R.I.P. Vojislav Simić; † September 29, 2025 Big band leader, arranger and jazz composer.

Vojislav Simić (Serbian Cyrillic: Војислав Симић, nicknamed Bubiša; * March 18, 1924 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia – † September 29, 2025) was a Yugoslavian, or rather Serbian, big band leader, arranger, and jazz composer.

Simić studied composition with Stanojlo Rajičić and conducting with Predrag Milošević at the Belgrade Music Academy. In 1946, he founded the amateur jazz orchestra Dinamo.

From 1953 to 1985, he led the jazz orchestra of Radiotelevizija Beograd. With this ensemble, he also performed in various European countries, including at Jazz à Juan in France in 1960, where he won first prize in the composition category with his piece "Pozdrav Countu Basieu" (Greetings to Count Basie).

His style is described as casual and influenced by Count Basie, but he also incorporated motifs from Balkan folk music into some of his compositions, such as "Igra pod Šar-planinom" (Dance under the Šar Planina, 1962). In addition to jazz, he also worked in other musical genres such as musicals, symphonic music, choral pieces, and children's songs. He was a regular guest conductor at the Terazije Theater in Belgrade and with the Yugoslav People's Army Symphony Orchestra. As an arranger, he also participated in pop productions with, for example, Predrag Gojković Cune and Lola Novaković.

He was, for a time, chairman of the Association of Serbian Composers.
He celebrated his 100th birthday on March 18, 2024.

Jazz Orkestar Radio~Televizije Beograd - Kolo (IV Stav Iz Jazz Svite)

Vojislav Bubiša Simić - Prvih 100 godina, 26. okrobar na RTS 2

Majnard Ferguson u Beogradu -Big band RTS - dirigent Vojislav -Bubiša Simić