Mina Gajić

Pianist Mina Gajić is a specialist in the performance of 19th century music on historically appropriate instruments. She is the artistic director and executive director of Colorado's Boulder Bach Festival. Gajić was born in Serbia, then part of Yugoslavia. She attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade and won many major prizes while still living in Europe, including first prize at the Competition of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republic Competition of Serbia for five consecutive years, and first prize at the Stanković Competition in Belgrade with special distinction for collaborative artistry. She also earned honors outside Yugoslavia and Serbia, including first prize at the International Competition of the City of Stresa, Italy, a semifinalist showing at the Shanghai International Piano Competition, and third prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein Competition in Paris. Gajić performed as a recitalist and concerto soloist in various eastern and western European countries as well as in China and Bolivia. Moving to the U.S., Gajić earned degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, winning several fellowships at the latter. She taught in Texas at Sam Houston State University School of Music and in Minnesota at the University of St. Thomas Music Preparatory School. Gajić went on to the University of Colorado Boulder, where she earned a D.M.A. degree with a thesis on composer Josip Slavenski. She is the founder and artistic director of the Boulder International Chamber Music Competition: The Art of Duo. Gajić has acquired several 19th century pianos, including an 1835 Érard instrument, an 1870 Pleyel, and an 1895 Érard. The instruments were restored by Frits Janmaat at the Maison Érard workshop in Amsterdam, and Gajić began to perform piano music from Chopin to Bartók on them. Her performances of Brahms and Schumann were heard on the audiobook version of Kristen Wolf's novel Escapement. In 2014, Gajić became Director of Education at Boulder Bach Festival, and she was later elevated to artistic director and executive director. She was the festival's first woman and first immigrant artistic leader. She is married to violinist Zachary Carrettín, and the pair have released two albums on the Sono Luminus label, Boundless: Schubert Sonatinas (2020) and Confluence: Balkan Dances & Tango Nuevo (2022).
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