Get to know violinist Nemanja Radulović

1. City of Light 

Nemanja Radulović grew up in Belgrade, in Serbia. After the war in 1999, he left with his family, planning to move to Germany. But Germany was no longer taking in migrants from Serbia, so they settled in Paris. Nemanja got a place at the Paris Conservatoire to study with Patrice Fontanarosa. He describes Patrice and his wife, harpist Marielle Nordmann, as his ‘French family’, and Paris is still his home today.  

2. Double Sens 

In 2008 Nemanja created the ensemble Double Sens, made up of friends and family (his two sisters are both cellists). He explains: “I wanted to gather my Serbian and French musician friends and didn’t have to think about it for too long, as I personally knew each musician, and was certain that everyone’s different personality would work well with the others… the most important thing is the happiness of sharing the music and stage together.”  Music from two of their albums, Roots and JS Bach, features in our concert on 28 February.  

3. A Serbian star 

Nemanja has won a host of violin competitions, the first when he had been playing the violin for just four years. In 2017 he was made both a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, in recognition of his contribution to French cultural life, and a Commander of the Order of Karađorđe Star for ‘special merit and success in representing Serbia’ – an honour he shares with tennis player Novak Djoković. 

4. A towering performance 

In 2019 Nemanja was chosen to perform at an event commemorating all victims of concentration camps during World War Two. He played a movement from Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonata No. 4, on top of a narrow pillar in front of the Eiffel Tower. He was attached by a harness, but nonetheless had to take care to keep his balance.  

5. At the Proms 

Nemanja made his BBC Proms debut in 2019, playing Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. He’s been back several times since, with concertos by Khachaturian, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. On more than one occasion he’s treated the Royal Albert Hall audience to a foot-stomping Serbian folk dance as an encore.  

6. Among friends 

Nemanja has performed with the Philharmonia regularly since 2020, from Basingstoke and Bedford to Bucharest.  He particularly loves collaborating with our Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, who he describes as ‘like a Mozart of our time.’ And he loves UK audiences too: ‘I feel this great energy from the audience… people are super-kind and nice.’ The feeling is mutual – when he last played with us in October 2024, Bachtrack’s reviewer wrote ‘violinist Nemanja Radulović certainly has rockstar looks. But he plays like an absolute angel.’

We’re delighted to have Nemanja as our Featured Artist for the 2024/25 season. You can hear him play Bach concertos interspersed with pieces from his world music album Roots on Friday 28 February, directing an ensemble of Philharmonia string players. And on Thursday 10 April he plays Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1, conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali. 

Hear from Nemanja in our YouTube videos: