Biography

Zoran Simjanoviæ was born in Beograd in May, 1946. At the age of six he first begun to play piano, then he attended the music school "Mokranjac" and finally the Music Academy in Beograd.

Since 1961 he founded and played in some of the most recognized rock bands in Yugoslavia and abroad. He also wrote pop songs for his friends singers who were winning prizes at festivals, although he has not much interest in pop music.

Since 1975, he deals with scenic music and cooperates with TV, film and theatre productions in Yugoslavia and abroad. As a scenic composer he uses all music styles although most of his work is electronic-based. So far he has written music scores for 55 feature films, a large number of TV films, TV series, theatre plays as well as cartoons and advertising films and clips.

He has been awarded the Gold Arena for music twice at the film festival in Pula ("The fragrance of wild flower" -1978 and "Balkan Express" -1983). At the unofficial festival of film music, costume and scenography in Mladenovac he has won the first prize for "When father was away on business" soundtrack in 1985.

At the directors'festival in Herceg Novi he has been awarded for the music score for "Tito and me" in 1992. After splitting of Yugoslav republics it has remained the greatest award. At this year's festival of short film he was honored for the music in the film about Malyevich, and at the first annual Yugoslav Film Academy Award he won a Crystal Prysm for the music in "Tango argentino".

In 1993, he also won at festival of short film with music for several cartoons. At the JRT festival of audio and video clips in Budva in 1988, he won the first prize for music in JAT audio/video campaign.

He also finds theatre interesting for his work. He composed scores for over 20 theatre plays in all Beograd theatres as well as the musicals "Joys of Beograd" and "The fish in the sea" and several cabarets.With Paolo Magelli he worked on the Paris version of "Mandragora" and after its success he was engaged in another play "The Straitjacket"

He is one of three Yugoslav members of the European Film Academy.Also he is member of ASIFA(International animated film association. He is a Citizen of Honor of Valencia. Presently he is a professor at the Faculty of Scenic Arts and Faculty of Music Art in Beograd where he shares his experiences with the future film artists and musicians.
- IMDb mini biography by: simke, simkemus@afrodita.rcub.bg.ac.yu