ALEKSANDAR SASA SPASIC (BELGRADE, 1967)
CONDUCTOR AND OPERA DIRECTOR

He studied conducting at the FMA in Belgrade, in Professor Anton Kolar and Professor Jovan Sainovic’s class. He received his degree in 1996 and his post-graduate degree in 2001 in Professor Sainovic’s class, with “The Secret Marriage”, an opera by Domenico Cimarosa and with an opera conducting thesis presentation.

He studied opera directing at the BK Academy of Arts in Belgrade, in Professor Mladen Sabljic and Professor Gordan Dragovic’s class. He graduated in 1999 with the second act of Wagner’s “The Dutchman”, in Rasa Plaovic Hall of Belgrade National Theatre. During his studies, he received scholarships from the Saint Sava Temple, “Polimark”, “Zepter” and doctor Kailic from Vienna. He was accepted to the Interdisciplinary doctor studies at the Head office of the University of Arts in Belgrade in 2003.
From 1991 to 1994, he engaged himself in music pedagogy, teaching in music school “Stankovic”, Theology secondary school “Saint Sava” and the Academy of Arts in Pristine. In October 2006, he was appointed as a university lecturer for the subjects Opera studio and Acting at the Philological-Artistic Faculty of the University of Kragujevac.

He has been engaged in choir conducting since 1985, and has worked with a number of choirs:

With Jewish choir “Baruch Brothers” (1987-89; 2003-04) he went to Israel, Greece and Italy (Gorizia) and participated in the recording of a CD with Jewish spiritual and secular music (PGP RTS); He held a concert celebrating the 125th anniversary of the choir. With “Belgrade Madrigalists” choir (2005- 07) he won a silver diploma in Rome, took part in Llangollen Festival (Wales), Temisvar and in the Festival in Obrociste (Bulgaria, audience’s award). Celebrating the 55th anniversary of the choir, he took part in almost all the Festivals and spiritual manifestations in Serbia and recorded 2 CDs and a DVD (Studio 176).
With Choral Society “Mokranjac at the Saint Sava Temple” (1988- 2000) he participated in many national and international festivals. He won the first prize in Poland and the third in Greece, as well as the award on the occasion of 2000 years of Christianity at the Festival in Nis. He regularly participated in the liturgies in both the church and the Temple and had a series of concerts, performing the works of over 50 Serbian composers, many of which were done for the first time. He celebrated the 65th anniversary of the choir. With this choir and the Royal Strings of Saint George he recorded a CD (Natan).

With Vocal Ensemble “Oktoih” (2000), as the founder and a conductor, he held concerts in Italy, Sardinia and Hungary and organized concerts of interreligious music, researched and recorded (3 CDs) unknown and new works, participated in international festivals and won awards (second prize at the Choir competition in Ankara, Turkey, 2005), as well as prizes “Vojislav Ilic” (2002, 2003, 2004) for the best conductor of the festival “Choirs among Frescoes”. The following two years (2005, 2006) he was a member of the Festival jury. Maestro Spasic engages himself both in composing and researching Serbian spiritual music, and in the analysis and performance of the music of Christian churches, as well as in the studying of other spiritual music.

He took part in the International competition of young orchestra conductors in Besanson (France, 1992). He also worked with almost every national symphony orchestra, the Royal Strings of Saint George, as well as with foreign philharmonic orchestras from Arad (Romania) and Byalistok (Poland).

He is the author of theatre and film music (“Jacques or Obedience”, “Vozd”, “Full Moon over Belgrade”), and as an opera director he set on stage smaller and unconventional pieces: “Coffee Cantata”, by J. S. Bach (“Madlenianum”, 2001). “Saint Sava’s Rod” (NBS, 1995), “The Dedication to the Founders of Serbian Music” (“Liceum”, Kragujevac 2006), “30 years of SCS KG” (Kragujevac 2007, DVD), “Brahms’s Love Waltzes” (“Liceum”, Kragujevac 2008).

Since the founding of the Chamber Opera “Madlenianum”, he has participated as a full-time conductor in the setting of all opera productions. Until now, he has conducted operas “Signor Bruschino”, by Rossini (2000, the premiere), “The Secret Marriage”, by Cimarosa, “The Wise guy”, by Orf, “Cosi Fan Tutte”, by Mozart and “Hoffman’s Stories”, by Offenbach. He plays the piano and the organ and speaks English and Italian. He is a member of the Association of Musical Artists of Serbia, the Association of Drama Artists of Serbia, The Association of the Pedagogues of Serbia, The Friends of “Madlenianum” Society, Opera Artists Syndicate, Balkan choir forum, the Artistic council of the Festival of chamber choirs in Kragujevac, the Association of Belgrade citizens, the National aero club “Our Wings”, Jockey club Belgrade, Lovers of Eternal Melodies club, World Travelers club, Rotary club Belgrade…

He lives in Belgrade, Serbia, and is the father of Sofija Spasic. He is an artistic creator in various areas of art, spirituality, culture and media…