The first idea about the establishing of the Mokranjac Foundation appeared in public in Negotin during the celebration of the145th birthday of the greatest Serbian composer Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac on 9th January 2001. However, all the long - lasting attempts to register the memorial failed.
Preparing for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac in 2006, Serbian oldest musical and educational institution, Music School "Mokranjac" from Belgrade has continued this initiative in order to remember permanently the name and work of our outstanding musician. The school was founded by Mokranjac himself with the support of the First Belgrade Singing Society.
At the beginning of September 2005, Bodin Starcevic, M.A, who was then the principal of Music School "Mokranjac", sent a letter to all the leading musical, educational, art and publishing institutions, as well as tothe individuals all over Serbia who are in some way connected to Mokranjac. The letter was sent in order to invite all of them to form the Initiative Board for establishing the Mokranjac Foundation.
On 29th September, 2005 the Initiative Board was founded. Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Informing of the Republic of Serbia, the first Establishing Assembly was held in Music School "Mokranjac" after two-month preparation, on 30thNovember, 2005. The Contract of establishing the Mokranjac Foundation was signed by the representatives of 16 institutions. The Statute was adopted and the organs of the Foundation were chosen there.
On 27thDecember, 2005, with its final decision, the Ministry of Culture and Informing of the Republic of Serbia approved of theregistering of the Mokranjac Foundationin the Register of foundations at ordinal numeral 66.
The formal proclamation of the Foundation was held in Mokranjac’s house in Negotin, where he was born. It occurred on 9th January, 2006, exactly on the 150th birthday of Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac.
