Biography

Milan Milisavljević serves as the Principal Viola with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Dubbed “the engine propelling the performance forward” by the New York Classical Review, his playing combines intense expression with a profound link to the listener.

The Strad magazine describes his artistry as “very imaginative, with a fine, cultured tone”. His solo album, Sonata-Song, released by Delos Music, has earned glowing reviews. Notably, his recording of Aram Khachaturian’s Solo Sonata on the album is considered “definitive”.

As a soloist, Milan has performed with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestras of Belgrade, Medellín, and Boca del Río, Aspen Sinfonia, New York Classical Players, and Classical Tahoe. He has won prizes at competitions such as Lionel Tertis and Aspen Lower Strings and has performed at Marlboro, Mostly Mozart, Josef Gingold, Cascade Head, Classical Tahoe and Grand Teton music festivals.

A prolific chamber musician, Milan performs regularly at Carnegie Hall with the MET Chamber Players. He has collaborated with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Augustin Hadelich, Cho-Liang Lin, and Joseph Kalichstein, as well as members of the Guarneri and Mendelssohn String Quartets.

Currently, Milan serves on the viola faculty at the Mannes School of Music and New York University. He was recently appointed Teaching Artist at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. Furthermore, he has given masterclasses at the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and festivals such as Aspen and Verbier.

Milan is committed to performing the music of underrepresented composers. He gave the world premiere of Leo Brouwer’s Solo Viola Sonata and regularly performs works by Ana Sokolovic and Jessie Montgomery. A recent highlight is his project Slow Beethoven, a collaboration with Lara St. John, Miranda Cuckson, and Jeffrey Zeigler, creating a lush sonic landscape based on Beethoven’s late string quartets.

Prior to his current position at the MET, Milan served as its Assistant Principal Viola for eleven seasons. His orchestral experience includes performing with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and serving as guest Principal Viola for the Toronto Symphony.

Milan holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Rice University. His major teachers include Jutta Puchhammer, Atar Arad, James Dunham, Nobuko Imai, and Samuel Rhodes. Milan is a Larsen Strings Artist.