Biography
ILIJA
Singer • Songwriter • Vocal Arranger • Performer • Educator
About
A voice between worlds
Ilija Mihailovic is a Grammy-nominated Serbian vocalist, performer, songwriter, and arranger based in Los Angeles. With a career spanning the United States and Europe, his work is rooted in contemporary R&B, soul, and jazz, combining live performance, recording, and collaborating with artists from around the world.
Recognition
Grammy-nominated credits
Ilija received his first Grammy recognition for his vocal work on Forrest Frank’s Child of God II, nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to perform for and alongside internationally acclaimed artists including Robert Glasper, Kurt Elling, Stevie Wonder, Sir Ringo Starr, Donald Lawrence, James Arthur, and James Newton Howard.
He has also appeared as an opening act for five-time Grammy Award winner Lalah Hathaway and worked with Grammy-winning producer Javier Limón on recording projects in collaboration with Sony Music Latin America. His work has been recognized and supported by prominent artists including Lalah Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, James Arthur, Avery Wilson, Robert Glasper, Jazmine Sullivan, Jonathan McReynolds, H.E.R., Tina Knowles, and Ledisi.
“Ilija received his first Grammy recognition for his vocal work on Forrest Frank’s Child of God II.”
Achievements
- Grammy-nominated vocalist — Child of God II (Forrest Frank), Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
- X Factor Adria Top 10 Finalist — youngest finalist at age 16
- Winner — The Best Musical Mind international competition
- Winner — 2025 Musicology Barcaffe Sessions Showcase
- Berklee College of Music graduate — merit-based scholarship recipient
- Los Angeles College of Music Master's graduate — Presidential Scholarship recipient
- Faculty member at Los Angeles College of Music
Beginnings
From Serbia to the world stage
Ilija began his professional career as a teenager, representing Serbia at the Univision Song Contest in Azerbaijan before competing on the televised regional competition X Factor Adria. At just 16, he advanced to the Top 10 as the competition’s youngest finalist.
Following X Factor, Ilija joined a Coca-Cola concert tour across the Balkans and went on to collaborate with some of the region’s most acclaimed artists and musicians. His debut single, Lako Je, entered MTV Adria’s chart, reaching No. 15.
Discography
Studio album & original music
After releasing a series of singles and collaborating with artists and musicians across different projects, Ilija released his first studio album, ILIJA, in 2024. He has since continued to actively release original music, further developing his sound and artistic identity.
Education
Berklee to LACM
His honors include being named one of the winners of the international competition The Best Musical Mind and one of the winners of the 2025 Musicology Barcaffe Sessions Showcase. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he received a merit-based scholarship, and later earned his Master’s degree from the Los Angeles College of Music as a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship.
Today, alongside his active performance career, Ilija is a faculty member at LACM, where he teaches several vocal courses.
Performances
Stages & festivals
His performance credits include the Umbria Jazz Festival, Beantown Jazz Festival, Musicology Barcaffe Sessions Festival, Gotham Hall in New York City, and Belgrade Arena.