Vesna Petković

Vesna Petković is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Singing at the Department of Jazz and Popular Music, Faculty of Music in Belgrade, a position held since 2013. A versatile Serbian artist born in Niš (1974), she bridges academic instruction with international performance and composition work.

Her educational background includes:

• Graduation from high school of music “dr. Vojislav Vučković” in Niš, Serbia
• Master’s degree from University of Music and Applied Arts in Graz, Austria (2003)

Research and artistic interests center on jazz-Balkan fusion, vocal improvisation, and cross-cultural composition. Her work explores Balkan traditional elements within contemporary jazz frameworks, following Joe Zawinul’s legacy while emphasizing vocal innovation and rhythmic complexity in both studio recordings and live performance contexts.

Her notable recognition includes:

• Award from the Austrian Ministry of Culture for outstanding artistic success (2003)

No documented graduate students or research grants are specified in available materials, though her academic role involves direct pedagogy in jazz vocal techniques.

Artistic leadership extends to conducting the multicultural women’s choir “Sosamma” in Graz and founding the “Pangea-musik.lebt” festival. Theater collaborations include Schauspielhaus Graz (“Black Rider”) and Ensemble Theater (“Romeo und Julia in Sarajevo”), demonstrating interdisciplinary engagement beyond traditional academic boundaries.