Dr. Dorian Leljak graduated (B.Mus, M.Mus) from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad (Professor Arbo Valdma), and received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Yale University (Professor Boris Berman). His advanced studies included tuition with Evgeny Timakin, Claude Frank, and Mischa Dichter. Currently, Dr. Leljak is Full Professor of Piano at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, and is engaged as a Deputy Teacher of Piano at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music in London (Junior Departments). Between 1994 and 2001, he was pedagogically active at the Yale School of Music.
He was the winner of the Novi Sad Piano Competition and “Sergei Rachmaninov” Competition in Belgrade (1993), a finalist of the Haddonfield Concerto Competition and competitions in New Haven and Marsala, and a semi-finalist of the Schumann Piano Competition (Zwickau). He has appeared with the Windstrings Orchestra, Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale, Belgrade Philharmonics, Belgrade Radio-Television Orchestra, Voyvodina Philharmonics, Yale Repertory Orchestra, St. George Strings, Dusan Skovran Chamber Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra Soloists of Novi Sad. Dorian Leljak won the University of Novi Sad Merit Awards, as well as the following prizes: “Melanija Bugarinovic”, “Mary Clapp Howell”, “Irving Gilmore”, and “Parisot”. He was named the Artist-of-the-Year (1992) by the Belgrade Radio Broadcasting Corporation. In 2000, he made his debuts in Carnegie Hall and Boston Philharmonia Hall. Dorian Leljak has performed extensively as a chamber musician, establishing collaborations with cellist Istvan Varga and pianist Ninoslav Zivkovic. He is a frequent guest at international festivals: “Celebrating the Piano Recital Series” (Calgary), “Charles Ives Festival” (New Haven), “NOMUS Festival” (Novi Sad), and “City-Theatre“ (Budva).
He has given master classes and lectures at the University of Pretoria, the South-African Association of Music Teachers, Conservatoire de Namur-Jambes, University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Hartford-Hartt School, Syracuse University-Setnor School of Music, Dollarhide’s Music Center-Florida, Yale SMN, Petrovaradin Fortress on the Danube Concert Academy, European Piano Teachers Association Summer School in Subotica, Anton Bruckner Universität, EPTA-Voyvodina Master classes in Novi Sad, Brandon University and University of Lincoln-Nebraska. He was a member of the jury at various piano competitions including the International Piano Competition in Namur (Les Rencontres Internationales des Jeunes Pianistes), Isidor Bajic Piano Memorial Competition, the Yamaha Scholarship, and the EPTA Competition- Belgrade. His students were winners and finalists of many national and international piano competitions.
Dr. Leljak is European President (2006/07) of the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA), Founder and President of the Voyvodina Piano Teachers Association (now EPTA-Voyvodina), Executive Director of the “Four Seasons” International Music Competition, Southeast Europe Representative of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM, London), Founder of Yale Serbia and Montenegro, and Founder and Artistic Director of the Isidor Bajic Piano Memorial.