Performance Mindset

A few days ago, my article was published by The Strad.

In the article, I write about something I see very often in my work:

👉 everything works in the practice room
👉 but on stage, something suddenly shifts

And it’s usually not about lack of preparation.

It’s about what happens in the mind under pressure.

I break down:
— why this happens
— and how to actually prepare for it in a practical way

If you’re performing, competing, or preparing for an important concert, this might give you a different perspective.

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Thank you for all the messages I’ve already received after the publication — I read every one of them.

It's easy to understand how fear of failure can hamper a performance, but the unconscious fear of success can be just as destructive. Cellist Joanna Latała delves into what sport psychology already understands - and music still avoids. Link in comments 🎻

Performance Mindset

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Mental Preparation for Music University Entrance Exams (Poland)

I’ve just opened enrollment for a new pilot program:
Mental Preparation for Music University Entrance Exams (Poland)

What makes this project particularly important to me is that it addresses something still largely missing — not only in Poland, but across Europe:

There are almost no structured, specialized programs that help young musicians prepare mentally for high-stakes entrance exams.

We train for years how to play —
but very rarely how to perform under pressure in decisive moments.

This pilot program is my response to that gap.

This is a highly focused, small-group course designed for students preparing for professional entrance exams at music universities.

I decided to keep this program intentionally very small —
only 8 participants — to allow for a more individual and in-depth approach.

After just two days, only 7 places remain available.

More details LINK in comments

Over the past years , I’ve been writing about something that is still rarely addressed in classical music:

how musicians prepare mentally for high-pressure performances.

As a professional cellist, I’ve experienced how even at a high level, preparation is often focused almost entirely on technique — while the mental side of performance is left unspoken.

Through my work and research, I explore the connection between performance and the mind:
what happens under pressure, why things change on stage, and how musicians can build stability and clarity when it matters most.

Some of my recent work has been published in The Strad.

If you are preparing for competitions, auditions, or important performances — this space is for you.

You can also find my Performance Mindset self-workbook:
21 days before the performance.
here:https://www.achieveperformancemindset.com/digital-self-workbook

I’m very happy to share that I’ve been invited as a speaker to an international symposium in Salzburg, where I will lead a workshop on mental preparation for musicians.

This topic is becoming more and more important in the classical music world, especially for those performing under pressure in competitions and on stage.

I’m grateful to be part of this environment and to contribute to this field.

I’m happy to share that my latest article has just been published in The Strad.

In this piece I explore a topic that is still rarely discussed in classical music training: how musicians prepare mentally for high-pressure performances such as competitions, auditions, and major concerts.

Technical preparation is only one part of performance readiness.
Mental structure often determines whether a musician can truly perform at their best when it matters most.

I’m grateful to contribute to this conversation within our field.

Link in Comments.

While it's tempting to practise more in the lead up to an important event, it can actually do more harm than good! Instead, cellist Joanna Latała shares a 21-day framework for mental preparation that supports technical ex*****on as well as artistic presence. Link in comments 🎻

📷 AMilkin/Getty

Performance Mindset

It was great to attend today’s webinar run by Mental Performance in the Arts Canada.

Charlene Ryan is a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University who specializes in elementary and early childhood music education. Dr. Ryan’s research focuses on music performance anxiety in children and youth.

I am extremely thankful to my colleagues for sharing their knowledge and experience. I learned a lot. Especially valuable because this year I run the first pilot program in Europe – a course for music students aged 8–18. Since it has already taken a few months, I can see a huge difference in my students who applied mental training methods to their practice. They are more confident, calmer, and happier going on stage. They know they have tools and methods to deal with stress symptoms on stage under pressure.

Maybe most important, they started to talk about and work on mental preparation, not only on how to play better on their instrument. Because playing well under pressure is not about more repetition. Excellence in practice is also about really practising the state of mind and body, and understanding how it works and reacts when presenting for other people… and when it counts the most for us.

During concerts, performances, or competitions.

Very grateful to be part of this inspiring community and to continue developing mental skills in young musicians.

The first round participants of the Queen Elisabeth Competitionhave just been announced.

For those selected, the preparation now enters a psychologically decisive phase.

In the weeks leading up to a major international competition, technical readiness is rarely the main challenge.

Stability is.

The final stretch before stepping onto a stage of this magnitude requires structure, clarity and emotional precision.

I wish all participants a focused and steady preparation period in the weeks ahead.

🚨 The names are in: meet the candidates of Cello 2026!

Check out their profiles on our website:
https://queenelisabethcompetition.be/en/competitions-details-candidates/events/cello-2026/

🎼 Structural partners: BNP Paribas Fortis België | BNP Paribas Fortis Belgique, Proximus, TotalEnergies, ROLEX

🎼 With the support of the Nationale Loterij / Loterie Nationale

🎶 In association with RTBF & VRT

🎓 Bring Mental Training to Your Conservatoire !!!!
Last autumn, during the AEC - European Association of Conservatoires Annual Congress & General Assembly 2025, I had the opportunity to speak about why mental training should be integrated into higher music education curricula.

I spoke about the importance of giving music students access to knowledge from sport psychology and performance psychology — fields that have been supporting high-level performance in other disciplines for decades, yet are still rarely part of formal music studies.

Mental training can help students:
• manage performance anxiety
• develop focus and consistency
• build resilience under pressure
• perform with greater confidence and artistic freedom

I was truly encouraged by the response — after the congress, many universities reached out to me, and I’m very happy about the possibilities for future collaboration, which I’ll be sharing more about soon.

🎓 Bring Mental Training to Your Conservatoire
I offer lectures, workshops and masterclasses for universities and conservatoires, available on-site or online.

If you work at a music university, conservatoire or academy, feel free to share this post within your institution or contact me if you’d like to invite me for a lecture, workshop or masterclass.

🔗 More information:

👉 LINK in Comments