Biography

When he first heard and saw a clarinet as a five-year-old, he said, I want to play that! At the age of ten, he enrolled in the Davorin Jenko Music School in Belgrade and began playing the instrument that would guide him through life.

In April 2003, he became the laureate of Serbia and retained that title in the following years. The next year, he received the Belgrade Angel award.

As a soloist and as a member of various ensembles, he has performed in numerous competitions in Italy, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Serbia. Between 2003 and 2006, he won 14 special awards (100 out of 100 points) and 9 first prizes. As a member of a duet, he received 4 special awards and one first prize at the National Competition. As a member of the clarinet quartet Nevski, he won 6 special awards. As the youngest member of the Nevski quartet, he performed in Moscow at the Serbia 05 exhibition, representing Serbian culture and music. Nikola recorded a music video for Radio Television Serbia and performed as a guest on numerous radio shows. At the age of fourteen, the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Serbia awarded him the “Saint Sava Award.” The following year, he became one of the youngest musicians to perform a solo concert at the prestigious 38th BEMUS festival in Serbia.

In addition to his formal education, he gained experience by performing at international chamber music festivals in Prague (for nine consecutive years), Italy (Amalfi Coast), and Madrid in 2006. In September, at just under 15 years old, he moved to the United States to continue high school at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. In 2007, with the EMCY organization, he toured five cities in Austria and Germany as a soloist and a member of a chamber ensemble. In 2008, Nikola opened the “Passau Music Festival” in Passau, Germany. During his fourth year at the Interlochen Arts Academy, he was invited by the Government of the Republic of Serbia to receive a new passport, having been selected as the “New Face of Serbia”—one of the most successful Serbians in his field.

After graduating from high school (IAA) with top honors, Nikola continued his studies with Professor Franklin Cohen at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio. In his first year in Cleveland, he won the International Milhaud competition as the youngest participant. As the winner of the “Concerto Competition” at his academy, Nikola premiered a work by Serbian composer Ante Grgin, with whom he developed a deep admiration for his music. In the summer of 2011, Nikola was invited to perform as a soloist with the Czech Philharmonic at the prestigious “66th Prague Spring Festival.” After Prague, he competed at the international competition in Ohrid, where he won First Prize as the youngest competitor in his category. He frequently performs solo concerts at the Belgrade City Assembly, collaborating with international musicians. In 2012, he performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as one of the most successful students representing his conservatory. In the summer of 2012, Nikola became a professor at the international chamber music festival in Prague, AMEROPA. That same year, he won the Concertante Competition and performed as a soloist with the Camerata Filarmonica Bohemia at the Rudolfinum, in the Dvořák Hall of the Czech Philharmonic.

During his studies in Cleveland, Nikola was a member of the improvisation ensemble Contranuities Quartet, a group he founded. This quartet was dedicated to connecting people through diverse musical genres and cultures.

At the age of 21, Nikola graduated with top grades and continued his journey to Japan, where he spent two months traveling and performing across the country. Upon his return to Belgrade, he formed the duo Gitarinet with his childhood friend and guitarist colleague, Mirko Dimitrijević. Gitarinet won the RTS television show The Best Orchestra of Serbia.

Since November 2016, Nikola has been a significant member of the jazz improvisation orchestra Stegreif in Berlin, Germany. As the leader of the woodwinds in this chamber orchestra, Nikola has performed in dozens of concert tours year after year. From 2021 to 2023, he became the orchestra’s Musical Director, composing, leading, and organizing rehearsals, with five premieres in just two years and over 50 masterclasses. He also became one of the founders of a chamber music festival in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, where he has been a regular performer for four consecutive years.

He is currently working on an original album with his ensemble Gitarinet and frequently conducts masterclasses and seminars on chamber music and jazz improvisation.