Radivoj was born on 1 August 1953, in Kikinda (Banat, Voivodina). There he finished his elementary schooling followed by two years of high school and elementary studies of the clarinet. From 1971 to 1974 he attended the Music High school "Isidor Bajić" in Novi Sad with professor Mihajlo Kelbli. In 1974 he became a student of the Faculty of music in Belgrade with professor Bruno Brun, and graduated in 1979 with professor Milenko Stefanovic.