Alja Mandic (Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1989) is a student of professor Valter Despalj at The Music Academy Zagreb, where she was accepted at the age of 16.
She has been improving her skills on several master courses and collaborated with many great cellists such, including Laszlo Fenyo, Anner Bylsma, Giovanni Sollima, Mischa Maisky, Reinhard Latzko, Igor Gavris, Rudolf Leopold, Dimitry Ferschtman, Mats Lidström, Harro Ruijsenaars, Orfeo Mandozzi, Michael Flaksman and others.
She is participating in competitions on a regular basis. Her most important achievements are:
- 1st award at Slovenian national competition 2003 and 2009,
- 1st award at European competition >Alfredo e Vanda Marcosic> (Gorizia, Italia) 2004 and 2008,
- 2nd award at International competition Antonio Janigo Junior (Poreč, Croatia) 2004
- 2nd award at International Cello Competition in Liezen, Austria 2004.