Music Academy in Liechtenstein - A Conversation with Drazen Domjanic

March 24, 2026 - Classical music holds a central place in his life. With the Academy of Music in Liechtenstein, he has established an institution of international standing that inspires the world of classical music far beyond the country’s borders and brings Liechtenstein unique renown.

If he talks about music, he does so with dignity, passion, and deep reverence. With extraordinary discipline and great personal dedication, he is committed to promoting young musical talent. This passion is clearly palpable in our conversation, as are his discipline, his sense of humor, and the joy of sharing a laugh.

It is this blend of seriousness and lightness, of precision and emotion, that also characterizes classical music. Drazen Domjanic embodies it in a special way.

As part of the brand partnership with Liechtenstein Marketing, the music academy in Liechtenstein operates under the label “Innovation from Liechtenstein.” We wanted to ask Drazen Domjanic : How did it all begin?

Drazen Domjanic: “That has a long history. We held the first master classes in Liechtenstein as early as 1996, back then still under the name Music and Youth Foundation, the Mr. and Mrs. Brock had founded at that time had.. It was during these years that the fundamental question began to take shape: What does it really take to support young musical talent in the long term? 

A crucial next step followed in 2006. That year, the first master classes were held in the Guido Feger Hall at the Liechtenstein Music School in Triesen. It was there that what would later become the Music Academy of Liechtenstein first took shape.»

Who initiated this thought process, and how did the idea for a music academy in Liechtenstein emerge from it? 

Drazen Domjanic: “That was Mr. Brock and me. I owned the company DOWANI and was looking for a partner for global expansion. That’s how I came across Mr. Brock, who had already founded the non-profit foundation Musik und Jugend in Liechtenstein in 1996—with the aim of supporting talented young people in need as well as institutions dedicated to this field. 

With DOWANI we had developed a training tool that was perfectly suited to this: to improve quality across the board and accelerate development toward the top. This synergy worked very well. In 2005, the company DOWANI was sold, and all proceeds went to the Music and Youth Foundation. 

In 2006, we began organizing the first master classes with three teachers, holding two sessions a year. We quickly realized the potential this held. Young people in particular—including children from the region—benefited enormously from them. Back then, it was teenagers like Moritz Huemer, Sara, and Andreas Domjanic, Kian Soltani, Aaron Pilsan and many others who were here. 

In 2008, I – in the presence of the late Princess I.D. Marie-Aglaë von und zu Liechtenstein and the then Minister of Education and Culture, Aurelia Frick—I spoke publicly for the first time about my dream of a music academy in Liechtenstein. Two years later, in 2010, the time had come: Through the Music and Youth Foundation , the Music Academy in Liechtenstein was.”

The Music Academy is known for its intensive week-long . Does that mean that the level of learning and work here is particularly high? 

Drazen Domjanic: “Yes, absolutely. We work according to the principle: Only dthe is good enough. Every course is carefully selected, and we accept only six participants per instrument. From the very beginning, our goal has been the highest quality, both in terms of support and in terms of challenge. 

Looking back, we can see what careers have emerged from these intensive weeks : Kian Soltani, now an international success, or Luka Šulić, who became known worldwide with “2Cellos”—just two of many. This speaks to the quality of the music academy. Many other graduates are making their mark on the bigworldworld stages, play with international orchestras, and enrich the world of classical music.»

Innovation from Liechtenstein—that takes more than just a good idea. And it takes people who support them. Looking back: What have Ido right? 

Drazen Domjanic: “I believe we’ve done a lot of things right because we set the highest goals for ourselves from the very beginning. I believe that only by setting the highest goals do you have the guidelines for how to achieve them."

Our Innovation does not only concern instrumental instruction; that is only part of it. The truly innovative about our academy is that we are modernizing the music industry. Many music universities still seem stuck in the 19th century—sluggish, bloatedinstitutions. As a private institution, we have much greater flexibility: We are not part of the Bologna Process, we are not dependent on politics, we work based on facts and in a contemporary.. We know what musicians need to succeed.

We work according to a holistic principle: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. We do not train musicians in purely technical isolation. Our goal is for young musicians to have opportunities in the market. Not just to be trained to be, but to be equipped for the future and to succeed.”

Instrumental instruction is the foundation. Today, you have to be the best on the international stage; national competitions alone are no longer enough. In addition, there is a second module: chamber music. Here, the instruction is not provided by the teachers, but by our alumni, who are themselves already greatcareerscareers. They pass on their knowledge, share their experiences, and introduce the scholarship recipients to practical performance.

The third module is “Music and Performance»: We focused intensively on topics such as health, economics, marketing, and taxes—all very important areas that are not directly related to the instrument. At the last symposium, 19 experts from various fields participated. Over the course of four to five days, the 12 scholarship recipients engaged in discussions and attended training sessions to develop a clear understanding of what it takes to build a successful career.

No other university offers this type of training program with its four modules. And above all: we are honest with our scholarship recipients. Anyone who realizes that a career on the international stage isn’t the right path for them, or that their strengths lie elsewhere, should be allowed to recognize this early on. That is crucial. After all, there is hardly anything more difficult than training people for a profession that does not fulfill them. Our openness protects young talents from later disillusionment and supports them in finding their very own path.

Building and leading an institution over so many years requires a great deal of perseverance. In your view, what does it take to be able to follow this path?

Drazen Domjanic: “You have to enjoy doing something over many years. It takes a lot of passion. But it also takes suffering; otherwise, you won’t make it.” 

(He laughs.) 
I could tell you a lot about the suffering. There were many nights when I lay awake and thought about it. Running the operation costs a lot of money; we’re talking about around two million Swiss francs a year. We have to find that money anew every year. 

As you know, we receive a grant of 10,000 francs from the Department of Education; in addition, we no other government funding. This has both advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage is that there is no political interference in a matter that has nothing to do with politics. The disadvantage is that we must constantly strive to improve, but but also an advantage. Because only when we are excellent do we have the trust of our investors. 

At the same time, it is a great privilege to live in a country where such patrons exist—people who understand the importance of classical music, who appreciate the joy of music and its cultural significance, and who have also recognized that not everything can be the responsibility of the state. That is exactly what I have experienced here.»

How do the students get to Liechtenstein? 

Drazen Domjanic: "It depends on the selection process, fFirst, we select the professors. It’s incredibly important to have the right people here, because not every professor is suited to teach at the music academy. I always keep the programs up to date; our professors must deliver top-notch performance. That is our guiding principle.” 

As soon as the professors have been selected, we will announce the openings. Every year , apply, all of them very talented. We’ve seen an increase in applications; in 2025, the figure was 20 percent than the previous year. We don’t have room for a broad range of students; there are other institutions for that. The professors then select six students, four go on the waiting list, and we have to turn down everyone else. This is a lot of work for the professors, but it’s necessary to guarantee the highest quality. 

We pay close attention: There are young people who are under the influence of ambitious parents and feel pressure to meet their expectations. That’s why it’s important to recognize early on what they really want and what they don’t. Others are simply happy to be here and come back year after year. Everyone has to prove themselves anew every year; last year’s participation guarantees nothing for the coming year. Performance is the only thing that counts. Background, connections, or wealth play no role. 

We accept children as young as nine. We originally planned to set the minimum age at ten, but we had two nine-year-olds who were fantastic—one of them was Noa Wildschut. Our support extends until around age 29 or 30, and even beyond that through chamber music projects. Many alumni return later as faculty members, such as Kian Soltani or Filippo Gorini. It is a long-term process. 

Training to become a musician is probably, alongside medicine, the longest journey. Musicians start as early as three or four years old, and continue until they complete their studies,, and then the actual career only begins. Many end up as music teachers, even though they wanted to be on stage. Unfortunately, the profession is often viewed as a hobby. Music beautifies the world; society enjoysitit, but hardly anyone realizeshow much energy young people put into it. 

When society and decision-makers come to realize this, the industry will change. Without music, the world is poorer; without creativity, entrepreneurship. It is our duty to support young talent. This will also help us achieve international visibility; our academy is better known around the world than in Liechtenstein itself. With the Hagenhaus, we have raised the profile in the Principality , yet many still do not understand what we do. Every student who is with us strives for excellence, such for example Modrić or Ronaldo in soccer. The road to get there is hard, very hard, but it’s worth it.»

At the end of last year, you saw a part of this greatssresponsibility, is that correct? 
 
“Yes», laughs Drazen Domjanic, “das is quite normal in the world. There is nothing better than passing on your own work, which you have created with so much passion, to someone who might make it even better. If you are allowed to choose your successor yourself, just as I did with Beat Fehlmann, you can only be happy. I am convinced that Beat will lead the music academy into a new phase. 

I haven’t left myself. We stay in touch every day behind the scenes. I sit on the board of trustees, advise on strategy, and offer input, but the day-to-day management is Beat’s responsibility. It used to involve a lot of hands-on work. At some point, you get tired; you want to clear your head for new strategies and the tasks that still lie ahead. 

So, I'm not gone, but I’m very, very happy that Beat is here and that the music academy continues to grow and develop.»

Does artificial intelligence also play a role at the music academy? That’s a question that’s become increasingly relevant lately. 
 
Drazen Domjanic: “I remember it well: About three years ago, I was in Croatia with four young musicians, during a week’s vacation. In the evening, we tried out GPT. We said: “Imagine, Drazen Domjanic is the future president of Croatia (he laughs here) and has to give a speech. How should he structure it?“ Of course, I have “my speech» I put music first, before the economy and health. The young musicians were thrilled. We realized immediately: AI only works if it is fed the right information; otherwise, it can be misleading. 

Three years later, these musicians use AI regularlyand are very satisfied with it. I myself am not afraid of AI. It is a valuable aid, even if certain tasks may be streamlined as a result. For me, it means above all a relief, because I can reorganize my time. So I might even have time again to sit at the piano myself.” 
 
Thank you very much for the fascinating conversation and the deep insight into your work and the world of the music academy.