Petra Grassi
Petra Grassi, born in Trieste — a city shaped by the meeting of different cultures — is widely recognised as one of the leading European choral conductors of her generation. Over the years, she has been awarded in several prestigious international conducting competitions, including the World Choral Conducting Competition (Hong Kong, 2019), “Zvok mojih rok” (Ljubljana, 2016), the European Choral Association competition (Turin, 2016), and “Le mani in suono” (Arezzo, 2015).
She is the founder and artistic director of the Vikra Chamber Choir, with which she achieved international recognition by winning the 59th Grand Prix “C. A. Seghizzi” in Gorizia, alongside the award for best conductor — a milestone as the first Italian ensemble to receive this honour. In 2026, the choir has also been selected for artistic residencies at the Ravenna Festival.
Between 2020 and 2022, she was co-conductor of the Italian Youth Choir, working in collaboration with the Italian Youth Orchestra and performing in major events such as MITO SettembreMusica. She has also been invited as guest conductor by leading ensembles, including the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir and the Andalusian Youth Choir.
Her academic path includes studies in piano and music education at the Conservatory of Trieste, followed by a Master’s degree with highest honours in Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Trento, where she now teaches choral conducting and composition.
Her work with choirs has consistently led to top prizes in both national and international competitions, often accompanied by individual recognition as best conductor. Alongside her performing activity, she is frequently invited to serve on juries of major international competitions and, in 2026, she is part of the jury for the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing Final in Maribor.
From 2016 to 2020, she led the Friuli Venezia Giulia Youth Choir as principal conductor. She has also been selected for TENSO, the European network of professional choirs, gaining experience with some of Europe’s most prominent ensembles, and she is a regular guest conductor of the DEKOR Chamber Choir in Ljubljana.
Since 2023, she has contributed to the artistic development of the choral field as a member of the FENIARCO artistic commission and of the international artistic committee of Leading Voices – Tallinn 2025.
Her artistic career has been recognised with several important honours, including the Gold Emblem of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the Prešeren Prize — awarded under the patronage of the Presidents of Italy and Slovenia — and the Pavle Merkù Award.