Born in Serbia, Milena Kitic, formerly married to the Yugoslavian president Milan Panic, came to the U.S. in 1998. She has since sung at Carnegie Hall, The Washington Opera, Los Angeles Opera and at the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of Carmen. She was offered a number of leading roles, including at the Met, but took an five-year hiatus to raise her son. She returned to performances recently and has again appeared with the LA Opera and the Pacific Symphony.

Kitic serves as chair of artistic excellence for the LA Opera, with which she most recently performed the role of Carmen and Albine in Thais with Placido Domingo, and will again appear there as Mrs. Noah in Noah's Flood in March. Kitic is the inaugural artist-in-residence at Chapman University, where she teaches master classes.