Violinist Petra Bubanja, who finished Secondary School for the Talents “Andre Navara”, received her Ph.D. at the Florida State University in Tallahassee, in the class of top pedagogue, Ben Sung. She played as a soloist with orchestras: Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Mobile S.O., Pensacola S. O., Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas S. O., and others.

“Of course, one day I would like to return to Montenegro and help raise musical awareness and culture. I am proud of where I am coming from and grateful for my knowledge to the professor of violin Vanja Simić, professor Aleksa Asanović and Andre Navar School.”

Violinist Petra Bubanja may be far from the eyes, but not from the hearts of her friends and lovers of classical music in Bar, Montenegro. This twenty-five-year-old violinist has been patiently and diligently building a career in the US for years, as well as a lady with a violin on stage, and as a lecturer at prestigious American Universities. 

Petra has shown her talent for music since her early childhood, graduated from the primary music school in Bar in the class of professor Vatroslav Simic, and from 2000 to 2007 she won three gold and one special lyre in the solo category, as well as two gold and special prize in the general chamber category. 

She attended high school in Podgorica, at the “Andre Navarra Music School for talents”, also in the class of Professor Simic, who, she said, owes a lot “for incessant patience and excellent music foundations.”

“After finishing high school, I went to the US, specifically in the state of Louisiana, for studies. In the class of Professor Andre Kurti, I graduated at the Northwestern State University with the title of Summa Cum Laude, where I also won solo competitions in 2009 and 2011 and had the opportunity to play accompanied by an orchestra. I was also a concert of the orchestra master and the winners of the Alice L. Pipes and The McCutcheon Honors awards for excellence in music performances as well as the winners of the Alice Dear Scholarship.”

After completing her basic studies, the talented violinist Petra Bubanja was admitted to the Southern Illinois University as an assistant in the class of Professor Michael Bart. At that university she was also a concert-master of the University Orchestra and violinist of the Chamber Association. Thanks to that, she was able to perform regularly with the professors and music guests of the university. At the master’s studies, she won the school competition again and performed accompanied by the orchestra.

“I would like to teach at the university, play in the orchestra (with an annual contract) and perform as a violinist of the chamber ensemble and as a soloist. In other words, the opportunities are great, especially abroad “

As she points out, her academic ambition is not the only completion of doctoral studies. The reason for continuing education was the desire for music education. Music is her life, and she strives to be so in every sense in the future.

Good luck Petra!