Today we’d like to introduce you to Branislava Ranitovic
Hi Branislava, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From an early age, I was captivated by the sounds of the piano. My memory goes back to my very early childhood when I heard the piano on TV and wished to play. My family didn’t have musicians before, so it was unusual. During my education, I showed strong talent in math, physics, and chemistry, and everyone around me was surprised when I chose music and piano as my professional path. I became a university student at 17. I completed my undergraduate, master’s studies, and the highest level of performing arts available in my country at the time. I also began teaching at a very young age. At the same time, I had many public performances in Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. I performed a lot in chamber ensembles as well. It’s a wonderful feeling to play in front of people and share your emotions through music. I believe that people recognize intention and desire, so it’s a unique dialogue that’s hard to explain in words. I also take great pleasure in the success of my students in important competitions and their performances.
In 2014, I founded the ULJUS (The Arts Appreciation Society) and the International Piano Competition in Smederevo. In the beginning, the competition was held live and was well-attended. Since 2020, the competition has been ONLINE through video submissions. It has become very large, and the number of participants has ranged from 300 to 400. In total, about 3,500 young artists from around 60 countries have participated. This is a huge success, and I am proud that the value of the competition has been recognized. Everything is public, and our website contains recordings of all the competitors, as well as participant lists and scoreboards. Today, competition is a member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation.
My motivation and reasons for organizing the competition stemmed from my desire to avoid various irregularities and unrealistic assessments that exist in many competitions. Here, we strive to ensure everything is fair, and no one is wronged in any way. The intention is to support young artists and nurture their talent and love for music.
I am the mother of two daughters, Marina and Sara Bogdanovic, and both are involved in music, so we are all pianists.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey was not easy at all, and there were many difficulties. However, I believe that it only strengthened me and gave me new energy to persevere and be even stronger and more determined in pursuing my life path. I will mention that I was deeply affected by losing my father in my youth, who was my support and a very close friend. Later, the lack of funds prevented me from continuing my studies in Paris, where I had been invited for postgraduate studies. But I continued to be involved in music, in part as a tribute to my father. I know that my father would be happy with what I have achieved now. Even the competition I organize did not initially take this form. I first started a small school competition, but due to unforeseen circumstances, conditions were imposed that differed from my vision. Thanks to that, I founded an association where I have complete artistic and organizational freedom to bring my ideas to life. It seems that sometimes something bad has to happen for something else, much better, to occur.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialized in performing arts with a focus on piano. I actively play and pursue music because I love it. In my teaching career, I have achieved excellent results, and I am proud to have many students who have completed their studies. My students have won top awards in competitions both domestically and internationally. When working with students, I pay great attention to their emotional well-being, as I believe that a good and stable emotional state is crucial for success, especially in this field where young people must be prepared to perform in front of large audiences. Emotional balance and performance preparation are very important, and I dedicate a lot of attention to this in my work. Many times, we need to resolve some issues from a child’s personal life before we can move forward. Only through such collaboration can a healthy young person—a true artist—be formed.
I am often a jury member at national and international competitions, which surely shows that others recognize and appreciate my work. I am the founder, organizer, and director of the International Piano Competition in Smederevo, established in 2014. The large number of participants from over 60 countries around the world demonstrates the recognized quality of the competition. This year, 2024, we were invited to the Alink-Argerich Foundation conference in collaboration with Piano Cleveland, Ohio, and it was a very lovely experience. Since September, we have officially become members of the Alink-Argerich Foundation. It was wonderful to meet colleagues from the US and many other countries around the world. I was also pleased to explore a great deal of America’s cultural heritage during my stay, and I believe I will have the opportunity to return again.
Our competition will be held online in 2025, as this allows participants from more countries to join, especially those who might not have enough resources to attend in person. My wish is to have even more participants from even more countries. The competition is open to all ages, from young children to the Artistic category, with no age limit.. The most popular category in the competition is Piano, and we also have the two-stage Grand Prix category, which has an advantage in selecting the competition winner. We offer awards for the overall winner, for promising young artists, and we will have special prizes. In addition, we have categories for students whose main instrument is not the piano (Complementary Piano and Comparative Piano). This is a great challenge for me, to gather students for whom piano is not their primary instrument but who love it, even if they play as amateurs (Popular Music). In the Chamber Music category, musicians of all instruments participate, as is the case in the Composition category, because we want to support a broader spectrum of artists.
I actively participate in the cultural life of the city and often organize concerts for young artists, as well as for the winners of competitions. I specialized in multimedia projects at the university as an addition to my undergraduate piano studies, which helps me in organizing concerts and events, as well as in introducing original approaches to these occasions. My interest in digital literacy, along with my ECDL Core (European Computer Driving Licence) diploma , enhances my ability to effectively utilize technology in my work.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
In life, I like to stay informed and be familiar with different perspectives, but I aim to form my own opinion. I believe that everyone feels what they truly need to do, and I think the best thing in life is for everyone to follow their own vision. I don’t believe in imposing ideas or goals because I think life is only complete if one lives their purpose. Otherwise, many dreams remain unfulfilled, and a person is bound to feel dissatisfied. However, in the process of building one’s character, the advice and experiences of successful people can certainly help. Nevertheless, the only right way is to maintain humanity, kindness, and a sense of fairness. Only then can one move forward unburdened and happily witness the success of others, while any malicious remarks pass by without any impact. Only such a person can truly live their life’s purpose in the right way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.uljus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branislava_piano/ and https://www.instagram.com/uljus.official/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088633402317 and https://www.facebook.com/uljus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@uljusinternationalcompetit389/playlists
