Ivo Mrvelj – Organist

Ivo Mrvelj

Ivo Mrvelj, born in 1995 in Zagreb, Croatia, discovered his passion for the organ at an early age. He began his organ studies at the Academy of Music in Zagreb in 2014 and graduated with honours in 2019. His particular fascination for Bach’s organ works and the rich Central German church music tradition led him to Leipzig, where he studied as an Erasmus stundent at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University of Music and Theatre in the class of University Organist Daniel Beilschmidt.

He is currently continuing his studies in Church Music at the Leipzig University of Music. His formative teachers include Thomasorganist Prof. Johannes Lang (organ literature and improvisation), Prof. Thomas Lennartz (organ improvisation), Prof. Katharina Treutler (piano), Thomaskantor Prof. Andreas Reize (choral conducting) and Adrian Pavlov (orchestral conducting). Organ improvisation in particular plays a central role in his artistic work – both as an expression of personal musicality and in a liturgical context.

Since November 2022, Ivo Mrvelj has been Assistant Organist at the Thomaskirche Leipzig. There he supports Thomasorganist Johannes Lang in the musical layout of vespers and Sunday services and can also be heard regularly with the St Thomas‘ Choir under the direction of Thomaskantor Prof. Andreas Reize.

In addition to his work as an organist, Ivo Mrvelj is also in demand as a lied and opera accompanist. Lied recitals in Leipzig (Gohliser Schlösschen), Zwickau (Schumannhaus) and Ulm (Sommerliche Ulmer Musiktage) as well as his participation as accompanist at Simone Kermes‘ masterclass in Görlitz in November 2022 testify to his stylistic range and art of accompaniment. In the winter semester 2024/2025, he completed an internship with the Leipzig Opera Chorus and expanded his musical experience by observing and accompanying opera choir rehearsals.