SSF Scholarship Award

The SSF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS are $1,000 scholarships awarded to graduating, SSF member, high school seniors. Scholarships are awarded in honor of the the following individuals: 

Vlajko Lugonja Scholarship

Bielich, Bajich, Markovina and Zelich Scholarship  

 Paul S. Bielich (Scholarship Established 1995)

Paul Bielich was elected Executive Secretary of the Serbian Singing Federation in 1969 and served the SSF in that capacity for 33 years. The purchase of a national Headquarters building and the setting up of the headquarters and library were accomplished during this time period. In addition to routine SSF secretarial responsibilities, Paul was responsible for coordinating the publication and distribution of music to all member choirs and served as Editor of SSF “Hi- Notes.” One highlight during his tenure as Executive Secretary was his meeting Serbian composer Ljubomir M. Bosnjakovich on the island of Hvar, Yugoslavia during the summer of 1972. Paul relinquished the position of Executive Secretary voluntarily in 2002. The 2002 Convention bestowed upon him the title “Executive Secretary Emeritus.” Paul retired in 20015 after 36 years as a library media specialist with the Detroit Public Schools and presently works for the University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Education as Instructional Learning Manager of the Curriculum Knowledge Center. This scholarship has distributed $76,000 to qualified high school graduating seniors of or our SSF choir members. Paul continues to provide valued advice to the SSF.

V. Rev. Fr. Milan Bajich Scholarship  (Established 2016)

Donated by the family of the late Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Milan Bajich. Fr. Milan served as parish priest of the St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Kansas City. After his arrival in 1956, the church choir grew to form the S.S.S. St. George and became a member of the SSF. Over the years Proto Bajich arranged many pieces of Sacred and secular music and translated many of them into the English language. Over 38 years, 1956 through 1994, he was the parish priest and continued to direct the choir for an addition 5 years, ending with his final directorship at the SSF Choral Festival in Phoenix AZ. He turned over the directorship to his son, Peter, who still currently serves as director of SSS St. George. Until Proto’s death in 2004 he still attended choir practice and gave “advice” to the the new director.

V. Rev. Fr. Milan P Markovina Scholarship  (Established 2016)

Donated by the children and grandchildren of the late Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Milan and his beautiful helpmate the late Protinica Martha.  Fr. Milan was a composer, director and steward of Serbian music, both spiritual and secular.  Fr. Milan attended the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory of Music and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Major in Voice from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.  He directed the St. Nicholas Male Chorus in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania and recorded a still popular, “Sacred Music of the Serbian Orthodox Church” with the chorus.  He has added to the soul and beauty of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s liturgical cycle of music by writing two adaptations of the Divine Liturgy in English, adapting the Serbian Orthodox wedding ceremony into English,  and composing music for Christmas, Holy Week, Easter and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.  

Slobodan Zelich Scholarship

Slobodan Zelich directed the Petar Krstich Serbian Orthodox Choir at the Holy Resurrection Church in Steubenville, Ohio from 1961 until his retirement in 2008. He was a well-known arranger and composer of Liturgical and Folk music and he won numerous honors and awards within the Serbian Singing Federation. Many of his compositions and arrangements are used by choirs throughout the SSF. Slobodan Zelich fell asleep in the Lord on February 5, 2013.