An award-winning musician Pija Hočevar is known for her remarkable level of artistry and technical proficiency, for her deep understanding of musical interpretation and expression as well as the continuous sharing of her passion for music that is infectious and inspiring to those around her.

Her rich artistic path began in her childhood, with active involvement in the family ensemble, folklore society and various singing ensembles. Her early music education included learning various instruments (recorder, piano, piano accordion, voice), and ultimately, the flute prevailed (Ernest Jazbec, Vanja Ivanković).

Pija graduated from the Novo mesto High School of Economics, and then pursued studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, Slovenia (Matej Zupan), graduating with distinction. As part of her academic journey, she further honed her skills at the Hoogeschool Utrecht, the Netherlands (Aldo Baerten) through the Erasmus program. She regularly attends seminars under the mentorship of excellent flutists – Beynon, Bernold, Schemiser, Graf, Auer, Baudiment, Schütz, Oliva, .. and seminars in the field of various musical methods.

In 2015, she earned her master’s degree from the ZUYD University-Conservatorium Maastricht, the Netherlands (Philippe Benoit, Rik Bastiens) and was honored with the ZUYD University Award for her research.

During her flute studies, she received numerous awards for solo and chamber performances in Slovenia and abroad. As a soloist, she collaborated with the Slovenian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and the RTV Symphony Orchestra, where she also acted as a substitute. She has been a member of the European Wind Orchestra EUYWO, the Orchestra BMT (Brussels-Maastricht-Tilburg), Ave Orchestra and Woodwind Orchestra of Municipality Šentjernej, the Orchestral Academies de Orkest in Belgium and OAO Ossiach in Austria, as well as the Chamber Orchestra Academia Ars Musicae. She was also a member of the Slovenian wind quintet Noobsayswhat and the international Trio Mirus.

After music performance studies, she enhanced her pedagogical skills by studying Edgar Willems’s music pedagogy, Waldorf pedagogy, the Alexander Technique, and others, what resulted in a well-rounded pedagogical method.

She has been exceptionally successful in passing on her knowledge to younger generations in Slovenia and Switzerland, where her students have won awards in numerous competitions. Many of her students continue to share their love for music through performances in a range of ensembles.

Pija continues her musical journey in the United States.