- by croatiaweek
- January 26, 2026
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in
News
Yoko Nishii
Japanese classical pianist, Yoko Nishii, has been studying and performing in Croatia over the past twenty-five years.
Born in Ise, Japan, Nishii began playing the piano at just four years of age. She arrived in Croatia twenty-five years ago with only a suitcase and a backpack, not knowing a single person or word of Croatian.
Nishii studied in Lovran for seven years, earning a Master’s degree in Music, before continuing postgraduate studies at the Zagreb Academy of Music.
Since then, she has performed extensively in Croatia, as well as across Europe and Japan.
She is widely recognised for promoting Croatian composers internationally, most notably through her landmark recording of the complete piano works of Dora Pejačević, the first such recording in the world.
The album received major international acclaim, as did her later recordings dedicated to Franjo Krežma and Sergei Rachmaninov.
In recognition of her contribution to cultural exchange and diplomacy, Nishii was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation in 2023 for strengthening relations between Japan and Croatia.
Her remarkable journey is now the subject of a new short documentary film, in which Nishii reflects on her life in Croatia, her musical career, and the cultural differences she has experienced over the past quarter of a century.
The documentary was written by Dorothy S. McClellan, directed and produced by Nikola Knez, and produced by the Croatian Film Institute.
Check out the documentary below.
