Hailed by the critics as one of the most unique and expressive marimba and percussion artists in the field today, Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic has greatly influenced the international percussion scene during the last four decades – as both a masterful composer and virtuoso performer. A native from Serbia, Zivkovic completed his master’s degrees in composition, music theory, and percussion in Mannheim and Stuttgart, Germany, where he has resided since 1980.
Currently based in Vienna, Austria, he tours throughout Europe, and performs frequently in the USA, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Latin America, Russia, and Scandinavian countries. Zivkovic performed in such prestigious venues as Vienna’s “Konzerthaus”, Taipei’s National Recital Hall, Munich’s Herkulessaal, St. Petersburg’s Eremitage Theatre, and Stockholm’s Nybrokajen. He was also a guest artist in a number of festivals such as Gaudeamus Amsterdam, Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival, Dance-in-your-head (Minneapolis, USA), and several times at PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention) in USA.
As a soloist, Zivkovic has performed mostly with his own marimba and percussion concerti with the Stuttgart Philharmonic, Munich Symphonic Orchestra, Bochum Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic, Hannover Radio Symphony, Bielefeld Philharmonic, Belgrade Philharmonic, Thessaloniki State Orchestra Greece, Osaka Festival Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra Costa Rica, Lithuanian State Symphony, Slovenian Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Budapest Philharmonic, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic to name but a few. Zivkovic’s marimba is the “Stradivari” among marimbas: a custom made, one-of-a-kind instrument made for him by Yamaha in Japan. His creative output is captured on six CDs of music for marimba and percussion, and at over a dozen CDs including his compositions are recorded by other performers. Zivkovic is professor of percussion at Music and Arts University of the city of Vienna, Austria and also at University of Novi Sad, in his native country, Serbia.
Zivkovic is one of the world’s most performed composers for Percussion music. Many of Zivkovic’s compositions (for example: Ilijas, Ultimatum1, and Trio per uno) have become standards in contemporary percussion repertoire worldwide. His symphonic works, particularly his concertos, are performed by many orchestras around the globe.
He is frequently commissioned by many soloists, orchestras and institutions, including two commissions from the German Ministry of Culture (Rheinland-Pfalz and Baden-Württemberg). Recent years included commissions of Double Percussion concerto with Large Orchestra Obsesiones, percussion trio Sandy, the Hurricane, solo marimba piece Homo Balcanicus, percussion quartet Credo in Unim Deum commissioned by Hamburg State Opera, and in 2024, a double concerto for percussion, cello, and symphony orchestra. Beside his concert works, he has written many compositions for younger players. Especially pieces from his FUNNY MALLETS SERIES have become some of the world’s most successful pedagogical works for mallet instruments.