Dušan Milenković
Jazz drummer, educator and author — born in Belgrade, based in Vienna.
For more than two decades Dušan Milenković has lived a double life on the drums: on stage with jazz, blues, pop and musical-theatre productions across Europe, and in the classroom, where he has shaped a generation of young drummers at the Vienna International School.
Dušan Milenković was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1979. At the age of 14 he began studying with one of the best drum educators in the Balkans, Mr. Vukašin Veljković, who introduced him to Alan Dawson’s legendary rudimental system — the method that shaped drummers such as Tony Williams, Harvey Mason and Jeff “Tain” Watts, and still sits at the heart of Dušan’s own teaching. From 1995 to 2000 he trained at the Veljković music school in Belgrade, including percussion with Prof. Dušan Vrbić.
Dušan continued his studies at the Vienna Conservatory under Professor Peter Gabis and Professor Klemens Marktl, who inspired him to go even deeper into the roots of jazz music. In June 2008 he graduated in jazz drums with distinction. After his graduation, he used every opportunity to gain more knowledge by taking private lessons from drumming greats such as Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Dennis Chambers, Ari Hoenig, Clarence Penn, Eric Harland, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Dr. John Wooton, Damion Reid and many more.
He has participated in workshops led by Jimmy Cobb, Steve Gadd, Antonio Sanchez, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, Jeff Hamilton, Benny Greb, Claus Hessler, Gregg Bissonette, Zoro, Dom Famularo, Steve Ferrone, Rodney Holmes and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez.
Dušan entered the Vienna jazz scene in 2005 after touring as a sideman for successful blues, rock and cover bands. Since then he has collaborated on many different theatrical, musical and studio projects throughout Europe — from the Volkstheater Wien to more than 150 performances of “The Story of Jazz” at the Wiener Metropol.
Dušan has been part of the Performing Arts faculty at the Vienna International School since 2004 as a drumming teacher for jazz and popular music. Since 2009 he has worked there as Artist in Residence, where he founded and for many years directed the VIS Percussion Ensemble — a regular highlight of the school’s community concerts.
- InstrumentDrum set · jazz & popular music
- DiplomaJazz drums, Vienna Conservatory, 2008 — with distinction
- TeachingVienna International School since 2004 · Artist in Residence since 2009
- AuthorThe Magnificent 7 (2011)
- Lessons inEnglish · German · Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian
Selected projects
Jazz clubs, theatre pits, festival stages and studios: Dušan moves easily between swing, bebop, blues, Latin, funk, world music and pop — always with the same focus on time, sound and listening to the band.
- 2005Hot Mess Band
- 2007 / 2009Volkstheater Wien — “Das Ballhaus”, “Die Fledermaus”
- 2011Joe Meixner Trio
- 2012–2014Erich Kleinschuster Sextet
- 2014–2021The Blues Infusion — concerts in Austria and abroad
- since 2015“The Story of Jazz” at Wiener Metropol — 150+ concerts with Kurt Prohaska and national and international guests
- 2017Balkan Tango Vibes — world music
- since 2018The Groove Station — pop/rock
- since 2018Eddie Luis — GLXL and Die Jazz Banditen
- 2020Jon Sass Brass Band
- 2022“Zirkus Prattes” with German musical-theatre stars
- 2024RONJA — pop act
Musicians
Erich Kleinschuster · Kurt Prohaska · Milan Nikolić · Markus Gaudriot · Robert Jukić · Paul Muller · Paul Hondl · Kire Kuzmanov · Martin Kern · Oliver Marec · Miloš Milojević · Carole Alston · Larry Lofquist · Matyas Bartha · Joe Abentung · Clemens Gigacher · Navid Djavadi · Stefan Taler · Jon Sass · Christof Zellhofer · Josef Fuchsberger · Simon Plötzeneder · Joander Cruz · Markus Pechmann · Božidar Radenković · Karol Hodas · Katarina Kochetova · Stefan „Pišta“ Bartus · Astrid Eder · Ola Egbowon · Karel Eriksson · Robin Henn · Bettina Krenosz · Tobias Meissl · Jordi Roviró · Roland Stonek
Teaching at the Vienna International School
As Artist in Residence, Dušan leads the percussion section, teaches classes from grade 6 to 12, coaches small and large ensembles and works as section coach for the school’s band and orchestra programme. In private lessons within the VIS Music Association he prepares students for concerts, recording sessions and external auditions — and many of them have completed the demanding International Baccalaureate Diploma in Music with drum set as their main instrument.
Colleagues describe his teaching through high musical standards, patience, deep knowledge of percussion technique and a rare ability to explain complex rhythmic ideas — such as the South Indian vocal rhythm language konnakol — so that students truly understand them. In 2009 he took part in the AMIS–IB Music Workshop at the American School of The Hague.
How Dušan teaches
- Foundations first: hand and foot technique (Moeller and Murray Spivack approaches), rudiments and their variations, reading charts and sheet music, solid timekeeping.
- The tradition: from New Orleans, Chicago style and big band to bebop and hard bop — then Latin, Afro-Cuban, funk and pop grooves.
- Music before drumming: sound, time feel, dynamics, comping, song forms, the drummer’s role in the band, soloing and trading.
- Learning by ear: transcribing, singing grooves and phrases, and studying recordings and videos from a large personal music library.
- Advanced players: comping in modern textures and odd meters, soloing over extended forms, big-band drumming, studio work and analysis of great rhythm sections such as those of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
The Magnificent 7
Published in 2011, The Magnificent 7 collects 14 solo transcriptions of Antonio Sanchez, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade, Eric Harland, Gregory Hutchinson, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Lewis Nash. The critically acclaimed book has been featured in drum magazines around the world and is used by students and teachers at universities internationally.
About the bookThe Magnificent 7
14 solo transcriptions of the master jazz drummers from our time. €32 including worldwide shipping — signed copies on request.