The Composers' Association of Serbia was founded in 1945.

It has worked continuously as one of the most respectable and most important institutions in Serbia ever since.

Initially, the members of the Association were composers, but the very next year witnessed the establishment of the Music Writers’ Section.

In the year 1953 a Popular Music Section was also included in the Association. Thus, having brought together a broad circle of composers and writers, the Association became the centre of contemporary music practice in Serbia.

At the present time, the Composers’ Association of Serbia has more than 200 members.

It is divided into sections, with a hierarchical structure consisting of the President, Administrative Committee and Executive Secretary.

Throughout almost six decades, Presidents of the Association have included the most prominent Serbian composers: Milenko Živković, Stevan Hristić, Mihovil Logar, Predrag Milošević, Milan Ristić, Vasilije Mokranjac, Borivoje Simić, Milan Mihajlović.

The present President is Mr. Milivoje Mića Marković, a jazz composer, and the Executive Secretary is Mss. Ivana Ognjanović, composer.

During past years the activities of the Association have been formulated by statute in different ways, but the basic aims have remained unchanged:

1. encouraging the creation of new works,

2. promotion of works by Serbian composers both in the country and abroad through concerts, conferences and discussions,

3. taking care of composers and their material and social status and

4. stimulating performers to participate in contemporary music interpretation.

A very important area of the Association's work is represented by its publishing activity. This includes scores and audio editions as well as musicological studies dedicated to the music of Serbian composers. In addition to its engagement in promoting Serbian music in national and international contexts, the Composers' Association strives to inform the domestic audience about international trends in composition.

In order to realize its objectives, the Association has constantly been developing and expanding its field of work:

1. Since 1994 – award of the Mokranjac prize for the best domestic composition premièred in the previous year,

2. Since 1992 – organization of the International Review of Composers, with eminent domestic and foreign musicians performing each year more than 50 pieces by 

    composers from all over the world,

3. Concerts featuring works by individual Serbian composers, and

4. Thematic concerts.

The Association pays great attention to the performance of contemporary music. Thus, under its auspices, the Ensemble for New Music, consisting of outstanding Belgrade soloists, was founded in 1995. Originally, this participated exclusively in the concerts within the International Review of Composers. However, with its repertoire of more than 100 compositions, the Ensemble has become the most important performing group to present Serbian contemporary music both nationally and internationally. In addition, the Ensemble for New Music has made numerous presentations of foreign composers' music, to the great benefit of the domestic public.

The Composers' Association of Serbia collaborates with many artistic institutions in the country and abroad.

International Review of Composers is the member of EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF PROMOTERS OF NEW MUSIC.