BIOGRAPHY
Pianist Katja Činč was born on the 15th of November 1990 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
EDUCATION
She finished primary music school in the class of Vesna Dolamič, a secondary music school in the class of Lidija Malahotky - Haas and graduated from the Music Academy in Ljubljana in the class of pianist Tatjana Ognjanović.
In 2015 she finished her postgraduate studies (master's degree in piano performance) at the Music Academy of Zagreb (Croatia) in the class of pianist Ruben Dalibaltayan.
She attended numerous seminars and masterclasses held by famous and respectable pianists such as Oxana Yablonskaya, Igor Laszko, Arbo Valdma, Oliver Kern, Konstantin Bogino, Vladimir Krpan, Ruben Dalibaltayan, Julia Gubaidullina, Michele Rossetti, Hinko Haas, Igor Dekleva, Marina Horak, Robert Thomas, Häkon Austbø, Vedrana Kovać and Rosaria Dina Rizzo.
Her passion is chamber music - she has studied extensively with professors Tomaž Lorenz (violin) and members of Trio di Parma (pianist Alberto Miodini, violinist Ivan Rabaglia and cellist Enrico Bronzi).
She also attended masterclasses for chamber music by violinists Tonko Ninić, H. Fister, Tomaž Lorenz and Ivan Rabaglia, by cellists Karmen Pečar, Zdenka Kristl, Damir Hamidullin, Igor Škerjanec and flautists Nataša Paklar and Karolina Šantl Zupan.
In 2008 she was chosen to attend the "2nd Masterclass of Mediterranean" which took place in Sicily (Italy), where she had lessons with well-known pianist and pedagogue Oxana Yablonskaya (Juilliard School of Music, New York) and with Italian pianist Michele Rossetti. There Katja also had two concerts (in the Great Cathedral of Sirakuze and in the Great Theatre of Troina). Both concerts were recorded and shown on satellite TV (Sky TV and Oasi TV) several times. All participants had also recorded a CD.
In July 2009 she attended a piano masterclass in Vienna organized by OEIM (Austrian Institute for Music) and in the summers of 2011, 2012 and 2013 she attended piano masterclasses in Makarska (Croatia) held by pianists Ruben Dalibaltayan and Julia Gubaidulina.
COMPETITIONS & PRIZES
Katja took part in many piano competitions and was awarded several prizes such as:
1. place and 1. prize (100/100 points) at the International Piano Competition "Francesco Forgione" - Associazione Musicale "Dino Ciani" in Verbania (Italy)
2. prize and Chopin's silver Emblem at the 1. International Piano Competition "Chopin Golden Ring" in Slovenia
3. prize at the international piano competition "Ithaka" in Slovenia
1. prize and golden award at the Slovenian National Competition TEMSIG 2008 (piano trios category with violinist Tanja Sonc and cellist Katja Meljnikov)
2. place at the Slovenian National Competition TEMSIG 2010 (piano solo category)
1. prize at the international music competition "Davorin Jenko" in Belgrade (Serbia)
2. prize at the international music competition "Valsesia Musica - Premio Monterosa Kawai" in Varallo (Italy)
3. prize and special prize for the best performance of Primož Ramovš's composition at the 4. Competition for chamber music "Primož Ramovš" in Slovenia
Katja also received 2 national scholarships and was awarded a highly respected student award Prešeren's Award.
PERFORMANCES
Katja had more than 600 performances in concerts and recitals in Slovenia and abroad.
She presented herself in multiple Slovenian cities:
Ljubljana, Maribor, Velenje, Celje, Rogaška Slatina, Koper, Izola, Nova Gorica, Štanjel, Bled, Kranj, Radovljica, Kamnik, Škofja Loka, Slovenj Gradec, Prevalje, Muta na Koroškem, Dobrna, Ptuj, Vrhnika, Idrija, Brežice, Nazarje, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Železniki, Žiri, Gorenja vas, Poljane, Postojna and others.
She held many performances in the Slovenian Philharmonic and she performed in four events organized by EPTA (European Piano Teachers Association).
In 2006, at the age of 15, Katja had her orchestral debut with the Symphonic Orchestra SGBŠ Ljubljana.
She performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A - major, K.488 in three concerts (Gorizia - Italy, Ljubljana - Slovenian Philharmonic and Prevalje).
She also had several concerts in Croatia (Zagreb, Makarska), in Italy (Trieste, Sicily (Sirakuze, Troina), Verbania, Citta di Moncalieri, Moruzzo, Duino, Gorizia), in Austria (two recitals in Vienna) and in Hungary (Budapest, Szombathely and Szentgotthárd).
She played in many Slovenian and foreign festivals such as:
Festival Ljubljana (international concert cycle "Young Virtuosi"), Festival Lent, Festival Velenje, festival "Imago Sloveniae", Festival Bled, festival "Carinthia Cultural Summer", concert cycles organised by "Slovenian Musical Youth" (Glasbena Mladina Ljubljanska and GM Oder), Italian festival "Nei Suoni Dei Luoghi", Croatian festival "Makarska Cultural Summer" and others.
RECORDINGS & DISCOGRAPHY
Many of Katja's piano recordings can be heard on Slovenian radio and television programmes and are kept in the national RTV archives (works by W. A. Mozart, L. v. Beethoven, R. Schumann, A. Dvořak, A. Arensky, J. Brahms, M. Glinka, C. Debussy, J. Turina, D. Šostakovič, A. Piazzolla and Slovenian composers P. Ramovš, K. Pahor, L. M. Škerjanc and B. Ipavec).
She also recorded seven promotional CDs with works from Baroque to Impressionism.
CHAMBER MUSIC
Katja also participates in piano Trio AMARILIS with violinist Lucija Mlakar and cellist Urška Horvat. They had numerous concerts in Slovenia, Italy, Hungary and Austria. They also recorded for national television and radio RTV Slovenia (Dvorak: "Dumky" trio, op. 90).
For their artistic work, they've received a highly respected student award: Prešeren's Award.
They studied with violinist Tomaž Lorenz (Trio Lorenz) and with members of Trio di Parma at "Scuola del Trio di Trieste" in Duino, Italy.
Katja also participates in a piano duo with her sister Tanja Činč.
She collaborated with many Slovenian and foreign musicians.
PEDAGOGY WORK
Katja is also very active in music pedagogy, she has more than 13 years of experience in teaching the piano and chamber music.
She has worked in several music schools in Slovenia as a teacher and as an accompanist - teaching and accompanying students of all ages.
MUSIC
PHOTOS
VIDEOS
CONCERTS
REPERTOIRE
J. S. Bach:
Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971
Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 846
Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847
Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 875
Prelude and Fugue in C# Major, BWV 848
Partita No. 1 in Bb Major, BWV 825
D. Scarlatti:
Sonata in E Major
Sonata in C Major
W. A. Mozart:
Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331 (Alla Turca)
Sonata Facile No. 16 in C Major, K.545
Sonata No. 17 in Bb Major, K. 570
Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K.576
12 Variations "Ah, vous dirai-je, maman" KV 265
J. Haydn:
Sonata No. 38 in F Major Hob.XVI: 23
L. van Beethoven:
Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2, No. 2
Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2
Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No.3
Sonata No. 12 in Ab Major, Op. 26
Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, "The Tempest"
Sonata No. 21 in C Major, "Waldstein"
Sonata No. 26 in Eb Major, "Les Adieux"
Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
Für Elise
F. Chopin:
Scherzo no. 2 in Bb minor, Op. 31
Nocturnes (selection)
Waltzes (selection)
Mazurkas (selection)
Polonaises (selection)
Etudes (selection)
Variations Brillantes, Op. 12
Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22
E. Grieg:
Holberg Suite, Op. 40
Lyric Pieces (selection)
J. Brahms:
6 Klavierstücke, Op. 118
8 Klavierstücke, Op. 76
Rhapsody in G Minor Op.79, No. 2
F. Liszt:
Etude S. 141 No. 5 - Grandes étude de Paganini
R. Schumann:
Fantasiestücke, Op. 12
Kinderszenen Op. 15 (selection)
Album for the Young, Op. 68 (selection)
S. Rachmaninoff:
Prelude in G# minor, Op.32 No.12
Prelude in G minor, Op. 23 No. 5
Prelude in C# minor, Op. 3 No. 2
P. I. Čajkovski:
Album for the Young, Op. 39 (selection)
R. Glière:
Prelude in Db Major Op.43, No.1
A. Dvořák:
Humoresque
C. Debussy:
Ballade Slave, L. 70
Les Images 2
Les Estampes
Suite Pour le Piano
Les Deux Arabesques
Rêverie
Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum (from Children's Corner)
Clair de Lune (from Suite Bergamasque)
E. Granados:
Valses Poeticos
Danza de la Rosa
M. de Falla:
Serenata Andaluza
CHAMBER MUSIC
PIANO DUO
W. A. Mozart:
Sonata for piano four hands in C Major, K.19d
Sonata for piano four hands in Bb Major, K. 358
Sonata for piano four hands in A Major, K. 381
Sonata for piano four hands in C Major, K. 521
J. Brahms:
Hungarian Dances (selection)
B. Ipavec:
Sonatina for piano four hands in G Major
B. Činč:
Winter Tale for piano four hands
PIANO TRIO
W. A. Mozart:
Piano Trio in C Major, K. 548
Piano Trio in G Major, K. 564
Piano Trio in G Major, K. 496
L. van Beethoven:
Piano Trio in Bb Major, Op.11
J. Brahms:
Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op.8
A. Arensky:
Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor
A. Dvořák:
Trio Dumky, Op. 90
C. Debussy:
Piano Trio No. 1 in G Major
D. Šostakovič:
Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor
A. Piazzolla:
Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Oblivion
B. Ipavec:
Dances for piano trio
DUETS
VIOLIN
W. A. Mozart:
Sonata No. 26 in Bb Major, K. 378
Sonata No. 17 in C Major, K. 296
Sonata No. 18 in G Major, K. 301
Sonata No. 27 in G Major, K. 379
F. Schubert:
Sonata No. 1 in D Major, D. 384
C. Franck:
Sonata in A Major
J. Massenet:
Meditation from Thais for Violin and Piano
V. Monti:
Czardas
P. Sarasate:
Carmen Fantasy
VIOLONCELLO
L. van Beethoven:
Sonata in F Major, Op. 5, No. 1
C. Saint-Saëns:
The Swan
M. de Falla:
Ritual Fire Dance
A. Glazunov:
Serenade Espagnole
FLUTE
G. Donizetti:
Sonata in C Major, A. 503
C. Debussy:
Petite Suite for two flutes and piano
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
W. A. Mozart:
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466
Piano Concerto No. 15 in Bb Major, K. 450
J. Haydn:
Piano Concerto in D Major
L. van Beethoven:
Piano Concerto No. 2 in Bb Major, Op. 19
F. Chopin:
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11
Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22
CONNECT
KATJA ČINČ Official Site