Biography

Ilija Tošić

Cologne-based Serbian guitarist Ilija Tošić is an internationally performing soloist and chamber musician whose repertoire spans from the Baroque to contemporary music. His artistic work combines established works of the guitar repertoire with lesser-known and contemporary compositions, reflecting a broad and diverse musical perspective.

Born in 1992 in Smederevska Palanka, Serbia, Tošić began playing guitar at the age of ten. He studied at the Dr. Vojislav Vučković Music High School in Belgrade with Prof. Zoran Anić, before continuing his studies in Germany at the Koblenz International Guitar Academy with Goran Krivokapić, Aniello Desiderio, and Hubert Käppel. From 2013 to 2021, he studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, where he completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with highest honors under Prof. Hubert Käppel.

Tošić has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at the Vilnius Youth Music Competition “Premio Scarlatti” and Third Prize at the Brussels International Guitar Competition “Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso.” He was also a scholarship recipient of Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Köln e.V. His artistic development has been shaped by masterclasses with musicians including Dušan Bogdanović, Roland Dyens, Pepe Romero, and Judicaël Perroy.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Tošić has performed with renowned ensembles and orchestras. His collaborations include the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and Duisburger Philharmoniker, as well as performances with the Čiurlionis String Quartet. In 2026, he was part of the Oper am Rhein production of Astor Piazzolla’s María de Buenos Aires in Düsseldorf.

In 2024, Tošić released his debut album, Recital – A Depiction of the 20th Century, featuring works by Lennox Berkeley, Hans Werner Henze, Alexandre Tansman, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Dušan Bogdanović, and Miroslav Tadić.

Since 2018, he has performed on a guitar crafted by Italian luthier Daniele Chiesa and is an artist collaborator with Knobloch Strings.

Alongside his concert career, Tošić teaches classical guitar at the Rheinische Musikschule in Cologne.