Biography

Simonida Miletic was born in Belgrade, where she completed the Stankovic Secondary Music School in the class of Professor Olivera Grujić. After two years of studying at the Belgrade Music Academy in the class of Professor R. Smiljanić, she continued her education in Florence at the Conservatory Luigi Cherubini.

She graduated in opera singing in 1996 in the class of Professor Kate Lafferty. In 2007, at the same conservatory, she earned a master’s degree in chamber vocal music under Professor Leonardo de Lisi. In June 2011, she also obtained a master’s degree in opera singing in the class of Professor Gianni Fabbrini.

While still a high school student, she participated in the World Youth Choir (1989), representing her country among a group of 12 singers selected from the former Yugoslavia.

During her studies, she attended masterclasses at the Summer Music Academy Mozarteum in Salzburg with Galina Vishnevskaya, in Florence with Margherita Rinaldi, in Milan at the Baroque Music School with Claudine Ancerment, and at the Summer Opera Studio in Orvieto with Professor Gabriella Ravazzi.

Organized by the association Amici della musica from Florence, she also took part in courses with Professors Julia Hamari (opera studio), Irwin Gage (chamber music), and Jill Feldman (baroque singing).

At the chamber vocal music competition Seghizzi, she won the award for best interpretation of a French solo song as a finalist. She won third prize in chamber vocal music at the Dino Caravita competition in Ravenna and third prize in the opera category at the Castello della Maggione competition in Siena. At the Spazio Musica competition in Orvieto, she was selected as a finalist for the role of Fanny in Rossini’s opera La Cambiale di Matrimonio, which was performed at the summer festival in Orvieto.

She was awarded the Francesco Tamagno medal for a concert held at the Liceo musicale hall in the city of Varese.

She performed at the opera festival in San Gimignano in the operas The Telephone and The Old Maid and the Thief by G. Menotti, as well as Il segreto di Susanna by Wolf-Ferrari.

She continued her artistic career by participating in festivals across Italy, performing a repertoire that includes baroque music, Liederabend programs, and opera.

In Belgrade, she has performed multiple times at concerts organized by the Italian Cultural Center and the Music Center at Kolarac. Roles she has performed in Italy include: Susanna, Cherubino, Marcellina, Despina, Zerlina, Fanny, Violetta, Gilda, Adina, Donna Anna, Musetta, and Micaela. She has collaborated with conductors such as Piero Bellugi, Marco Balderi, Giorgio Proietti, Fabio Maestri, Alan Freiles, Giorgio Keiser, Grazia Rossi, and Ennio Clari.

In Florence, she gave a recital accompanied by Maestro Gonneli in all major concert halls, including a program of Serbian solo songs and works by Slavic composers.

In March 2011, she sang in Florence during the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Italian unification.

In Milan, she gave a recital at Casa Verdi, the home Verdi built for retired artists, which still hosts performances by leading opera figures. In Venice, she performed at Lido di Venezia during the film awards ceremony, accompanied by Austrian pianist Franz Moser.

She is currently a music professor in Florence and a voice teacher at the summer academies in Bristol and Llandovery (Wales).