Ksenija Komljenović
Dr. Ksenija Komljenović (Belgrade, Serbia), a prizewinner of the International Percussion Competition Luxembourg, is a percussionist, educator, and composer. Throughout her career, she has performed, taught, and studied across Europe, the United States, and Asia. Ksenija is the first woman from Serbia with a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Degree. Ksenija will be joining the esteemed faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in the Fall of 2023, having previously taught for four years at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She is on the organizational committees of the Tierras South Texas Percussion Competition and the SoundWaves Festival.
Ksenija's arrangement of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring for marimba and piano, captured on Vesna Duo's debut album, garnered rave reviews:
"...impressively reconfigured for keyboard and marimba by percussionist Ksenija Komljenović."
- Tim Page, Pulitzer Prize winner, The Wall Street Journal
"Crazy? You got it."
- Norman Lebrecht, Slippedisc
"The energy and excitement that sizzles between the artists creates some jaw-dropping moments."
- Keziah Jones, Reader's Digest UK
"The sheer passion for this project, in all of its facets, shines through with great clarity."
- Steven Schick, Distinguished Professor of Music at University of California, San Diego
Ksenija’s devotion to percussion is shaped by her advocacy for contemporary and chamber music, as well as intercultural collaboration. Her three chamber ensembles (PNEUMA, Vesna Piano/Percussion Duo, Balkan Percussion Duo) unite some of the finest young performers from across the world. As the artistic director of PNEUMA, a new percussion group, she strives to evolve the creative vision planted and shared among the performers during their studies under Svet Stoyanov and Matt Strauss at the Frost School of Music. Ksenija's initiative resulted in several pioneering cultural-exchange projects between the U.S. and her home country, including the first drumline camp and contemporary percussion workshop in Serbia.
In 2019, the same year she made her Hong Kong debut, Ksenija was selected to be a co-principal for the World Percussion Group with whom she toured England, Spain, and Portugal. In 2021, she performed at the XXI International Conservatory Week Festival (Russia) and the 31st International Young Laureate Music Competitions Festival (Poland). Ksenija has performed and collaborated with some of the preeminent musicians of her time including James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games, The Dark Knight, Snow White and the Huntsman), Jeff Beal (House of Cards), The New York Voices, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Grusin, Steven Schick, Martin Bresnick, Andy Akiho, Ben Folds, and Joan Tower.
Ksenija holds degrees from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, Illinois State University, and the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, Serbia. Her compositions and arrangements are published by Bachovich Music Publications. Ksenija is a Marimba One artist.