The Slovenian conductor Mojca Lavrenčič (b. 1993 in Vienna) is among the most notable emerging artists of her generation. She gained international recognition as the winner of the La Maestra International Conducting Competition 2026 in Paris, where she received not only First Prize but also five of the seven special prizes—an exceptional achievement. These included the International Orchestras Committee Prize, the ECHO Committee Prize (European Concert Hall Organisation), the French Concert Halls and Orchestras Committee Prize, the Orchestre de Paris Musicians’ Prize, and the ARTE Committee Prize.

Her conducting combines technical precision with artistic depth and a natural sense of authority. Her interpretations are marked by clarity, expressiveness, and refined musical sensitivity. Her repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary music, which she approaches with strong curiosity and openness.

Raised in Slovenia, she studied conducting at the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana with Marko Letonja. She gained her first professional experience at the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana. During the pandemic, she continued her studies in Switzerland with Andrea Marcon at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where she further refined her artistic profile.

Alongside symphonic concerts, she has a strong passion for opera and ballet. She values the process of developing staged productions and shaping musical dramaturgy over extended periods. She has already conducted four productions at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, gaining significant experience in the field of music theatre.

She sees conducting not only as a form of personal expression but as a space for encounter and collaboration. Her work is rooted in respect, openness, and trust. This approach fosters musical processes in which musicians can fully develop, allowing individual qualities to merge into a cohesive artistic whole. She has received important artistic inspiration from Klaus Mäkelä, Iván Fischer, and Paavo Järvi.

In the 2026/27 season, she will conduct, among others, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Orchestre Pasdeloup, the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, the Orchestre National de Lille, the Orchestre National de Mulhouse, the Slovenska filharmonija, and the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música. She will also conduct several opera and ballet productions in Maribor and Ljubljana.