the “Vesuvio” and the legendary Lam-ex Scotland University (1734), receiving unanimous acclaim from both audiences and critics. His virtuosity and stage presence have earned him prizes and recognition in some of the most prestigious competitions, including the Premio Salieri, the National Arts Prize, the Claudio Scimone Prize, the Carlo Maria Giulini Prize, the Rodolfo Lipizer Competition in Gorizia, the Valsesia Musica International Violin Competition, the International Jeunesses Musicales Competition, the Henri Marteau Competition, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition.

Was there a specific moment or experience that made you realize you wanted to become a musician?

I never truly “chose” to become a musician. It was always there—like a current running quietly beneath everything. I only had to follow it.

When you perform, what do you hope to communicate or make the audience feel?

When I perform, I want to dissolve the distance between sound and listener. I want people to feel—deeply and freely—whatever it is they need to feel in that moment.

If you had to present yourself by playing a single piece from the entire repertoire, which one would you choose, and why?

If I had to present myself through a single piece, it would be Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1. It is a powerful journey from shadow to light—a heroic cry rising through darkness and despair. Beneath its intense turbulence lies a triumphant spirit that refuses to be silenced. It is a testament to resilience, where every note battles the night and heralds the victory of light and hope.