The leading Serbian violinist Jovan Kolundžija graduated from the Belgrade Academy of Music under Professor Peter Toskov and continued his post-graduate studies with Professor Henryk Szeryng. During his early career he became Professor Szeryng’s  favorite disciple and one of the most praised and sought after young violinists in the world.

He also participated in special concerts organized by UNESCO in Belgrade and Paris, and has done recordings for numerous radio and TV programs (he appeared twice in the worldwide famous Jacques Chancel's shows organized by the French Television). He is a member of FIAM – Unesco and he has numerous recordings to his credit, including the recently released CD of complete Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin by J. S. Bach.

In 1994 he performed a program consisting of ten different concertos in only four days (Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Mendelson, Bruch, Lalo, Wieniawsky, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brams) with St. George Strings and  Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Best Concert of the Season in 1994, with Novi Sad Philharmonic Orchestra.

Maestro Jovan Kolundzija gave over four thousand concerts all over the world.
Beside his concert career, he is today also a founder of Art Center GUARNERIUS in Belgrade, hosting great musicians from all around the globe as well as important young talents.

He plays on the famous Guarnerius violin made in 1754 in Venice, which was recommended to him by
Professor Henryk Szeryng in the USA.

Numerous awards and prizes testify to his high artistic achievements,
both at home and abroad, most notably:

Competition for Young Yugoslav Violinists -  Zagreb
The Carl Flesh Competion – London
Sabre Marroquin Competition – Mexico
The Jacques Thibault Competition – Paris
International Youth Competition Award – Belgrade
Award of the Hungarian Television – Budapest
Ivo Tijardovic (for numerous interpretations of supreme quality) – Zagreb
Orlando Award (for the most successful concert at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival)
Golden Lyra (the highest Yugoslav artistic award) – Belgrade
Award for the Best Interpretation of the Year (1977, 1978, 1979 and 1986) Belgrade
The Award of the Association of Yugoslav Composers – Belgrade
October Award of the City of Belgrade
Award golden BEOCUG (2006) for permanent contribution to culture of Belgrade.

Tours:

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Poland, Rumania, The Soviet Union, United Kingdom, Venezuela, the USA, Germany, China, Thailand..

Festivals:

Salzburg, Berlin, Evian, The Prague Spring, Bratislava Musical Festivities, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Belgrade Music Festival, The Ohrid Summer, Cervantino, Nomus, Nimus...

Played with Henryk Szerying, Alexis Weissenberg, Aldo Ciccolini, Yevgeni Svetlanov, Carlo Zecchi, Milan Horvat, Lovro Matacic, Vaclav Smetacek, Oskar Danon, Alexis Hauser, Veronika Dudarova, Ken-ichiro Kobayashi, Hans Peter Frank, Siztin Ehrling, Pavle Despalj, Zivojin Zdravkovic, Mladen Jagust, Sheldon Morgenstern, Angel Surev, Marchelo Rotta...

Some of the reviews:

“ At this moment I consider Jovan Kolundzija to be the best violinist of the younger generation of artists aged between 20 and 35 years. Jovan has the inborn qualities which cannot be learnt or taught. By this, I mean the quality of the sound, the warmth, the humane approach to music, the feeling for style. He is a happy combination of heart and spirit...Jovan Kolundzija is a unique jewel among young violinists of the world. He reaches the highest peaks of performing art....An exceptionally brilliant international career lies ahead of him...” (Henryk Szeryng)

“ ....We admired the great command and the fire of your performance, your mastery of projection and unique conception...” (Yehudi Menuhin)

“ His future career promises to be spectacular”. (Alexis Weissenberg)

“...he recreated the spirit of the music by the sureness of his execution, the roundness of his pure, clear tone...” (EL TEMPO, Bogota)

“...the lyricism of an expanding, vibrant soul...” (LE MONDE, Paris)

“....incredible maturity, incredible perfection, and exceptional intuitive mobility...” (SMENA, Bratislava)

“..his talent unites strict musicality with virtuosity...” (TAGESSPIEGEL, Berlin)

“...a talent which appears once in hundred years...” (VJESNIK, Zagreb)

“...And finally, the Yugoslav music miracle, violinist Jovan Kolundzija,   one of those that rarely appear in such intensity of all happily inspired and ripe components predestined for supreme music making...” (VJESNIK, Zagreb)

“...A great interpreter who achieved a complete triumph...” (LA CORUNA, Spain)

“...the ingenious Ambassador of Yugoslav music...” (SOL DE MEXICO, Mexico City)

“...Kolundzija played Tartini with sense of excitement...” (NEW YORK TIMES, New York)

“...Alive, elegant and exceptional, Jovan Kolundzija seduced Paris audience at the Gaveau Hall the other night...” (LE PARISIEN, Paris)