Tatjana Rankovich was born in Belgrade, in the former Yugoslavia, where she won three first prizes in national competitions by the time she reached the age of 18. Coming to the United States the following year, she studied at the Juilliard School, where she earned BachelorÂs and MasterÂs Degrees and won the Judelson Award. Her teachers have included Josef Raieff, Benjamin Kaplin, Zelma Bodzin, and Clifton Matthews. Ms. Rankovich has concertized throughout the United States, Europe, and South America, winning awards at the Young Keyboard Artists International Competition and the Artists International Auditions. Her frequent appearances as soloist with the Belgrade Radio Symphony have been broadcast live on radio and television. Ms. Rankovich is currently on the faculties of the Mannes College of Music and the Dalcroze School of Music.
Although she is a gifted interpreter of the standard piano repertoire from Bach through Ravel, Ms. Rankovich has become an enthusiastic advocate for American music. She has revived little-known masterworks by such composers as Nicolas Flagello, Vittorio Giannini, and Paul Creston, featuring them on her recital programs and recordings.
Ms. RankovichÂs performances and recordings of the music of Nicolas Flagello have received lavish praise. A Fanfare critic wrote, ÂMore than simply an accomplished pianist, she is an intelligent artist, capable of bringing to life a work that has never been played before, and making it sound like an established masterpiece. These sentiments were echoed by Internet critic Steve Schwartz, who wrote, ÂThe performances communicate marvelously. Rankovich strikes me as a thinking musician, rather than as a set of fingers. The American Record Guide found her Flagello performances Âthrilling, while the Scranton Times described them as Âstimulating, technically adept and convincing.Â
