Mia Pečnik
Mia Pečnik is recognized as one of Croatia’s most accomplished young pianists, distinguished by her artistic maturity, refined musicality, and compelling stage presence. In 2026, she was awarded the “Young Hope” prize as part of the Žene koje mijenjaju Hrvatsku project by the leading Croatian newspaper Večernji list, further affirming her growing prominence on the national cultural scene.
She is currently pursuing the Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music in London under the guidance of Dmitri Alexeev, alongside the Konzertexamen program at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln with Andreas Frölich, where she previously completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Since 2017, she has also been a participant in the Talent Music Master Courses at the University of Music in Brescia.
Among the most prominent recognitions in Croatia, she is a recipient of the Young Musician of the Year award by the Zagreb Philharmonic and the Ivo Vuljević Award for the most outstanding achievement by a young musician (2020). At the 45th Samobor Musical Autumn, she received both the City of Samobor Award and the Croatian Society of Composers Award. In 2022, she won the 11th edition of the concert series mo.Vinko Lesić, organized by Jeunesses Musicales Croatia. She has also received multiple “Oscar of Knowledge” awards from the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the City of Sveta Nedelja Award for special musical contributions and the “Prof. Baltazar” Prize from the City of Zagreb for achieving the absolute first prize at the Croatian National Piano Competition.
Photo: Marko Lukunic/PIXSELL | Zagreb | 2022.
Photo: Marko Lukunic/PIXSELL | Zagreb | 2022.
Mia Pečnik is recognized as one of Croatia’s most accomplished young pianists, distinguished by her artistic maturity, refined musicality, and compelling stage presence. In 2026, she was awarded the “Young Hope” prize as part of the Žene koje mijenjaju Hrvatsku project by the leading Croatian newspaper Večernji list, further affirming her growing prominence on the national cultural scene.
She is currently pursuing the Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music in London under the guidance of Dmitri Alexeev, alongside the Konzertexamen program at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln with Andreas Frölich, where she previously completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Since 2017, she has also been a participant in the Talent Music Master Courses at the University of Music in Brescia.
Among the most prominent recognitions in Croatia, she is a recipient of the Young Musician of the Year award by the Zagreb Philharmonic and the Ivo Vuljević Award for the most outstanding achievement by a young musician (2020). At the 45th Samobor Musical Autumn, she received both the City of Samobor Award and the Croatian Society of Composers Award. In 2022, she won the 11th edition of the concert series mo.Vinko Lesić, organized by Jeunesses Musicales Croatia. She has also received multiple “Oscar of Knowledge” awards from the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the City of Sveta Nedelja Award for special musical contributions and the “Prof. Baltazar” Prize from the City of Zagreb for achieving the absolute first prize at the Croatian National Piano Competition.
Internationally, she has won more than 80 first and special prizes, including recognition as a prizewinner at the Piano FVG International Piano Competition in Italy, the Absolute Prize at the Piano Talents Competition in Milan, First Prize at Ciudad de Leganés in Madrid, First Prize at the César Franck International Piano Competition in Brussels, and First Prize at the Debut International Piano Competition in New York.
She has participated in leading international competitions such as the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Telekom Beethoven Competition, and the Paderewski Competition. She was selected for the Busoni Piano Competition and was a semifinalist at the Liszt Utrecht Competition.
Interview by Anita Nadj | KD Lisinski | Zagreb | 2020.
Mia has appeared as a soloist with orchestra around 30 times. She gave her first orchestral performance at the age of 11 and made her debut with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra at 15. She has performed across Croatia, Europe, and Asia, with highlights including appearances in Kuwait City; at the Sala Santa Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome; multiple performances at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall and the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb; and collaborations with the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists, and others. In 2025, she performed Dora Pejačević’s Piano Concerto in Bonn and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in Duisburg.
In 2026, she appeared in London at the Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room) and Westminster Abbey.
As a recitalist, she has performed at numerous international festivals, including the American Fine Arts Festival at Carnegie Hall, the San Francisco Piano Festival, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Danubia Talents in Budapest, and many others across Europe and the United States.
She continues to refine her artistry through masterclasses with distinguished pianists such as Andrzej Jasiński, Piotr Paleczny, Jacques Rouvier, Michel Béroff, and others. She has recorded for Croatian Radiotelevision, Hungarian Television, and RTL. In 2022, she recorded a CD with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra featuring Dora Pejačević’s Piano Concerto for Croatia Records. In 2025, she released a CD with her piano trio, the Samobor Trio, titled In Modo Croatico, dedicated to Croatian composers.
Her artistic profile continues to develop internationally, marking her as one of the most promising pianists of her generation.
Internationally, she has won more than 80 first and special prizes, including recognition as a prizewinner at the Piano FVG International Piano Competition in Italy, the Absolute Prize at the Piano Talents Competition in Milan, First Prize at Ciudad de Leganés in Madrid, First Prize at the César Franck International Piano Competition in Brussels, and First Prize at the Debut International Piano Competition in New York.
She has participated in leading international competitions such as the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Telekom Beethoven Competition, and the Paderewski Competition. She was selected for the Busoni Piano Competition and was a semifinalist at the Liszt Utrecht Competition.
Interview by Anita Nadj | KD Lisinski | Zagreb | 2020.
Mia has appeared as a soloist with orchestra around 30 times. She gave her first orchestral performance at the age of 11 and made her debut with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra at 15. She has performed across Croatia, Europe, and Asia, with highlights including appearances in Kuwait City; at the Sala Santa Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome; multiple performances at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall and the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb; and collaborations with the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists, and others. In 2025, she performed Dora Pejačević’s Piano Concerto in Bonn and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in Duisburg.
In 2026, she appeared in London at the Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room) and Westminster Abbey.
As a recitalist, she has performed at numerous international festivals, including the American Fine Arts Festival at Carnegie Hall, the San Francisco Piano Festival, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Danubia Talents in Budapest, and many others across Europe and the United States.
She continues to refine her artistry through masterclasses with distinguished pianists such as Andrzej Jasiński, Piotr Paleczny, Jacques Rouvier, Michel Béroff, and others. She has recorded for Croatian Radiotelevision, Hungarian Television, and RTL. In 2022, she recorded a CD with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra featuring Dora Pejačević’s Piano Concerto for Croatia Records. In 2025, she released a CD with her piano trio, the Samobor Trio, titled In Modo Croatico, dedicated to Croatian composers.
Her artistic profile continues to develop internationally, marking her as one of the most promising pianists of her generation.