Dejan Miladinovic was born into a family of prominent opera artists (his late mother Militza, a mezzo soprano, was a primadona in the Opera Company of the National Theatre in Belgrade and his father Dushan was the Principal Conductor and Artistic Director in the same company). Miladinovic graduated from the Department of Theatre Direction at the Academy of Theatre Film Radio and Television in Belgrade. He obtained the title of Master of Theatrical Arts from the Academy for Dramatic Arts in Belgrade (with the thesis “Development of Opera Direction in Belgrade and Novi Sad in period 1919-1975”).
Miladinovic has served as Pricipal director at Opera and Drama as well as he has served as Artistic Director of the Opera Company, two terms in office, in the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. He has also served as an artistic consultant for grand stage projects in Convention Centre “Sava” in Belgrade. He moved from Novi Sad to Belgrade, where he assumed the position of Principal director in Opera Company of the National Theatre in Belgrade and,then, at the proposal and invitation of the whole company of the Belgrade Opera, he was appointed as Artistic Director in the same company. He remained in this position during the NATO aerial bombing, although he had numerous invitations from abroad. Several years later, he transfers, again at the invitation, to become the Artistic Director at Opera & Theatre Madlenianum in Zemun. During last several years he assumed for the second term position as Artistic Director of Belgrade Opera.
Currently Mr. Miladinovic is free lancer.
He has worked as an Associate Professor and Artistic Director of Opera Theatre at Meadows School of Arts, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. He served as Associate Professor of acting and in Opera Theatre at the Faculty of Music Arts, Belgrade. Miladinovic has served as well as Associate Professor of acting and directing at Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Dejan Miladinovic directed 163 productions, mostly operas (starting from Monteverdi to modern national and international composers) in professional theatres in former Yugoslavia and abroad (Szegedin, Timisoara, Osijek, New York, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Diego, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Austin, Vancouver, Edmonton...).
Besides direction, he writes librettos for operas (The Power of Virtue, by Kuljerić, Prometheus by Bruči, Mandragola by Jevtić, Merry Priests of Banat by Despić, In Hoc Signo by Don Marco Frisina), composes music for numerous plays and designes sets and video animations for opera productions .
Miladinovic has won numerous professional recognitions and awards for his productions. He is the only triple laureate for direction by the Jury of Yugoslav Music Reviewers at the Chamber Opera and Ballet Festival – Osijek Annale for the following productions: Galuppi - The Village Philosopher, Monteverdi - The Return of Odyssey, Bruchi – Prometheus. Miladinovic received two Belgrade National Theatre Awards for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for opera directions: Konjovic – The Fatherland, Verdi – Attila. Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad and National Theatre in Belgrade have awarded Mladinovic with their highest awards for his high artistic merits.
Yugoslav Music ENCYCLOPAEDIA (Zagreb) describes Dejan Miladinovic as:
“... an artist of imaginative, bold and unconventional conception. He has directed numerous operas with resounding success. Both audiences and critics unanimously and with delight favour his productions for their obvious theatrical quality and modern direction...”
In the book The Art of Direction (Novi Sad), the author PhD Radoslav Lazic wrote:
“… Dejan Miladinovic has given foundation to modern Serbian opera theatre. He is the creator of Serbian opera theatre of the twentieth century and its aesthetics...”.
Miladinovic has served as Pricipal director at Opera and Drama as well as he has served as Artistic Director of the Opera Company, two terms in office, in the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. He has also served as an artistic consultant for grand stage projects in Convention Centre “Sava” in Belgrade. He moved from Novi Sad to Belgrade, where he assumed the position of Principal director in Opera Company of the National Theatre in Belgrade and,then, at the proposal and invitation of the whole company of the Belgrade Opera, he was appointed as Artistic Director in the same company. He remained in this position during the NATO aerial bombing, although he had numerous invitations from abroad. Several years later, he transfers, again at the invitation, to become the Artistic Director at Opera & Theatre Madlenianum in Zemun. During last several years he assumed for the second term position as Artistic Director of Belgrade Opera.
Currently Mr. Miladinovic is free lancer.
He has worked as an Associate Professor and Artistic Director of Opera Theatre at Meadows School of Arts, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. He served as Associate Professor of acting and in Opera Theatre at the Faculty of Music Arts, Belgrade. Miladinovic has served as well as Associate Professor of acting and directing at Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Dejan Miladinovic directed 163 productions, mostly operas (starting from Monteverdi to modern national and international composers) in professional theatres in former Yugoslavia and abroad (Szegedin, Timisoara, Osijek, New York, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Diego, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Austin, Vancouver, Edmonton...).
Besides direction, he writes librettos for operas (The Power of Virtue, by Kuljerić, Prometheus by Bruči, Mandragola by Jevtić, Merry Priests of Banat by Despić, In Hoc Signo by Don Marco Frisina), composes music for numerous plays and designes sets and video animations for opera productions .
Miladinovic has won numerous professional recognitions and awards for his productions. He is the only triple laureate for direction by the Jury of Yugoslav Music Reviewers at the Chamber Opera and Ballet Festival – Osijek Annale for the following productions: Galuppi - The Village Philosopher, Monteverdi - The Return of Odyssey, Bruchi – Prometheus. Miladinovic received two Belgrade National Theatre Awards for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for opera directions: Konjovic – The Fatherland, Verdi – Attila. Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad and National Theatre in Belgrade have awarded Mladinovic with their highest awards for his high artistic merits.
Yugoslav Music ENCYCLOPAEDIA (Zagreb) describes Dejan Miladinovic as:
“... an artist of imaginative, bold and unconventional conception. He has directed numerous operas with resounding success. Both audiences and critics unanimously and with delight favour his productions for their obvious theatrical quality and modern direction...”
In the book The Art of Direction (Novi Sad), the author PhD Radoslav Lazic wrote:
“… Dejan Miladinovic has given foundation to modern Serbian opera theatre. He is the creator of Serbian opera theatre of the twentieth century and its aesthetics...”.