Lidija Jovanović (alto), Jana Spasojević (mezzosopran) and Milivoje Veljić (piano)

Program:
Sergey Rachmaninov
Morning, Op. 4/2
In my soul, Op. 14/10
The dream, Op. 8/5
Tis time, Op. 14/12

Vincenzo Bellini
Vaga luna

Richard Strauss
Morgen, Op. 27/4

Gioachino Rossini
Mura felici, Malcom’s aria from the opera The Lady of the Lake

Kurt Weill
Youkali
Je ne t’aime pas

Miquel Ortega
Amor oculto
Mi corazón no puede

Franz Lehár
Vilja-Lied, aria from the operetta The Merry Widow

Ferran Obradors
Del cabello más sutil

José Serrano
Canción de la gitana, aria by Dolores from zarzuela La alegría del batallón

Gioachino Rossini
Dueto buffo di due gatti

Biographies:
Contralto Lidija Jovanović, born in Belgrade, starts her musical education at the age of six. After getting several scholarships for the best students of Serbia she continues her development at the HEMU Lausanne (Master degree Interpretation – piano). Furthermore, she starts her vocal studies at the HEM Geneva and becomes a member of the Swiss Opera Studio studying in the class of Nathalie Stutzmann. Currently, she works regularly with Mariella Devia in Rome. Additionally, she gets the opportunity to learn from artists such as Sara Mingardo, Jadwiga Rappé, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Fiorenza Cedolins. Roles she debuted so far are Flora Bervoix (Traviata), Mercédès (Carmen), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Lesni zinka (Rusalka) at the Opéra-Théâtre Metz Métropole and the Opéra de Reims. Other opera roles performed include Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Mother Bayard (The Long Christmas Dinner), Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Carmen (Carmen).
She collaborates with maestra Stutzmann on several occasions, singing the major contralto parts such as Bach’s Matthäus-Passion, Weihnachtsoratorium, Handel’s Messiah. As a soloist she performs with National Symphony Orchestra RTÉ (Ireland), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra (Norway), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (United Kingdom), Oslo Philharmonic (Norway), Symphony Orchestra RTS Belgrade (Serbia).
Very attached to contemporary music, she sings with the Ensemble Contrechamps (maestro J.Kalitzke) at the Radio Suisse-Romande, at the 6. Festiwal Prawykonan Polska Muzyka Najnowsza in Katowice with Orkiestra Muzyki Nowej (maestro S. Bywalec), in a concert on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Klaus Huber (Société de Musique Contemporaine Lausanne), at the Festival Dni Muzyki Andrzeja Kurylewicza in Warsaw.

Jana Spasojević, a gifted Serbian mezzo soprano was born in Belgrade, Serbia where here musical journey began at an early age. She embarked on her musical education at the “ Kosta Manojlović “ music school in Zemun, initially studying both singing and piano. She continued her education at the opera studio of the Serbian National Theater in Belgrade and in the opera studio of the opera and theater “Madlenianum”, where she made her debute in  2013,  as the second boy in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute.
Jana continued her studies in Vienna, Austria, under the guidance of Margarita Kyriaki, completing her solo singing studies in June 2018. During her time in Vienna, she portrayed significant roles including Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, and Cherubino in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.
Her talent and dedication were further recognized when she received the prestigious “China-ASEAN” scholarship from the government of the People’s Republic of China in 2018. This scholarship enabled her to pursue master’s studies at the University of Chengdu, China, studying under the esteemed tenor Octavio Arevalo.
Her international presence expanded with performances in China, participating in prestigious concert series such as “Springtime” and “Autumn,” as well as New Year concerts in Chengdu and Beijing, where she showcased her versatility by performing Chinese art songs. In February 2019, she was a guest soloist in Australia, Canberra, performing in the renowned “Opera by Candlelight” concert series.
In 2021, Jana Spasojević made her debut as Mercedes in Bizet’s opera Carmen at Opera on  Water festival in collaboration with the National Theater in Belgrade. Since 2022, she has been an active soloist at the Isny Opera Festival in Germany, continuing to enrich her repertoire and captivate audiences with her expressive performances.
Jana Spasojević has garnered acclaim in Serbia through her exceptional solo recitals and achievements in prestigious National competitions. Known for her commanding stage presence and emotive interpretations, Jana’s solo recitals in Serbia’s prominent concert halls consistently receive glowing reviews.

Milivoje Veljić (1983) graduated piano at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, in the class of Professor Lidija Stanković. He is the laureate of the Faculty’s award for the best graduate at the Piano Department. Before his studies, he had worked with some of the Serbian leading piano pedagogues such as Svetlana Milošević, Mirjana Žiravac and Branka Žiravac-Jeremić.
He has committed his further education to specialization in chamber music, with Professors Jasna Tucović and Miloš Petrović, but also through seminars and master classes. He became the Doctor of Music in 2014, when he defended his art project about music of Sergei Rachmaninoff for piano duo (his mentor was Prof. Ljudmila Gross-Popović).
Since 2009 Milivoje Veljić has been employed as an artistic associate at the Vocal Studies Department of the Faculty of music in Belgrade, in classes of Prof. Nikola Kitanovski and Emeritus Professor Biserka Cvejić.
He worked in Opera studio of National Theatre in Belgrade and he has often cooperated with Radio Television of Serbia, in a number of productions.