(Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina) started playing the piano at the age of five. Her musicality and talent were discovered by prof. Meliha Kulukčija, and her formal music education started in 2003 at the Elementary Music School Tuzla, piano department, under the guidance of prof. Lidija Kuzmić. She completed her Elementary studies with a recital at the Bosnian Cultural Centre in Tuzla. She graduated from the High Music School « Čestmir Mirko Dušek » Tuzla as the student of the generation under the mentorship of professors Zrinka Andrejaš and Zlatan Mujkić. She began her studies on the Academy of Music in Sarajevo, in the piano department under prof. Dragan Opančić and completed them in the class of prof. Neven Šobajić, maintaining a perfect GPA throughout her graduate and postgraduate studies. She attended master classes under direction of Aleksandar Serdar, Đorđe Stanetti, Katarina Krpan, Dragomir Bratić, Michal Rezek, Vladimir Milošević, Konstantin Krasnitzy, Ruben Dalibalitayan, Boris Kraljević, Oliver Oliver, Aleksandra Radosavljević…She has been a member of the Association of Music and Ballet Pedagogues of FBiH since 2018. She performed at prominent podiums in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, and abroad (Serbia, Croatia, France, and Italy). Sarah received three awards from the Federal Ministry of Education of Bosnia and Herzegovina for outstanding achievements, competition results, and educational promotion. She recieved eight Tuzla City Awards for accomplishments in music and the arts. She has also given many solo recitals, including prestigious venues in Tuzla, Mostar, Cavtat as part of the Epidaurus festival, and Belgrade at the National Library of Serbia, previewing the 5th Belgrade Chopin Fest. Sarah has performed at the signing of the collaboration agreement between the University of Zagreb and the University of Tuzla, in the presence of the President of Croatia, Mr. Ivo Josipović, and played his « Tokatta etude. » She has performed as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra « Amoroso » Leskovac, participating in the Music Festival of Dr. Mira Ivanović in Leskovac, Tuzla, and Belgrade’s Kolarac Foundation. She has also performed as soloist with the Orchestra of the Music School « Pavle Markovac » in Zagreb and the Symphony Orchestra of Mostar. During her third year of studies, she worked as a piano teacher at the Elementary Music School Tuzla and later as an accompanist. After graduation, she established her piano class and worked as a piano professor at the same school, also teaching at the High Music School « Čestmir Mirko Dušek » Tuzla. In pedagogical practice, students have won over 100 first and special prizes in competitions throughout the region. She is the recipient of numerous national and regional awards for her pedagogical work.

Maja Tajnšek comes from a prominent Idrija musical family Rijavec. Behind her there’s more than 30 years of success, extensive teaching and concert work. For many years, she worked at her hometown music school in Idrija, and at the same time at music schools in Ribnica and Ajdovščina, Secondary music school in Velenje, Secondary school for preschool teachers in Idrija, later also at Primary school Rakovnik and the Montessori Institute. She was also teaching at Primary music school Koper, and Secondary school for preschool teachers in Jesenice. Now she’s working through her private school, at Music shool Stična and as an accompanist at Music school Ljubljana . She also gives concerts with renowned artists. During her career, she and her students have won more than 155 prizes at regional, national and international competitions, as well as more than 60 prizes with accompaniments.

She started learning the piano at the age of five in her hometown Idrija. After completing 8 years of the Primary music school, she studied at the secondary music school in Ljubljana, in the piano department, which she completed with excellent marks. So she did at the Academy. Later, while working regularly, she first completed a two-year experimental school for teaching very talented students at the Russian professor Sijavuš Gadžijev in Gorizia, Italy (1995-1997). The title of the thesis of her diploma work at the end of this study was comparison of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes with Etudes op.1.
In 2001, according to the invitation of Professor Igor Lazek, she enrolled in a one-year specialization at the A. Scriabin Slavic Conservatory in Paris. Also, in 2001, she enrolled in the university study of music pedagogy at Faculty of pedagogics at the University of Maribor, where she graduated with excellent results for her instrumental diploma (A. Scriabin – Etude). Vice-dean for artistic activities of the faculty and one of her mentors (in addition to R. Neuviert and prof. A. Valdma) Full Professor, M.Sc. Tomaž Svete wrote ; ” Her ability to interpret complex and technically demanding etudes by Scriabin goes far beyond the scope of studying Music pedagogy! According to that, I warmly recommend the candidate to be enrolled in postgraduate studies.”.(T. Svete, R. Neuviert).

For several years she was also a contact student at the Hoschschule for music und tanz in Cologne at Prof. Ph.D. A. Valdma (2009 – 2013). In 2009, she enrolled in a doctoral study in educational sciences at the Faculty of Education of the University of Primorska in Koper, where she successfully completed the entire first year and almost all the obligations of the second year of doctoral studies. She is particularly interested in the phenomenon of positive or the healing effect of music on well-being, and the theoretical-practical scientific framework of talent and the early involvement of children in learning to play an instrument.

In 2012, she decided to start specialist piano studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade with Prof.Ph.D. Valdma. In May 2013, accompanied by only one other candidate, she completed her studies with a specialist exam with an excellent result and gave a concert in the great Stankovič Hall in Belgrade, where she played Bach’s Concerto in D minor, two Scarlatti sonatas, three preludes by S. Rachmaninov and ten preludes by A. Scriabin.

Maja Tajnšek has attended many master classes at home and abroad for more than 15 years: Geneva, Feldkirchen, Heidelberg, Vienna, Parnu, Ajdovščina, Podsreda, Zemono, Paris, Dubrovnik, Sp. Idrija, Haus Marteau, Belgrade, etc. She participated in festivals and concert evenings, such as Tango Festival Idrija, Castle Evenings at Gewerkenegg Castle Idrija, Lange Nacht der Kirchen in Vienna, Light beyond peace in Graz, EPTA World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, 40th Lace Festival Idrija, concerts or guest appearances in Heidelberg, Cologne, Belgrade / Guarneris concert with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana (Music for Peace, Russian Center of Science and Culture, etc.), Dubrovnik, summer and winter festival Sulveuni and Talveuni in Parnu in Estonia, in Geneva, at the Zemono castle, Festival Bled, Murska Sobota Festival, Musical Lace Festival and others. She regularly gives concerts with prominent musicians in various ensembles (Norina Radovan, Sabira Hajdarević, Valentin Enčev, Cveto Kobal, Alenka Zupan, Branko Brezavšček, Inga Ulokina, Marjetka Hribernik, Elena Hribernik, Andrei Provotorov, Jurka Zoroja, Vasilij Meljnikov and others). She also does recordings and baptismal performances of Slovenian and foreign authors as well as promotions abroad, where she often promotes the local cultural and musical heritage. She also has the licence for the distance schooling (Studio Kreator) for the Slovenian, Croatian, German and Italian markets (beginner and advanced level). She recorded a CD The most beautiful Slovenian solos with tenor Andrej Ažman, and a large part of the musical legacy of her deceased grandfather Ivan Rijavec in the RTV Slovenia studio. She edited four collections of compositions, written by her grandfather, whose cultural heritage she carefully preserves and studies. For more than ten years, she has been organizing many events, master classes, concerts, workshops, seminars, summer schools and has been the director of the Ivan Rijavec piano and accordion competition. In 2021, she was the idea leader and director of the large online competition Musical Lace from Idrija.
She herself runs summer schools (Stična, Ljubljana, Idrija) and is a member of several evaluation committees. She has been given awards and acknowledgments, among which the most important are the prize for the best pedagogist Diploma d’onore “Isola del Sole” (2009), the prize for pedagogical achievements in Cortemilia, Povoletto, Sremska Mitrovica, Belgrade and an award for the professor with the most awarded students (Cesenatico). In addition, throughout her teaching years, she regularly participated with her students in numerous seminars in Primorska region and throughout Slovenia and across the border (S. Gadžijev, K. Bogino, I. Lazko, L Barany, A. Valdma, M. Horak, N. Veljkovic, I. Dekleva, etc.). As an accompanist, she herself participated in the realization of some seminars or masterclasses (Andrej Zupan – Music school Idrija, Pia Brodnik – Academy of music Ljubljana, Tobias Stosiek / University of Koper, Music school Koper etc.).
Seven of her students embarked on a professional musical path or they are already professors or professional musicians. She also published professional articles (Strumenti e musica, The Eye, School views, Education and training magazine, Primorska sozvočja, etc.).
Critics appreciate her playing mostly for its extremely beautiful and subtle tone.