Education

Faculty of Music at Belgrade University:

• Composition (Prof. Enrik Josif)
• Choral Conducting (Prof. Vojislav Ilić and Prof. Darinka Matić Marović)
• Orchestral conducting (Prof. Stanko Šepić)

Prizes and Awards

• Serbian National Theatre (SNP) Annual Award, 2005
• Special Conducting Award, Cantat, Slovakia 2009
• Silver Medail Jovan Đorđević, SNP recognition, 2014
• Award Vojislav Ilić for research in conducting and performing contemporary and under-performed spiritual music, 2015
• Annual SNP recognition for extraordinary prepared performance at Al Bustan Festival in Beirut, Lebanon, 2017
• SNP Annual Award, 2018
• SNP Annual Award, 2020

Vesna Kesić Krsmanović was born 1961 in Subotica, Yugoslavia. She studied Composition (prof. Enrik Josif) and Choral Conducting (prof. Vojislav Ilić and prof. Darinka Matić Marović) at the Faculty of Music of Belgrade University. In 1985 she obtained a diploma in Orchestral Conducting under professor Stanko Šepić’s mentorship. She also studied in Italy (Siena, Ferrara) and Hungary, mentored by conductor Etvos Peter (Bartoko). She worked as an assistant conductor with the Academic Cultural Society Žikica Jovanović Španac and later as an assistant to prof. Stanko Šepić with the Academic Choir Ivo Lola Ribar in Belgrade. She also spent four years teaching music at two musical schools in Belgrade. During her career, she has received numerous awards at festivals and competitions for conducting orchestra, choirs and chamber music. Since the 1987/88 season, she has been employed by the Serbian National Theater in Novi Sad as its conductor and the opera choir’s conductor. She took over the baton of Hashira in 2005.