Hailed as “…a wonderful musician with a compelling sense of storytelling…” (Le Soir, 2022), Petar Pejčić is quickly establishing himself as one of the most promising talents on the classical scene. A winner at the 2025 YCAT International Auditions at Wigmore
Hall, Petar has been named as one of the ECHO Rising Stars for 2026-27, which will see him perform on some of Europe’s most prestigious stages, such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana.
The 2024/25 season included several major concert appearances for Petar, including his UK debut with BBC Symphony Orchestra and his South Korean debut with the Korean Chamber Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center. Past performances as a soloist include concerts with leading orchestras, such as Helsinki Philharmonic, Kremerata Baltica, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Graz Philharmonic, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, among many others.
Born into a musical family, Petar began playing the cello at the age of four in his native Belgrade. His life as a professional musician began when he moved to Leipzig at fifteen to continue his studies with renowned pedagogue Prof. Peter Bruns. Since then, Petar has earned recognition as a laureate of many prestigious international competitions: most notably, he was selected as the youngest finalist and 5th prize winner of the 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition.
The following year, he won 2nd prize at the 2023 Paulo Cello Competition.
A dedicated and collaborative chamber musician, Petar regularly performs alongside esteemed artists such as James Baillieu, Janine Jansen, Amihai Grosz, Friedemann Eichhorn, Pauline Sachse, Martin Helmchen and Florian Uhlig. Committed to expanding the reach of classical music, he also engages in volunteer initiatives and explores interdisciplinary projects. Most notably, his unique collaboration with choreographer Jacopo Godani and the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, which reimagines the connection between music and movement.
Petar is grateful to have received scholarships through the generous support of the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein, the Freunde Junger Musiker Foundation, the Dr. Hübner Foundation, and the Peter Klöckner Foundation (Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben). Additionally, he is the inaugural recipient of the J & A Beare Bursary (2023/24) and was selected for Switzerland’s Career Advancement Programme in 2024.
Petar is currently pursuing advanced studies at the prestigious Kronberg Academy under the guidance of the legendary Prof. Frans Helmerson. He performs on a beautiful 1694 cello by Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’, generously on loan from the Beare’s International Violin Society, as well as a Stephan von Baehr cello (Paris 2012) on loan from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.
James Baillie
Described by The Daily Telegraph as ‘in a class of his own’ James Baillieu is one of the leading song and chamber music pianists of his generation. He has given solo and chamber recitals throughout the world and collaborates with a wide range of singers and instrumentalists including Benjamin Appl, Jamie Barton, Ian Bostridge, Allan Clayton, Louise Alder, Tara Erraught, Lise Davidsen, the Elias and Heath Quartets, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Adam Walker, and Pretty Yende. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Ulster Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, and the Wiener Kammersymphonie.
Highlights of the 2025/26 season include tours to both the United States, Canada and Europe including recitals in New York, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Washington D.C, and Barcelona. Further highlights include a Wigmore Hall residency comprising of three recitals with different partners, and recitals at La Monnaie and Kölner Philharmonie with Véronique Gens. Supplementary to his performance career, James will participate in the jury of the Tenor Viñas Competition and coach with the Welsh National Opera Associate Artist programme.
James is a frequent guest at many of the world’s most distinguished music centres including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Vancouver Playhouse, Berlin Konzerthaus, Vienna Musikverein, the Barbican Centre, Wiener Konzerthaus, Bozar Brussels, Pierre Boulez Saal, Cologne Philharmonie, Wiener Staatsoper, Fundación Juan March and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg. Festivals include Aix-en-Provence, Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Festpillene i Bergen, Edinburgh, Spitalfields, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Bath, City of London and Brighton Festivals.
Petar Pejčić (cello) and James Baillieu (piano)
Photograph by Davide Cerati
The Paul Woodhouse Concert
Hailed as “…a wonderful musician with a compelling sense of storytelling…” (Le Soir, 2022), Petar Pejčić is quickly establishing himself as one of the most promising talents on the classical scene. A winner at the 2025 YCAT International Auditions at Wigmore
Hall, Petar has been named as one of the ECHO Rising Stars for 2026-27, which will see him perform on some of Europe’s most prestigious stages, such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana.
The 2024/25 season included several major concert appearances for Petar, including his UK debut with BBC Symphony Orchestra and his South Korean debut with the Korean Chamber Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center. Past performances as a soloist include concerts with leading orchestras, such as Helsinki Philharmonic, Kremerata Baltica, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Graz Philharmonic, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, among many others.
Born into a musical family, Petar began playing the cello at the age of four in his native Belgrade. His life as a professional musician began when he moved to Leipzig at fifteen to continue his studies with renowned pedagogue Prof. Peter Bruns. Since then, Petar has earned recognition as a laureate of many prestigious international competitions: most notably, he was selected as the youngest finalist and 5th prize winner of the 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition.
The following year, he won 2nd prize at the 2023 Paulo Cello Competition.
A dedicated and collaborative chamber musician, Petar regularly performs alongside esteemed artists such as James Baillieu, Janine Jansen, Amihai Grosz, Friedemann Eichhorn, Pauline Sachse, Martin Helmchen and Florian Uhlig. Committed to expanding the reach of classical music, he also engages in volunteer initiatives and explores interdisciplinary projects. Most notably, his unique collaboration with choreographer Jacopo Godani and the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, which reimagines the connection between music and movement.
Petar is grateful to have received scholarships through the generous support of the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein, the Freunde Junger Musiker Foundation, the Dr. Hübner Foundation, and the Peter Klöckner Foundation (Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben). Additionally, he is the inaugural recipient of the J & A Beare Bursary (2023/24) and was selected for Switzerland’s Career Advancement Programme in 2024.
Petar is currently pursuing advanced studies at the prestigious Kronberg Academy under the guidance of the legendary Prof. Frans Helmerson. He performs on a beautiful 1694 cello by Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’, generously on loan from the Beare’s International Violin Society, as well as a Stephan von Baehr cello (Paris 2012) on loan from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.
James Baillie
Described by The Daily Telegraph as ‘in a class of his own’ James Baillieu is one of the leading song and chamber music pianists of his generation. He has given solo and chamber recitals throughout the world and collaborates with a wide range of singers and instrumentalists including Benjamin Appl, Jamie Barton, Ian Bostridge, Allan Clayton, Louise Alder, Tara Erraught, Lise Davidsen, the Elias and Heath Quartets, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Adam Walker, and Pretty Yende. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Ulster Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, and the Wiener Kammersymphonie.
Highlights of the 2025/26 season include tours to both the United States, Canada and Europe including recitals in New York, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Washington D.C, and Barcelona. Further highlights include a Wigmore Hall residency comprising of three recitals with different partners, and recitals at La Monnaie and Kölner Philharmonie with Véronique Gens. Supplementary to his performance career, James will participate in the jury of the Tenor Viñas Competition and coach with the Welsh National Opera Associate Artist programme.
James is a frequent guest at many of the world’s most distinguished music centres including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Vancouver Playhouse, Berlin Konzerthaus, Vienna Musikverein, the Barbican Centre, Wiener Konzerthaus, Bozar Brussels, Pierre Boulez Saal, Cologne Philharmonie, Wiener Staatsoper, Fundación Juan March and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg. Festivals include Aix-en-Provence, Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Festpillene i Bergen, Edinburgh, Spitalfields, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Bath, City of London and Brighton Festivals.