ABOUT ME 

Based in Berlin, Germany, Lola Mlačnik is an internationally recognized timpanist and percussionist. Equally at home in early, classical and contemporary music, she thrives in a wide range of projects across Europe. Her passion for early music drives her work with baroque ensembles, where her expertise in historical performance practice blends with a contemporary sensitivity to bring centuries-old works to life.  She also collaborates with performance artists, creating interdisciplinary works that merge sound, movement and visual storytelling and where improvisation plays a central role in her work. 

Since 2021 Lola Mlačnik has been a Professor of Classical Percussion at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Lola Mlačnik obtained her Master’s Degree at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where she developed a profound understanding of classical percussion and specialized in timpani and chamber music under teachers such as Nick Woud, Arnold Marinissen, Richard Jansen, Rachel Zhang and members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Besides her university studies, the passion for early music led her to study baroque timpani with Maarten van der Valk, who became a significant mentor in this field. Later, she expanded her artistic identity at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she obtained an Artist Diploma in Percussion Performance with mentors including Nancy Zeltsman, Doug Perkins and Sam Solomon, embracing bold musical experimentation and pushing the boundaries of her craft.

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Born in Ljubljana, Lola Mlačnik grew up in a creatively vibrant family. Her parents, both celebrated artists, immersed her in a world of movement, storytelling, and rhythm. Growing up in this dynamic environment may have been the foundation for her lifelong curiosity in exploring sound and its expressive potential. These contrasting experiences have shaped Lola into a versatile, inquisitive, deeply sensitive musician and make her a valued collaborator in any orchestra and ensemble.