Meet Branislava Ranitovic

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Branislava Ranitovic a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Branislava, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

My opinion is that the most important thing in life is to find the purpose of living. It is a strong feeling of knowing what to do to make the soul feel at peace and happiness. Music is the best way for me to express my feelings and transfer energy to people who listen to my music or to my students. The most important thing for me is founding the association ULJUS (Arts Appreciation Society) and the International Piano Competition Smederevo, through which I spread music all over the world. Everything started with my desire to begin learning the piano. My story began and developed to a very high level, more than I ever dreamed.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

As the founder and president of the ULJUS association, I am deeply committed to promoting the arts and culture. A particularly exciting aspect of my work is facilitating connections between artists and audiences, creating platforms for artistic expression, and organizing cultural events.

One of our flagship initiatives is the International Piano Competition Smederevo, established in 2014. This competition provides pianists of all ages from around the world with an invaluable opportunity to showcase their talents and gain international experience. It not only celebrates classical music but also fosters cultural exchange among emerging artists. Over the years, the competition has attracted more than 3,000 participants from over 60 countries. Disciplines of the competition are: Piano, Grand prix Smederevo- 2 stages, Chamber music, Popular music (discipline for music lovers), Professor& Student, Composition, and disciplines for students who study piano as a second instrument- Complementary Piano, Comparative Piano

In addition to the competition, we have introduced several prestigious awards to recognize exceptional talent, including the Recording Contrasts prizes. The competition is held online, with participants submitting videos of their performances, all of which can be viewed on our website, www.uljus.com.

Beyond the competition, ULJUS is dedicated to organizing a variety of cultural events, workshops, and concerts throughout the year. These initiatives aim to enrich the cultural landscape, provide platforms for artists to showcase their work, and offer the community meaningful artistic experiences.

We invite artists, educators, sponsors, and art enthusiasts to join us in our mission to celebrate and promote the arts. Together, we can create a vibrant and inclusive cultural environment.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back on my career, I believe three key qualities have played a big role in my success:

Persistence in work – no matter what happened on my journey, no matter how many times difficulties appeared, I made sure to keep going and give my best to move forward
Self-awareness and empathy: This involves understanding and managing one’s own emotions, as well as the ability to empathize with others. High emotional intelligence has helped me work better with others, be a better leader, and build positive relationships at work.
Openness to communication: Being able to clearly express my ideas, listen carefully, and give helpful feedback has been key to building strong professional relationships. These skills have also helped improve decision-making and teamwork.

Advice for Those Starting Their Careers:

I advise them to discover their path and persistently continue on the journey toward achieving their goal.
Build Emotional Intelligence: Focus on being aware of your emotions and showing empathy to others. This will improve teamwork and leadership, and create a better work environment.
Improve Communication Skills: Work on expressing your ideas clearly and listening well to build strong relationships and improve collaboration.

By working on these qualities, you’ll create a strong foundation for a successful and fulfilling career, ready to face the challenges of today’s workplace.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Through the Association ULJUS, we continuously engage in projects aimed at promoting art and culture. Additionally, the International Piano Competition Smederevo provides a platform for young artists to showcase their talents and connect with peers worldwide.​
We are looking to collaborate with:
Artists and cultural workers: Individuals or groups interested in joint projects that promote art and culture.​
Educational institutions: Schools and universities wishing to collaborate on educational programs and workshops for young talents.​
Sponsors and donors: Companies and individuals who want to support artistic projects and events through financial or material contributions.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Gregory Wilson, as indicated on the photo

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