Rajko Maksimović (Serbian Cyrillic: Рајкo Максимовић; 27 July 1935, Belgrade) is a composer, writer, and music pedagogue. One of the most significant Serbian composers of our time, Maksimović has been and remains active in creating works for different ensembles.

Rajko Maksimović graduated in 1961, and in 1965 received a master's degree in composition from the Music Academy in Belgrade (today Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade (FMU)) in the class of Professor Predrag Milošević. Following the completion of his master's program and as a recipient of a Fulbright grant, he attended Princeton University, New Jersey, with a main focus on electronic music. In 1963 Maksimović was appointed an assistant professor, and in 1967 a docent at the Department for Composition and Orchestration at the Belgrade Music Academy. He retired in 2001 as Professor of Music Composition. Rajko Maksimović is a recipient of numerous awards and his works are performed nationally and abroad. Three monographic concerts devoted exclusively to his oeuvre took place during his career, and most of his works have been recorded. Among the recordings, a particular emphasis belongs to a triple CD from 2002, two CDs from 2009, and The Saint Prince Lazarus Passion DVD from 2012—all on the PGP RTS label (Radio Television of Serbia record label). In 1995, Radio Television Novi Sad produced a fifty-minute program about this composer and his work. Maksimović also authored a memoirist autobiographical trilogy entitled That’s the Way It Was ((Tako je to bilo), 1998, 2001, and 2002).

Rajko Maksimović composed numerous vocal-instrumental, orchestral, chamber, choral, and soloist works, as well as pieces devoted to children. Among his most significant compositions are: vocal-instrumental When the Living Envied the Dead (1963), an epic partita for mixed choir and reduced orchestra, Three Haiku (1967) for female choir and twenty-four instruments, The Uprising against the Dahias (1978/2004), a dramatic oratorio for two actors, mixed and children's choirs, orchestra, and tape, The Testament of Petar Petrović Njegoš, Bishop of Montenegro (1986) for bass, choir, orchestra, and tape, and The Saint Prince Lazarus Passion (1989) for narrator, four vocal soloists, two choirs, and orchestra; orchestral Piano Concerto (1961/2003), Musique de Devenir (1965), and Diptych for orchestra (1970); chamber pieces After the Scent of a Blossomed Cherry (1981) five haiku for soprano and chamber ensemble, Prélude "á l'avant-midi d'un faune" (1994/2011) for flute and strings, and She Sleeps Perhaps (1992/2005), a soloist cantata for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra; choral Chants out of the Darkness (1975), a book of six madrigals for various a cappella choirs, and I Go calmly (from the Testament, 1986), Funeral (from the Passion, 1989), Our Father (from Temptation, 1994), and We Praise Thee, O God (2008), all for mixed a cappella choir.

Maksimović's pieces for children include: A Baby-Elephant (1972) for baritone, children's choir, and ensemble, Stars (1973) for mezzo-soprano, female octet, and ensemble, and Itchy Hills (A Stinging Nettle, 1980/2008), music play for children.

Choral and Vocal-Instrumental:

• When the Living Envied the Dead (Kad su živi zavideli mrtvima) (1963), an epic partita for mixed choir and reduced orchestra (version in English language, 2008)
• Three Haiku (1967), for female choir and twenty-four instruments
• Chants out of the Darkness (Iz tmine pojanje) (1975), a book of six madrigals
• The Uprising against the Dahias (Buna protiv dahija) (1978, revised 2004), a dramatic oratorio for two actors, mixed and children's choirs, orchestra, and tape
• Palabras en Piedra (Reči u kamenu; Words in Stone) (1980), for mixed choir
• Prometheus (1985), for mixed choir
• The Testament of Petar Petrović Njegoš, Bishop of Montenegro (Testament vladike crnogorskog Petra Petrovića Njegoša) (1986), for bass, mixed choir, orchestra, and tape (version in English, 2007)
• I Go calmly (Ja na Tvoj poziv) (from the Testament, 1986), for mixed choir (version in English, 2007)
• The Saint Prince Lazarus Passion (Pasija svetoga kneza Lazara) (1989), for narrator, four vocal soloists, two choirs, and orchestra (version in English, 2008)
• Funeral (Sahrana) (from the Passion, 1989), for mixed choir (version in English, 2008)
• Fate [Sudba] (1993), for mixed choir
• Temptation, Feat, and Death of Saint Peter of Korisha (Iskušenje, podvig i smrt Sv. Petra Koriškog) (1994), for narrator, three soloists, mixed choir, orchestra, and tape
• Our Father (Otče naš) (from Temptation, 1994), for mixed choir (version in Latin (Pater noster), 2001)
• This and That (Ovo i ono) (1995), for mixed choir
• Colored (1996), for mixed choir and double bass
• O-TRIM-PARA (2004), for mixed choir
• Psalm 90 (2005), for mixed and children choirs, flute, trumpet, and horn
• Hohes Lied (Pesma nad pesmama; The Song of Songs) (2007), for mixed choir
• We Praise Thee, O God (Tebe Boga hvalim) (2008), for mixed choir

Orchestral:

• Piano Concerto (1961, revised 2003)
• Musique de Devenir (Muzika postajanja) (1965)
• Diptych for Orchestra (Not to be or to be? a dilemma for orchestra, 1969 and Eppur si muove, 1970)
• Suite for Orchestra (2009), four reworked movements from The Saint Prince Lazarus Passion

Chamber:

• Partita Concertante (1965), for violin and thirteen strings
• Two Basho’s Haiku (1966), for voice, flute, violin, piano, and tape
• Trialogue (1968), for clarinet, string trio, and piano
• Jeu á Quatre (1977), for two pianos in eight hands
• Concerto non Grosso (1978), for school strings
• Tenderly? (1979), for chamber ensemble
• After the Scent of a Blossomed Cherry (Za mirisom rascvetale trešnje) (1981), five haiku for soprano and chamber ensemble
• Ave Maria (1985/2004), for choir, flute, piano, and strings
• She Sleeps Perhaps (Možda spava) (1992/2005), a soloist cantata for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra (or for mezzo-soprano, flute, and piano; version in English, 2006)
• Prélude "á l'avant-midi d'un faune" (Prelid za pre podne jednog fauna) (1994/2011), for flute and strings (or for flute, violin, and piano)
• Les Proverbes de Fénis (Poslovice iz Fenisa) (1995/2010), for four voices and ensemble of ancient instruments
• The Garland (Rukovet) (2003/2009), for flute, violin, and strings (or for flute, violin, and piano)
• Jeu á deux (Igra udvoje) (2006), for piano duo
• Suite from Passion (2009), for violin and strings

Solo:

• Gambit (1993), for piano

Music for Children:

• A Baby-elephant (Slonče 1972) for baritone, children's choir, and ensemble
• Uncle’s bugging me (Gnjavi me teča) (1972), for (child) soprano, children's choir, and ensemble
• I was Told (Rekoše mi) (1972), for baritone, children's choir, and ensemble
• Stars (Zvezde) (1973), for mezzo-soprano, female octet, and ensemble
• If There Were No Stars (Da nije zvezda) (1973), for mezzo-soprano, female octet, and ensemble
• The Three Floor Patient (Bolesnik na tri sprata) (1973), for two-part children's choir and piano
• Pretty Kata (Lepa Kata) (1974), for voice and piano
• The Blue Ant (Plavi mrav) (1974), for voice and piano
• Itchy Hills (A Stinging Nettle) (Svrbeća brda, Koprive) (1980/2008), music play for children
• A l’école des animaux (2009), for two-part children's choir, flute, and piano

• Bergamo, Marija. 1980. The Elements of expressionistic orientation in Serbian music (Elementi ekspresionističke orijentacije u srpskoj muzici). Belgrade: University of Arts.
• Marinković, Sonja. 2009. A History of Serbian music, Belgrade: Zavod za udžbenike.
• Mikić, Vesna. 2007. „The Neoclassical tendencies” (Neoklasične tendencije). In A History of Serbian music. Belgrade: Zavod za udžbenike.
• Peričić, Vlastimir. 1969. Composers in Serbia (Muzički stvaraoci u Srbiji). Belgrade: Prosveta.
• Stojanović-Novičić, Dragana and Marija Masnikosa. 2007. “Orchestral music.” In: A History of Serbian music. Belgrade: Zavod za udžbenike.
• Rajko Maksimović - personal web site