Alumni Angles: Pavel Telica

4 November 2026

After studying economics at Queen Mary, Pavel Telica faced a dilemma familiar to many new graduates: follow a conventional career path or pursue a passion. Today, he is a London-based musician, producer and co-founder of The Office Recording Studio. His music has surpassed 4.5 million streams and has been featured on Spotify editorial playlists such as Best of Jazz, Jazz UK and Focus Flow, as well as on BBC Radio London.

We spoke to Pavel about embracing opportunities, building a creative career and the lasting impact of his time at Queen Mary and how this has helped shape his career.


Exploring opportunities after graduation

Like many students approaching the end of university, Pavel wasn't entirely sure what direction he wanted to take after graduating.

"I had some job offers after graduating, but I decided to do a postgraduate degree first," he says. "When I finished, I got exactly the same job offers and had a bit of a life crisis, thinking about my purpose, what I really wanted to do and what direction I wanted to take."

While considering his next steps, he found himself drawn back to a lifelong interest.

"I'd been playing instruments all my life and that was the moment when I decided I had to follow my heart, as cliché as that sounds."

Rather than seeing it as a complete departure from his studies, Pavel viewed it as an opportunity to explore a different side of himself.

"I loved studying economics, especially through a macroeconomic and political lens. But I realised I wanted to explore some of the creative interests I'd always had alongside my studies."

He enrolled on a sound engineering course and immersed himself in a new environment.

"Not because I was completely sure that's what I wanted to do," he explains. "I wanted to put myself in a different space and figure things out."

Building a career in music

The decision opened doors to a wide range of opportunities across the audio industry. Pavel began composing music, creating sound design and working on media projects, while also developing his own music as an artist.

One of his early career highlights was contributing music and sound design to projects commissioned by the BBC.

"That was definitely one of the landmark projects early on," he says.

At the same time, he began releasing original music with collaborators.

"We made a song, we loved it and we put it on Spotify with zero expectations," he recalls. "The song really blew up. It got a couple of hundred thousand streams in the first month."

The success led to live performances across London and introduced Pavel to a growing network of musicians, producers and creatives.

"I played my first concert in a small bar in East London and from that moment it was constant," he says. "The venues got a bit bigger and I became more involved in musician circles."

Creating a home for creativity

Today, Pavel is co-founder of The Office Recording Studio, a venture he launched with his long-time collaborator Teo Marangon.

"It's been a dream for a long time," he says. "We wanted a physical place, a physical home for our community."

When an opportunity arose to take over an existing studio space, the pair decided to take the leap.

"It was a risky venture, for sure, but we decided to give it our best."

Months of planning, building and preparing followed before the studio opened its doors.

"We wanted somewhere we could rehearse, write music, invite artists and experiment," Pavel explains. "It's our office, our studio and our playground all in one."

More than simply a commercial space, the studio reflects the collaborative approach that has shaped his career.

"We want it to be a place where people come together to build something. That's really what excites us."

The Queen Mary impact

Although Pavel's career eventually took him into the creative industries, he sees a direct connection between his degree and the work he does today.

"University definitely prepared me for project management and planning," he says. "Working with people, meeting deadlines, organising processes and communicating ideas clearly are all things I learned at Queen Mary."

Those skills continue to play an important role in his work as a musician, producer and business owner.

"Running a studio, organising projects and working with clients all require structure and organisation," he says. "If I went straight into music without university, I feel I'd be a lot less organised."

He also credits Queen Mary with helping him build confidence during an important stage of his life.

"I had an absolute blast, to be honest with you," he says. "When I look back, it's the people I remember most. The friendships, the atmosphere and the whole experience of being an undergraduate student."

Memories that still stand out

One of Pavel's favourite memories comes from the final days of his degree, when students and lecturers came together after exams had finished.

"A huge group of us went out with some of our lecturers," he recalls. "It was so nice to speak to them without that lecturer-student distance."

The experience left a lasting impression.

"I remember thinking I could easily have stayed for another couple of years. People were so nice."

Like many alumni, he also remembers the social side of campus life fondly.

"Hail Mary, the Student Union’s club night, was a bit of a hub," he says. "That's where I met so many people outside my course."

Advice for current and future students

Pavel believes there is no substitute for practical experience.

"You have to be super hands-on," he says. "Any opportunity where you can be part of something, making something or creating something, you should take it."

He encourages students to be proactive, even when they don't feel completely ready.

"Get out there, be active, fail, write to people and try opportunities," he says. "The earlier you start doing that, the earlier you understand where you stand and what you bring to the conversation."

If he could offer one piece of advice to his younger self, it would be simple:

"Be more open to failing, being rejected and being wrong," he says. "It's okay."


Find out more:

• School of Economics and Finance