Meet the Conductor

Vanja Gjumar Nikolovski

Vanja Gjumar Nikolovski graduated with majors in conducting and composition from the Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje Faculty of Music, Macedonia. He gained a specialization in orchestral and symphonic conducting at the Rimski-Korsakov State Conservatory in 1995-96. Recently graduated in Doctor of Arts program, major in conducting at Arizona State University. Maestro Nikolovski was principal conductor of the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, guest conductor with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Macedonian Radio Choir, and also conducted in cities as diverse as St. Petersburg, Belgrade, Zadar, Split (Croatia), Portugal and in the USA - Washington DC,  San Diego, Los Angeles and his hometown of Phoenix, AZ. His compositions have won Macedonian national awards, with his symphonic “Kartchner Caverns Magic” winning first prize in the national contest in the Republic of Macedonia in 2014, also chamber “The Dance of the Gallstones” winning third prize, 2015 first prize for “Kliment” for choir and orchestra and his “Zigurati” which won the Panche Peshev Prize in 2000. His works have been performed in several European countries including Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Turkey, Poland, Great Britain, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and the United States of America. They have been featured annually on Days of Macedonian Music, Skopje Summer Music Festival, Ohrid Summer Music Festival and Annual Meetings of the Yugoslavian Music Academies.
Vanja and his family currently live in Chandler.