The Croatian pianist was born and brought up in Stuttgart (Germany), and is of Croatian descent. Formative studies in Germany with Ana Hartauer, Monika Giurgiuman and Prof.S.Rudiakov revealed her talents not only as in imaginative and thoughtful solo pianist, but also as notable accompanist and  fine chamber musician.​By the age of twelve, Brekalo had already won four first prizes as soloist and two first prizes as a chamber musician in the German "Jugend musiziert" , and her precocious musical development was continued through generous grants from the "Oskar und Vera Ritter" foundation, the Baden-Württemberg Associations Patronage Price, and the ZEIT grant in the "Deutsche Sitftung Musikleben".​