Zoran Simjanović

Zoran Simjanović (; 11 May 1946 – 11 April 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav musician, composer and music educator.

Simjanović started his career in 1961, as the keyboardist for the rock band Siluete. In 1962, he moved to the band Elipse, achieving nationwide popularity with the group. After Elipse disbanded in 1968, Simjanović graduated at the Belgrade Music Academy and dedicated himself to composing. He wrote songs for popular Yugoslav singers, and, since 1973, composed scores for cinema, television and theatre in Yugoslavia and abroad, spawning many different genres. He wrote music for 65 feature films, winning numerous awards for his scores. He was a professor at the Belgrade Faculty of Drama Arts, the Belgrade Faculty of Music Arts and the Cetinje Music Academy. He was a member of the European Film Academy, International Animated Film Association and the French Society of Authors, Composers and Music Editors.

Early life Zoran Simjanović was born in Belgrade on 11 May 1946. At the age of six he began playing the piano, and later he attended the Mokranjac Music School.

Career Rock musician (1961–1968) In 1961, Simjanović was among the forming members of the beat band Siluete, in which he played the keyboards. The band's live performances and releases were praised by the Yugoslav music press, and Yugoslav media promoted rivalry between Elipse and Siluete, comparing it to the one between The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Elipse initially performed beat and rhythm and blues, and in 1968, with the arrival of African vocalist Edi Dekeng, added a brass section and moved towards soul music. The music for the film was written by composer Zoran Hristić. As he lacked experience in composing popular music, he cooperated with Simjanović on the film score. In 1976, Simjanović wrote music for songs "Dalje, dalje" ("Further, Further") and "Gde je kraj snovima mojim" ("Where Do My Dreams End") on the lyrics of writers Milovan Vitezović and Ljubivoje Ršumović respectively; the songs were recorded by the long jumper Nenad Stekić. He also wrote arrangements for songs recorded by Olivera Katarina, Zafir Hadžimanov, Vlastimir Đuza Stojiljković and Senka Veletanlić. In 1975, he wrote music for Srđan Karanović's TV series The Unpicked Strawberries, and in 1977, he wrote music for his first feature film, Goran Marković's Special Education. Two of the songs written for the film, "Floyd", performed by Dado Topić, and "Zašto" ("Why"), performed by Oliver Dragojević, became nationwide hits. With Italian director Paolo Magelli he worked on the Paris version of Machiavelli's The Mandrake, and after its success he cooperated with Magelli again, on the play The Straitjacket.

In the films Special Education and National Class Category Up to 785 ccm he appeared in cameo roles. The Golden Ring by the Cultural and Educational Association of Belgrade (2015) Darko Kraljić Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Composers of Serbia (2018)

Discography With Elipse Extended plays Sentimental Baby / Plaža (split EP with Perica Stojančić; 1965) Pogledaj kroz prozor (1966) Le Telelphone (1967)

Compilation albums Elipse za prijatelje (1963–1968) (1999)

Solo Studio albums Beogradosti (with Milovan Vitezović; 1980)

Soundtrack albums Originalna muzika iz filma Nacionalna klasa (1979) Sok od šljiva – Muzika iz filma (1981) Muzika iz filma Balkan ekspres (1983) Papa Est En Voyage D' Affaires – Bande Original Du Film (1985) Jagode u grlu – Muzika iz filma (1985) Anđeo čuvar - Originalna muzika iz filma Gorana Paskaljevića (1987) Balkan Express 2 – Muzika iz filma i TV serije (1989) Bure baruta – Originalna muzika iz filma (1998)

Soundtrack EPs Specijalno vaspitanje (1977) Miris poljskog cveća – Originalna muzika iz filma (1978)

Singles Finale Evrope (with Boris Bizetić; 1976)

Compilations Jedna tema - jedan film (1982) Balkan eskpres – Originalna muzika iz filmova (1999) Slike iz Sarajeva koje sam voleo (1999)

Box sets Jedna tema jedan film / One Theme One Film (2002) Pesme iz filmova (2006) Moje drage (2010) Radio i TV trezor Zorana Simjanovića (2015)

Filmography Cinema

Special Education (1977) Fragrance of Wild Flowers (1977) Boško Buha (1978) National Class Category Up to 785 ccm (1979) The Days on Earth Are Flowing (1979) Draga moja Iza (1979) Petria's Wreath (1980) All That Jack's (1980) Gazija (1981) Some Other Woman (1981) Sok od šljiva (1981) Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (1981) The Marathon Family (1982) Dvije polovine srca (1982) Variola Vera (1982) Something in Between (1983) Three Contributions to the Slovenian Madness (1983) Balkan Express (1983) Idi mi, dođi mi (1983) Opasni trag (1984) Moljac (1984) Maturanti (Pazi šta radiš) (1984) Šta se zgodi kad se ljubav rodi (1984) Šta je s tobom, Nina (1984) Žikina dinastija (1985) Taiwan Canasta (1985) I to će proći (1985) Hard to Swallow (1985) When Father Was Away on Business (1985) Hey Babu Riba (1986) The Beauty of Vice (1986) Reflections (1987) Uvek spremne žene (1987) Lager Niš (1987) Život radnika (1987) Guardian Angel (1987) A Film with No Name (1988) Journey to the South (1988) Cognac (1988) Drugi čovek (1988) Balkan Express 2 (1988) Time of Miracles (1989) Uroš blesavi (1989) Švedski aranžman (1989) Masmediologija na Balkanu (1989) The Meeting Point (1989) Balkanska perestrojka (1990) Stanica običnih vozova (1990) Virgina (1991) Tango Argentino (1992) Tito and Me (1992) Say Why Have You Left Me (1993) Terrace on the Roof (1995) The Tragic Burlesque (1995) Belgrade Follies (1997) Cabaret Balkan (1998) In the name of the Father and Son (1999) Serbia, Year Zero (2001) The Cordon (2002) Loving Glances (2003) Falling in the Paradise (2004) Midwinter Night's Dream (2004) Balkan Brothers (2005) The Tour (2008) Solemn Promise (2009) Falsifier (2013) Delirijum tremens (2019)

TV films

Ljubičice (1975) Sve što je bilo lepo (1976) Noć od paučine (1978) The Brides Are Coming (1978) Pucanj u šljiviku preko reke (1979) Mostarske kiše (1979) Buffet Titanic (1979) Boško Buha (1980) Samo za dvoje (1980) Ćorkan i Švabica (1980) Čeličenje Pavla Pletikose (1981) Četvrtak umesto petka (1982) Don Žuan se vraća iz rata (1982) Jelena Gavanski (1982) Malograđani (1983) Kaleidoskop dvadesetog veka (1984) Dvostruki udar (1985) Budite isti za 20 godina (1985) Griffon u Beogradu (1986) Apstinenti (1989) Hole in the Soul (1984) Prolece u Limasolu(1999) Harold i Mod (2001) Osma sednica ili Život je san (2007) Zlatno tele (2010) Equals (2014) A Stowaway on the Ship of Fools (2016)

TV series Slike bez rama – iz dečijih knjiga (1973) The Unpicked Strawberries (1975) Junaci (1976) Gledajući televiziju (1977) RTB Dnevnik (1979) Ne tako davno (1984) Jadranski otoci (1985) Thune (2008) Tajne vinove loze (2021)