Janko Franković, Violoncello

Janko Franković (born 1999, Zagreb, Croatia) began his musical education in 2006 at the Pavao Markovac Music School, studying under Neva Begović, and later graduated with Prof. Smiljan Mrčela. In June 2022, Janko graduated from the Music Academy in Zagreb, under the mentorship of the renowned cellist Monika Leskovar. Throughout his education, Janko won several awards at regional and national music competitions, as well as Knowledge Oscars in chamber music (trio, quartet, and quintet). He was also the recipient of multiple Rector’s Awards (2019, 2020, 2021). Janko graduated from the Classical Gymnasium and has a strong passion for chamber music. During his studies, he collaborated with well-known artists such as Z. Rucner, V. Peljhan, G. Bakrač, J. Gubajdulina, Z. Draušnik, and D. Detoni, and performed in numerous ensembles and orchestras, including the Zagreb Philharmonic, NoBorders Orchestra, HRBA, ASMANGU, Cantus, and MYO. He has studied with renowned pedagogues, including D. Grigorian, G. Tavares, M. Flaksman, and B. Pustički. In the 2018/19 season, Janko passed the audition for the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, performing on their Easter tour under the direction of Jonathan Nott and Tobias Wögerer. In November 2020, he auditioned successfully for a position with the Zagreb Philharmonic. Janko was also part of the Internationales Orchesterinstitut Attergau in August 2021, led by members of the Vienna Philharmonic. Since 2022, he has been a member of the No Borders Orchestra. As a soloist and chamber musician, Janko has performed at the 56th “Darko Lukić” Lecture Series, Milko Kelemen Days, and the Zagreb Music Biennale, regularly premiering works by Croatian composers. In the 2022/23 season, he performed in the Zagreb Philharmonic’s chamber music concert cycle.