Matija Kranjčić (2002) was born in Zagreb, Croatia. Among the recent awards, he is happy to single out the first prize at the Globe International Piano Competition in Hilversum (2024), the Netherlands, and the first prize at the Jurica Murai Memorial International Competition in Varaždin (2022, Alink – Argerich Foundation). He was a semi-finalist at 19th Ettlingen International Piano Competition, Germany. Matija is the winner of the rector’s award at the Music Academy Zagreb (2022) and multiple winner of Oscar of knowledge – Recognition of exellence. In 2023, he won first prize at 20th Davorin Jenko International Piano Competition (Belgrade) in piano duo category. He performed three times as a soloist with the Opatija Chamber Orchestra, playing R. Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54.
At the age of eight, Matija started to learn playing the piano at the Elementary Music School “Rudolf Matz” in Zagreb, with Prof. Ela Korbar. In 2020, he graduated in piano in the class of Prof. Korbar and in music theory in the class of Prof. Katarina Višaticki. Since 2018, he has been working continuously with Prof. Marietta Petkova in the Netherlands. In 2025 he graduated from Music Academy in Zagreb in the class of Prof. Đorđe Stanetti and is now studying at Kunstuniversität in Graz in the class of Prof. Zuzana Niederdorfer. Up to now, Matija has performed in Croatia (Čakovec, Dubrovnik, Jastrebarsko, Karlovac, Križevci, Marija Bistrica, Nova Gradiška, Novska, Opatija, Osijek, Rijeka, Samobor, Sesvete, Sinj, Split, Varaždin, Vela Luka, Zagreb) and abroad (Austria – Graz, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Čapljina, Czech Republic – Usti nad Labem, Germany – Ettlingen, Italy – Trieste, Serbia – Beograd, Slovenia – Ljubljana, Velenje, Radlje ob Dravi, The Netherlands – Amsterdam, Almere, Apeldoorn, Emmen, Hilversum, Houten, Ittervoort, Muiden, Winssen). Matija had the pleasure and privilege of attending piano masterclasses with the following acclaimed pianists and pedagogues: Stephen Kovacevich, Daniel Blumenthal, Matti Raekallio, Konstantin Bogino, Manana Kandelaki, Nina Patarčec, Jitka Fowler Frankova, Nataša Veljković, Milana Chernyavska, Julia Gubaidulina, Danijel Detoni, Srđan Čaldarović, Ruben Dalibaltayan.
Since 2012, Matija won many first, second, and third prizes at regional, national and international competitions. He is especially proud of great success in chamber music as in solo playing. Matija is performing in Duo von Meck with Laura Marjanović and he has performed in duo with Jan Niković, Bože Cigić and trio with Jan and Goran Atalić.
