In this episode, I sit down with pianist and educator Mirna Lekić for a conversation that spans continents, sound worlds, and the deeper layers of what music can mean in a human life.

Born and raised in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War and now based in New York City, Mirna brings a rare perspective to the piano — one shaped by resilience, migration, devotion, and an unshakable belief in music as a stabilizing, healing force.

We explore her acclaimed 2023 album MIRAGE, a breathtaking collection of sonic illusions and cultural crossings that reimagines the piano as a global storyteller — moving from Azerbaijan to Spain, Armenia to Java, and beyond.

This episode dives into:

• how early musical experiences during war shaped Mirna’s artistic identity
• the healing and stabilizing role music played during her family’s resettlement
• the depth of Bosnian and Balkan musical influences
• how cultural diversity becomes musical philosophy, not performance
• MIRAGE and its groundbreaking approach to sound, resonance, and identity
• collaborative work with living composers, shadow puppeteers, and multidisciplinary artists
• how educators can guide young musicians toward authenticity in a rapidly changing world

It’s a conversation about healing, devotion, heritage, and the power of sound to help us make sense of where we come from — and where we’re going.

🌟 SOUND BITES

“Music was a healing presence.” “Music study demands devotion.” “Music can be a lifeline.”

🎧 FEATURED LINKS FROM MIRNA'S WORK

From the album Masks:

• Debussy, The Toybox (opening)
• Villa-Lobos: Negrinha, No. 5 from Baby’s Family

From MIRAGE:

• Ali-Zadeh — Music for Piano
• Lachenmann — Guero
• Cowell — Aeolian Harp

From Eastern Currents: Ramin Heydarbeygi — Aramesh

Mirna’s Shadow Puppetry Collaborations:

• https://youtu.be/V5Tj2ZHDGS8?si=Aa05gwPs0R0evO8r
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duMJtVPVOIs&t=262s

Read my review on Mirna's Album, MIRAGE on Substack

Here is the TRAILER — Between Worlds: From Sarajevo to New York: A Conversation on Cultural Crossings, Sonic Identity, and the Art of Connection feat. Mirna Lekić

This week on The Piano Pod, I sit down with pianist and champion of new music Mirna Lekić for a conversation that moves between cultures, sound worlds, and the deeper layers of artistic identity. From Sarajevo to New York, we explore cultural crossings, sonic imagination, and the power of music to connect and ground us.

✨ The full episode drops this Tuesday, December 9 at 8pm ET — and I’d love for you to join us.

📺 Set Reminder for the YouTube Premiere

🎧 Audio episode will be available everywhere simultaneously

📝 Learn more about Mirna and her album MIRAGE on Substack

See you on Tuesday for a powerful conversation on cultural crossings, sonic identity, and the art of connection.

In this episode of The Piano Pod, I sit down with Elena Riu — pianist, groundbreaking recording artist, educator, and yoga/mindfulness teacher — whose work has reshaped how we think about artistry, embodiment, and the future of piano performance. Elena has long been a force of quiet revolution.

Long before conversations about inclusivity and expanded repertoire entered the mainstream, she was commissioning bold new works, centering Latin-American and women composers, and exploring how breath, movement, and somatic awareness can transform the way we play and teach music.

This conversation travels across the full spectrum of her artistry — from embodied performance to cultural identity, from the menstrual cycle as a source of creativity to breaking nineteenth-century norms about who pianists should be and what they should play. If you’ve ever wondered how breath shapes sound, how identity shapes expression, or how artists can create courageously beyond convention, this is a conversation you won’t forget.

[Explore Elena’s Work]

Salsa Nueva — Score (16-piece anthology):

• 📘 Purchase on Stretta
• 📘 Purchase on Presto Music

Salsa Nueva — Album (with Latin percussionist Wilmer Sifontes):

• 🎧 SOMM Recordings

Out of the Blues / R&B Collection — Score:

• 📘 Purchase on Presto Music

Piano Icons for the 21st Century (Linn Records):

• 🎧 Amazon

🌐 Elena’s Website

✨ If you enjoyed this episode…

• Please like, comment, and subscribe — it truly helps our community grow.
• Follow The Piano Pod on social media for more conversations at the intersection of creativity, connection, and the evolving world of classical music.
• 📝 My blog on Elena & her album Salsa Nueva:
• 🎵 Listen to our Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6 Playlist

Thank you for listening — and for supporting a space where artists can be fully themselves.

#ThePianoPod #Season6 #ElenaRiu #EmbodiedMusician #EmbodiedPianist #ClassicalMusic #Piano #SalsaNueva #MindfulnessForMusicians #Somatics #YogaForMusicians #NewMusic #LatinAmericanComposers #CreativeCourage #PianistLife