Ana Sokolović

Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), September 7, 1968

Now living in Montreal

An important figure in contemporary music, Ana Sokolović has distinguished herself both in Canada and internationally.

A native of Serbia, the composer has been immersed in the arts all her life. Before taking up theatre and music, she studied classical ballet. She began her university composition studies in Serbia, finishing with her master’s degree at the Université de Montréal.

Her works, infused with Balkan rhythms, are influenced by different artistic disciplines and seduce an ever-growing audience, drawing them into a vividly imagined world. Her success is revealed through prestigious collaborations with Canadian orchestras, leading artists on the musical scene, as well as many Quebecois chamber music ensembles. In 2009, she received the National Arts Centre Award for Canadian Composers, which included three commissions for orchestra. Golden slumbers kiss your eyes… is her second Award commission, and is dedicated to founding NAC Orchestra Music Director Mario Bernardi. In March 2019, Golden slumbers kiss your eyes… won the JUNO Award for “Classical Composition of the Year”.

Her varied repertoire, which has received numerous awards and prizes, includes her opera Svadba, which “seems to invent a phonetic universe of the human heart” (Le Monde) and has been performed over 50 times across the world.

To date, a dozen recordings of her works have been produced. In addition to her activities as a composer, Ana Sokolović is also a professor of composition at the Université de Montréal.