ALEKSANDAR SIMIĆ

Serbia

concert

Simić's opus encompasses a large number of works for all standard ensembles – from music for solo instruments accompanied by piano, through trios, quartets, choral music, and music for string and symphony orchestras, to piano concertos and vocal-instrumental works.

A significant portion of his compositions was created as commissions and in collaboration with institutions such as the United Nations, NASA, the Vatican, Yad Vashem, the Russian Federation, and the State Department. He has composed music for theater, film, television, and international sports competitions, while numerous important anniversaries across the globe have been marked precisely by performances of Simić's compositions. In 2005, he founded his own ensemble, Aleksandar Simić and the Seraphim, placing their concerts on the repertoire of the Main Stage of the National Theatre in Belgrade. Since then, different versions of this ensemble, under the same name, have been formed in collaboration with local musicians in other environments, such as New York, London, St. Petersburg, Lisbon, Turin, Hamburg, and Delhi.

In addition to his musical endeavors, he is well known to the public for his social engagement. For years, he has been a spokesperson and activist for the humanitarian fund Svetlost (Light), which launched campaigns in Serbia such as the Women's Safe House and the National Campaign to Help the Blind. As the initiator of the Notes from the Heart project (a campaign providing free cultural content dedicated to the elderly, the poor, and the disabled), he has held dozens of concerts, through which he focused the attention of the community and relevant institutions on the systematic resolution of problems faced by vulnerable groups.

Simić's contribution to interreligious dialogue on a global level is also highly significant, achieved through a vast series of initiatives spanning more than twenty-five years. He is a member of the board of directors of the Pave the Way Foundation in New York and the East West Bridge organization headquartered in Belgrade. Since 2007, he has been collaborating with the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor of the Republic of Serbia as part of Operation Last Chance. Since 2010, his cooperation with the United Nations has encompassed dozens of initiatives in the domains of culture, human rights, interreligious dialogue, environmental protection, and peace activism. This has been carried out through various structures within the organization, ranging from the General Assembly, UN agencies, and initiatives such as the Alliance of Civilizations, UNESCO, Rio+20, and the World Health Organization, to the Office of the Secretary-General itself.