About Petar Pejčić
Cello
Jan Vogler
As Prizewinner and youngest Finalist of the 2nd International Queen Elisabeth Competition, Petar Pejčić proves to be one of the most promising artists of his generation. “A wonderful musician with a compelling sense of storytelling” (Le Soir).
Petar has won several prizes at eminent international competitions, including the Paulo Cello Competition (Finland), Queen Elisabeth Competition (Belgium) and the Pablo Casals Competition (Spain).
Born into a musical family, he received his first cello lessons at the age of four. After his musical beginnings in Belgrade, he moved to Germany to continue his education at the University of Music and Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Leipzig with Prof. Peter Bruns. He is currently enrolled in the Professional Studies program at the prestigious Kronberg Academy, in the class of Prof. Frans Helmerson.
The year 2024 brings exciting debuts for the young cellist, including his UK debut with BBC Symphony Orchestra, debut with Kremerata Baltica at the Casals Forum, his South Korean debut with Korean Chamber Orchestra at Seoul Arts Center, among many others.
As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Graz Philharmonic, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, BKO Ljubica Marić, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie under the baton of prominent conductors including Giordano Bellincampi, Stephane Denève, Rumon Gamba, Michael Hofstetter, Christian Karlsen, Vahan Mardirossian, Corinna Niemeyer, Rade Pejčić, Bojan Sudjić and many others.
He further refined his artistry through master classes with distinguished cellists like Nicolas Altstaedt, David Geringas, Gary Hoffman, Steven Isserlis, Mischa Maisky, Ivan Monighetti, and Jan Vogler. Valuable musical insights from Iván Fischer, Cristian Măcelaru and András Schiff have further shaped his expressive journey. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with esteemed artists such as James Baillieu, Friedemann Eichhorn, Pauline Sachse, Antti Siirala, Florian Uhlig, and Mira Wang.
Out of great passion to broaden his musical horizons came the special collaboration with the choreographer Jacopo Godani and the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. The resulting works – “BACH OFF!” as well as “Premonitions of a Larger Plan”, show a new perspective on the relationship between musicians and dancers.
Since the academic year of 2023/4, Petar is the first ever recipient of the J & A Beare Bursary. In 2024, he was selected as one of the participants of Switzerland’s Career Advancement Programme. He is a scholarship holder of the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein, the Freunde Junger Musiker Foundation, and the Dr. Hübner Foundation. Since 2021, he has been receiving the Günter Henle-Scholarship of the Peter Klöckner-Foundation (in the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben).
He plays an instrument by Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’ (1694, Cremona), generously on loan through the Beare’s International Violin Society, as well as a Stephan von Baehr cello (2012, Paris), on loan from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.