Jelica Mijanović is an award-winning Canadian-Montenegrin guitarist and recording artist. She has garnered international recognition as a soloist, lecturer and adjudicator in over 40 international festivals and musicology conferences across a dozen countries. Jelica won eleven international guitar competitions, published two books, and received over thirty scholarships during her academic journey. She obtained an MA in Music Pedagogy and an MA in Music Performance in Switzerland, where she also worked as a conservatory teacher and university adjunct professor. Currently, Jelica teaches at Mohawk College while pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. Fluent in French, English, Italian, German, Spanish, and Montenegrin, she brings a global perspective to her musical pursuits.
Jelica has participated in masterclasses with esteemed guitarists, including Pepe Romero, Aniello Desiderio, Judicael Perroy, Lorenzo Michelli, and Pavel Steidl. Since the beginning of her musical journey, she has been regularly mentored by Nedjeljko Pejović, Srđan Bulatović, Vera Ogrizović, Dušan Bogdanović, Oscar Ghiglia, Susana Prieto, Paolo Pegoraro, and Jorge Caballero.
In 2024, Jelica’s artistic and academic contributions were honoured with three prestigious awards. She made history as the first guitarist from the University of Toronto to win either the DMA Recital Competition or the doctoral Canada Graduate Scholarship. Additionally, she received the Newcomer Artist Award from the Toronto Arts Foundation. She also released her solo album ‘Meridians – Guitar Music from Six Continents,’ funded by the Ontario Arts Council.