We had the good fortune of connecting with Petra Persolja and we\u2019ve shared our conversation below.<\/p>\n
Hi Petra, we\u2019d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?<\/strong> But he saw the bigger picture before I did. About nine months later, I had to admit he was right: the business had grown beyond anything I expected, and the income had surpassed more than double what I originally thought was possible.<\/p>\n After years in the classical world, I realized I loved more than just performing on stage. I loved creating experiences, connecting with people directly, and having the freedom to shape not only the music, but the atmosphere around it. While weekly performing at the stunning Rosewood Miramar in Santa Barbara during my doctoral years, I saw the power live music brings to intimate settings. People weren\u2019t sitting silently in concert chairs. They were celebrating, laughing, crying, proposing, dancing and interacting with me. The music became part of their memories.<\/p>\n At the same time, I knew I wanted a career that allowed both artistic freedom and a sustainable family life. Constant touring didn\u2019t align with the future I envisioned. I realized I genuinely loved building something of my own. Not just performing, but creating an entire experience: connecting with clients, designing personalized music, and building The Platinum Pianist by combining my classical training with entrepreneurship, creativity, and personalization in a way that felt authentic to me. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?<\/strong> Platinum Pianist is a business centered around live music for corporate events, weddings, and private celebrations. What sets me apart is the combination of high-level classical training with a very modern, personalized approach. I love taking music people already know (whether it\u2019s Coldplay, Taylor Swift, or even EDM) and transforming it into elegant piano arrangements that completely change the atmosphere of an event.<\/p>\n Business-wise, the journey was definitely not effortless. Transitioning from academia into entrepreneurship felt intimidating at first because suddenly I wasn\u2019t just responsible for the music!!! I was responsible for everything: contracts, communication, branding, pricing, social media, logistics, and building trust with clients. There was a steep learning curve, but I slowly realized that creating a successful business requires the same discipline as mastering an instrument: consistency, adaptability, and a willingness to improve constantly.<\/p>\n One of the biggest lessons I\u2019ve learned is that artistry alone is not enough. Talent opens the door, but professionalism, reliability, and the experience you create for people are what truly build a lasting brand. Ironically, some of the most valuable lessons I learned never happened at the piano bench.<\/p>\n What I want people to know about my business is that it\u2019s deeply personal to me. I care about every detail, every client interaction, and every performance because I know these events often become lifelong memories. At the end of the day, I\u2019m not just playing piano, I\u2019m helping shape moments people will remember forever. My business and career is creative, fast-paced, and deeply personal, which is probably why I love it so much. Most of the times I cry when I get emails from brides with pictures and videos. I love my job! I love my clients!<\/p>\n If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you\u2019d want to take them around to?<\/strong> For architecture and atmosphere, I\u2019d absolutely include The Majestic Downtown, The Landmark, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and if there was time we would go to Fairmont Grand Del Mar for one of their tea events. I would take them to all places that feel grand, dramatic, and full of personality. For coastal California beauty, I\u2019d stop at The Resort at Pelican Hill, or Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club. They are completely different, but equally stunning for weddings, events, or simply a sunset cocktail by the ocean. Working in the event industry draws me to these staples places with the vision of me performing there for a luxury wedding or corpoate event there!<\/p>\n Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?<\/strong> I owe an enormous amount to my teachers and mentors as well, especially Professor Veda Zuponcic, who opened the door for me to study in the United States, and Dr. Jonathan Korth, who pushed me artistically in ways that completely changed my confidence as a performer. Throughout my journey, I was incredibly lucky to encounter people who saw potential in me before I fully saw it myself.<\/p>\n My husband deserves a major shoutout too. He was actually the person who encouraged me to fully transition into building The Platinum Pianist as a business, and his support gave me the confidence to take that leap. To this day instead of complaning when I work on weekends, he makes it a daddy-daughter fun day and says he finds joy in finding fun activities. Looking back, I realize success is never really a solo performance. There\u2019s always an orchestra behind it.<\/p>\n \n Website:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.platinumpianist.com\/<\/a>\n <\/p>\n
Starting my own business actually happened very naturally. What began as a side quest slowly grew to the point where I could no longer balance weekly teaching lessons without constant interruptions to my students\u2019 schedules, my own calendar, and family life. At the time, I was still heavily focused on teaching, while performances and private events kept expanding in the background. My husband was actually the one who suggested that I stop lessons and fully commit to performing, which felt absolutely terrifying at first. Walking away from something stable for something unpredictable is not exactly everyone\u2019s comfort zone.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/shoutoutla.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c-1779136160147-1779136159924_petra_persolja_r3__9359-copy.jpeg\")
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For a long time, I thought of myself purely as a pianist. But over the years, I realized I wasn\u2019t just building performances. I was building experiences, relationships, and eventually, a brand.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/shoutoutla.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c-1779136274029-1779136273757_petra_persolja_platinumpianist_mariaalexandermedia35-1.jpg\")
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If a Slovenian or italian friend would come to visit me in Southern California, I\u2019d make their experience cinematic: I would show them the kind of venues that make you immediately understand why events here are so unforgettable. We\u2019d start with brunch at Hotel Bel-Air or The Beverly Hills Hotel because both somehow feel timeless and iconic without trying too hard.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/shoutoutla.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c-1779137374754-1779137374540_petra_persolja_waldorf-astoria.png\")
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First and foremost, my parents. They supported a dream that, realistically, came with no guarantees. They let their daughter move across the world to pursue music, trusted my instincts even when the path looked uncertain, and somehow never told me to \u201cpick a safer career.\u201d That alone deserves an award.<\/p>\n
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