Biography

Versatile musician experienced in a wide range of musical styles, Antonio Peršak started playing classical guitar at the age of 7 and began his formal musical education at the age of 11 when he started attending a specialist music school in Varaždin, Croatia. He continued in specialist music education in high school receiving training in classical harmony, counterpoint, solfège, music history, and choral singing along with a great deal of experience playing in orchestra on the tamburitza (Croatian folk instrument). During his time in Croatia, Antonio successfully participated and won prizes in international guitar competitions in Italy, UK, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Hercegovina.

In 2016, Antonio moved to the UK to continue his musical education in Manchester where he finished three years of his undergraduate degree at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Craig Ogden and in 2019 continued his education in the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague where he graduated in the class of Zoran Dukic in 2022. His Master’s degree in The Hague has been awarded ‘’with distinction for creating and performing an innovative contemporary program’’.

Although his work is very much focused on classical music, Antonio is also experienced as an electric guitarist and mandolin player and continues his membership of the "Spaceship" ensemble, which is a contemporary group with a special affinity to science. In 2019 the ensemble performed in a masterclass for John Adams and followed by a residency at Gaudeamus Festival in 2022, where they presented a musical spectacle inspired by A Treatise On Evolution by one of Holland’s most iconic scientists, the theoretical physicist Gerard ‘t Hooft.

In recent years, Antonio has appeared on NPO 4 and Radio West as a soloist as well as a duo member with a Turkish flautist Elif Özgür presenting their Balkan/Turkish program. Antonio has also performed with the New European Ensemble (NL) and Synchronos Ensemble (CRO) and regularly collaborates with composers.

He has played in masterclasses with international artists including Zoran Dukic, István Römer, Duo Melis, Stephen Goss, Pavel Steidl.

He plays a guitar by the Australian luthier Paul Sheridan made in 2018 and a mandolin made by Ernest Köröskenyi in 1951.