Pianist
Olja Jacobs
Serbian pianist Olja Jacobs began her musical education in Belgrade with Marina Petrov. Her studies took her to the United Kingdom, where she attended The Purcell School for Young Musicians as a scholarship student in Christopher Elton’s class.
She completed her undergraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she worked with Paul Berkowitz and Hilary Coates. Her career spans several fields, from concert pianism to music pedagogy.
As an educator, Olja taught piano and chamber music at the Junior Department of Trinity College of Music and Dance in London, and served as Head of the Senior Piano Department at Bedales School. A dedicated chamber musician and initiator of her own collaborative projects, she leads intensive week-long summer masterclasses together with distinguished musicians.
An artist of wide-ranging interests, Olja is a member of the London Baroque Ensemble. As a board member of the Belgrade Music Festival, she actively contributes to Belgrade’s musical life.
Double Bassist
Strahinja Mitrović
Serbian double bassist Strahinja Mitrović studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he completed his undergraduate studies under the mentorship of Luis Cabrera and Louise Hopkins. He is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in the class of this esteemed cellist.
Recognised as a rising star in the world of classical music, Strahinja was included in Classic FM’s list of the most promising young musicians under 30, while 10 Men magazine presented him as the next best thing in classical music. VMP Media describes him as a rising star who connects tradition and innovation in classical music.
In 2024, he won the prestigious Gold Medal of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In the final of this distinguished competition, he performed as a soloist with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jonathan Bloxham, becoming the first double bassist to receive the award since its establishment in 1915.
He also won the Prince’s Prize in 2025, awarded by the Musicians’ Company in London, following an outstanding final performance with award-winning pianist Chloé Dumoulin. That same year, he received the Barthel Prize, a Concordia Foundation award recognising exceptional artistry, musical integrity and commitment to purposeful performance on the international stage.
Throughout his career, he has performed in 13 countries, in renowned concert halls including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Barbican Hall in London, the Paris Philharmonie and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Brussels.
Strahinja regularly performs with award-winning pianist Salome Jordania, with whom he made his Wigmore Hall debut. In 2024, he took part in London Fashion Week, performing for designer Patrick McDowell’s collection, and that same year collaborated with The Royal Ballet and Opera in London on the Draft Works programme.
As a chamber musician, he has performed alongside distinguished artists including Nemanja Radulović, Barnabás Kelemen, Sergei Nakariakov, Benjamin Baker, Louis Schwizgebel, Reinoud Ford, Thomas Carroll, Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg, Benjamin Roskams, Julia Pusker and Tamara Rađenović.
He is the first artist selected by the Njegoš B. Šolak Foundation, which supports his education in London. He has received numerous scholarships and awards, including the Dobar Glas Foundation scholarship, the Guildhall School award, the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship, the Musicians’ Company Strings Award, as well as support from the London Symphony Orchestra, the Drake Calleja Trust, the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Help Musicians Foundation.
Strahinja is deeply committed to humanitarian work. He has performed at the Saint Sava Ball in London to raise funds for children from the countries of the former Yugoslavia, under the patronage of Hilandar Monastery, as well as for the humanitarian organisation Lifeline at Claridge’s in London, under the patronage of HRH Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia.
He currently performs on an Albani instrument from 1750.
