Biography

Jan Nikovich was born in 2001. He studies piano with Professor Ruben Dalibaltayan at the Academy of Music in Zagreb, Croatia. 

In 2014, he was selected as one of only twelve young pianists from around the world to take part in the Lang Lang Junior Music Camp in Barcelona, where he performed and worked with Lang Lang in concerts and master classes. He also took part in master classes with artists such as Natalia Trull, Andrea Bonatta, Milana Chernyavska, Grigory Gruzman, Konstantin Bogino, Lev Natochenny, Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy, Manana Kandelaki, Eugen Indjic, Kemal Gekic and Martina Bauer. Jan receives a scholarship from the Liechtenstein Music Academy and takes part in the academy's activities. 

In recent years, Jan has won several national and international piano competitions. In 2023, he won the “Ferdo Livadic Competition”, which gave him numerous concert opportunities on the most prestigious stages and festivals in his home country. He also received the 2^nd prize and a special prize for the best interpretation of the work by an Ibero-American composer at the “Radovljica International Piano Competition”. In 2018, he won the 1^st prize at the 24^th “International Piano Competition Young Virtuoso” in Zagreb, the 15^th “Giuliano Pecar International Piano Competition For Young Pianists” in Gorizia, Italy, the “EPTA International Competition for Young Pianists” in Osijek, Croatia and at the “Croatian National Piano Competition” in 2015, 2017 and 2019. He also won 1^st prizes at the “Ars Nova International Music Competition” in Trieste (piano solo and chamber music), at the “Zlatko Grgoševic International Piano Competition” in Zagreb and the “Croatian National Chamber Music Competition” in Opatija in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018. He also took part in the Junior Academy Eppan, Italy, where he won the audience prize. 

Jan has performed at notable venues in Croatia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2015, he performed with Lang Lang at the Allianz Arena in Munich in front of 70,000 people. He has also had the honour of performing several times with the Zagreb Soloists, as well as with the Symphony Orchestra of the Croatian National Theater in Osijek and most recently with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb in 2020. 

In 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, Jan was recognized for his achievements in the field of culture by the Croatian Ministry of Higher Education, Education and Sport.