Performers:
Ballet Ensemble SNG Opera and the Ballet of Ljubljana
Ballet Ensemble SNG Opera and the Ballet of Ljubljana has already commemorated its 85th anniversary . Today, this predominantly quite young ensemble comprises more than 46 members and gives two ballet premieres per season, repeated performances of the standard repertoire and several choreographies in operas -altogether approximately 76 performances. The repertoire encompasses traditional, classical productions such as The Swan Lake (chor. Irina Lukašova), The Villain (chor. H. Spoerli), Coppélia From Montmartre and the Nutcracker - A Christmas story (chor. Youri Vamos) and also the shows produced in the contemporary spirit, such as This Love… (chor. Gagik Ismailian) and Landscape- Mind Variations (chor. Ann Adamović). On November 2001 Darinka Lavrič Simčič took over the leadership of the ballet company. She is trying, together with the opera house manager Borut Smrekar, Ph.D., to bring the Ljubljana ensemble to greater recognition in the Slovenian as well as European dance arena by carefully engaging artists of high professional and auctorial repute.
Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra prides itself on a respectful tradition of musical institutions, such as Academia philharmonicorum (1701), The Philharmonic Society (1794) and the First Slovenian Philharmonic (1908-1913). After the re-establishment in 1947 the orchestra was led by acknowledged home conductors, and from 1995 Marko Letonja has been its head manager. The orchestra has confirmed its reputation at numerous guest appearances in European cultural centres and in the USA, also appearing at important international festivals. Among its guests have been several prominent world conductors (Carlos Kleiber, Zubin Mehta, Serge Baudi, Rudolf Baršaj...) and the best home and foreign solo performers (Irena Grafenauer, Marjana Lipovšek, Dubravka Tomšič, Igor Ozim, Mstislav Rostropovich, Lazar Berman, Svjatoslav Richter...). The concert activity of the orchestra has been registered on 41 laser discs.
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra
The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra was established in 1955 under the conducting leadership of violin virtuoso and composer Uroš Prevoršek. In 1966 Samo Hubad took over the leadership, and in 1981 Anton Nanut became the director. The orchestra toured throughout Europe, and during 1984-1985 was highly prized in the USA as well. The major activity of the orchestra is performing concert recordings. The orchestra performs a broad and various repertoire – from baroque to modern symphonic music, opera, oratorio, and cantata, scenographic and film music, mostly emphasizing the creativity of domestic composers. Regardless their recordings being broadcast on all radio and TV programmes, its national and international discographies are both very substantial (more than 150 CDs). In 1998 Marko Munih became the new head of the orchestra, and in 2000 the role of the artistic leader of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra was taken over by Lior Shambadal.
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt), one of the best known orchestras in Germany, can look back on a 70-year tradition, and under the leadership of the chief conductor Hugh Wolff, is now an ensemble with an unusually broad stylistic repertoire, enjoying an international reputation through its radio, concert and CD productions. In classical-romantic repertoire, discoveries in experimental new music, concerts for children and young people, light classics, or demanding programming concepts – the orchestra of the German Public Radio of Hessen adjusts quickly to different musical styles and continually produces exemplary recordings and interpretations with competence and commitment.
Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra
The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by Stevan Hristić in 1923 as a unit of the National Theatre. In 1951 it became an independent orchestra, with Krešimir Baranović as its director. After the Second World War, the orchestra reached its highest artistic level, extending its repertoire to major 20th century works, winning at the same time international recognition. The Belgrade Philharmonic successfully performed throughout Europe and made recordings for Decca, Philips and Deutsche Grammophon. Many of the highest-class musicians performed with the Belgrade Philharmonic, whether as conductors or soloists: Herbert von Karajan, Karl Böhm, Zubin Mehta, Artur Rubinstein, Mstislav Rostropovich, Sviatoslav Richter and many others. Uroš Lajovic has been the chief conductor of the Belgrade Philharmonic since 2001.
Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra
The Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra was founded in April 1996. In its seventh anniversary it has matured into an acknowledged orchestra of quality, having presented itself at home and abroad, as well as having been rewarded with the bronze medal of Slovenian The Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra as part of the 12th Guard Battalion, representing the Republic of Slovenia at international protocol receptions, oaths of Slovenian soldiers, celebrations and important historical meetings on the territory of Slovenia. An important part of the mission of the Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra is its concert-recording activity, thus stimulating the Slovenian creativity in this field of music. The Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra is headed by lieutenant colonel Ljubo Vošnjak; his deputy is lieutenant colonel Jani Šlamon, MA.
The Nieuw Ensemble
The Nieuw Ensemble made its first public appearance in The Hague on 11 March 1981. With a core that includes plucked instruments, the ensemble has developed a unique repertoire under the guidance of conductor Ed Spanjaard. To date over three hundred compositions have been written for the group. In little more than twenty years the Nieuw Ensemble has risen to international prominence in the field of contemporary music. Acclaimed for its groundbreaking and innovative ideas in terms of repertoire and programming, the Nieuw Ensemble’s various activities display a remarkable diversity. Each year the ensemble performs around twenty separate programmes and tours extensively, appearing at Europe’s most prestigious concert venues. In 1998 the Nieuw Ensemble together with its artistic director Joël Bons received the Music Prize of the Prince Bernhard Fund for their ‘unusually adventurous and lively programming which, both literally and figuratively, may be said to be breaking new ground’.
Janus Ensemble
Janus Ensemble was founded by all the artists who rendered the premiere of Christoph Chech's opera »From all the Blossoms Bitterness« at the Chamber Opera in Vienna. Every musician takes over the responsibility for the realization, and these kind of responsibilities produce a personal and confident sound. The orientation towards this sound is the criterion by which this ensemble invites composers to make music for them. The works made in this way have accompanied the ensemble for a longer period of time with the intention of expressing a rarely acknowledged link with work in new music. Recently they have tried to form their programmes in a thematic way. This is mainly related to the core aim of the ensemble – the link between the composed and improvised music.
Chamber String Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall
The Chamber String Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall was founded in 1983 by the members of the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic on the initiative of Boris Šinigoj, who at that time was the general manager of SPh. After one year of hard work, fourteen musicians under the artistic leadership of Andrej Petrač introduced themselves on February 8, 1995 in Črnomelj, a small town in Slovenia. They achieved tremendeous success and in the following years the ensemble made guest appearances at home and abroad. They had concerts in Ljubljana, Maribor, Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Triest; were honoured by a high national award-Prešeren Fund Award in 1999; performed in a concert in 2000 together with the world famous cellist Miša Majski and internationally acclaimed Slovenian flautist Irena Grafenauer, recorded two CDs, etc., which all proves to the numerous successes of the Chamber String Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic. On January 1, 2003, Andrej Petrač had to leave the ensemble since hard amount of work prevented him from continuing his function, so the artistic leadership was taken over by concertmaster Miran Kolbl.
Slavko Osterc Ensemble
From 1962 to 1982 Slavko Osterc Ensemble performed very successfully under the artistic leadership of Ivan Petrič. In this time it established itself as one of the leading chamber orchestras for modern music performance in Slovenia. After almost 20 years, a young generation of Slovenian instrumental solo performers revived the ensemble. In the short time of its existence they performed numerous concerts with Slovenian and foreign contemporary music. The ensemble's successful work has been confirmed by invitations to the Music Tribune in Belgrade, the Warsaw Autumn and the World Music Days in Ljubljana. This year they are going to perform at the 40th jubilee festival of contemporary music in Radenci and thus successfully continue the path they began in 1962.
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
The 'Ensemble voor Nieuwe Muziek' of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam was founded in 1999 by its former conductor Harry Sparnaay. The opportunity was on the one hand an invitation by the International Composers Competition in Amsterdam, organised by Gaudeamus (Internationale Gaudeamus Muziekweek) and on the other hand the need of an ensemble at the conservatory to play modern music by famous composers but nevertheless by student-composers. In the meantime the ensemble is settled in the curriculum of the
Conservatory and is also invited every year for projects and festivals for contemporary music in the Netherlands and abroad.
Les Percussions de Strasbourg
Strasbourg, 1961 …Six classically trained young musicians – Bernard Balet, Jean Batigne, Lucien Droeller, Jean-Paul Finkbeiner, Claude Ricou and Georges Van Gucht – were members of the Municipal Orchestra and the ORFT orchestra. Driven by the momentum,marking the music of this second half of the 20th century, the six percussionists shared a common dream: to found a percussion ensemble and constitute a repertoire of chamber music written especially for it, in order to endow these instruments, whatever their origin – western, eastern or African – with all their modern meaning. Shortly, the formation gave rise to the new repertoire of works and composers like Messiaen, Serocki, Kabelac, Ohana, Xenakis, Dufort composed especially for them. Today's members of group are Jean-Paul Bernard, Claude Ferrier, Bernard Lesage, Keiko Nakamura, François Papirer and Olaf Tzschoppe.
Minguet String Quartet
The Minguet Quartet was established in 1988 and has been active in its present formation since 1996. Besides studying chamber-music at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, the four young musicians were given additional musical guidance by Walter Levin, as well as members of the Amadeus, Melos and Alban Berg Quartets. With the aid of scholarships and awards, such as the Berlin Mendelssohn Prize and those granted by the Land North-Rheien-Westphalia, the Quartet quickly gained recognition and began performing widely at home and abroad. The Cologne-based Minguet Quartet performs all over the world: from Europe and Scandinavia, to Asia, and the USA. This outstanding ensemble has many first-performances to its credit and plays contemporary music and classical-romantic pieces with equal commitment and dedication, considering the combining and contrasting of these two genres as a particularly important challenge.
Tartini String Quartet
Its was founded in 1983 when the leaders of the four string sections of the Slovene Philharmonic Orchestra decided to establish the string quartet. They formed the Slovene Philharmonic String Quartet, which took the name of the famous Piran fiddler, Tartini in the early 1990s. The Tartini String Quartet comprises of Miran Kolbl and Romeo Drucker, violins, Aleksander Milošev, viola, and Miloš Mlejnik, cello. In the course of many years of playing and more than 400 concerts, it became an ambassador of top-ranking Slovenian musical culture at home and abroad. The high artistic ranking of the Quartet has been confirmed by performances on the concert stages of important musical centres all around Europe. For more than seven years the Quartet gave a cycle of concerts entitled “Evenings of chamber music” in which they collaborated with renowned Slovenian and international artists.
Slowind
Slowind comprises solo performers of The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra (Aleš Kacjan - flute, Matej Šarc- oboe, Jurij Jenko - clarinet, Metod Tomac - horn and Paolo Calligaris - bassoon). In 1999 Slowind began its first tour in the USA, where it was invited again after successful concert performances at the Yale University in New York and in Philadelphia. They also made public appearances in Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland and Canada, where, among others, they presented the Slovenian composing achievements under the artistic mentorship of Robert Aitken in Toronto. In Ljubljana, the quintet has been organizing its own chamber cycle Abonma Slowind for last three years. In mixed chamber formations they have performed together with superb musical artists. In 2003 the quintet was rewarded with the highest Slovenian prize for culture- The Prešeren Fund Prize.
Zagreb Saxophone Quartet
The graduates from the Zagreb Academy of Music (Croatia) in the class of Prof. Josip Nochta founded the Zagreb Saxophone Quartet, which since 1989 has been performing with the present members (Dragan Sremec – soprano sax., Goran Merčep – alto sax., Saša Nestorovoć – tenor sax. and Matjaž Drevenšek – baritone sax.). They performed in many European countries, Canada and the USA. They have worked with many orchestras, playing under the baton of distinguished conductors such as Hans Graf, Marko Letonja, Kazushi Ono, etc. They have given outstanding performances, highly acclaimed both by critics and audiences, at Dubrovnik Summer Festival, the 12th World Saxophone Congress in Pesaro, Valencia and Montreal, Musicora in Paris, Open Europe 2000 in Berlin, Ljubljana Summer Festival, etc.
Hinko Haas
Hinko Haad studied the piano at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana with Dubravka Tomšič-Srebotnjak and finished his postgraduate studies in her class. He continued his studies with Rudolf Kehrer in Weimar, Claude Copens in Brussels and Carl Engel in Bern. As a soloist and member of numerous chamber groups he has given concerts in Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia and performed with Slovene and foreign orchestras and conductors. Since 1987 he has been a piano professor at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.
Bojan Gorišek
Pianist Bojan Gorišek graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana under Prof. Aci Bertoncelj. He continued and completed his studies with Herbert Henck in Cologne. He has performed in the USA, Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, The Netherlands and Finland. He has worked with Luciano Berio, Vinko Globokar, Jane Manning, Irena Grafenauer, John-Edward Kelly and David Harman. He is under exclusive contract with the Blaricum Music group Amsterdam, Audiophile classic series. He recorded the complete piano works of Eric Satie, George Crumb, Marij Kogoj and Aldo Kumar.
Ensemble of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Renaissance Flute Quartet »Mikado«
The artists comprising the recorder quartet »Mikado« are Mateja Bajt, Maja Osojnik, Katharina Lugmayr and Thomas List. All the members of the quartet have studied at and successfully graduated from the High School of Music and Fine Arts in Vienna. Each member of the quartet is now also establishing him/herself as a solo performer at numerous concerts in Europe. All of them have been awarded several times at different competitions, they are also members of other chamber groups and have been recording for ORF Austria or RTV Slovenia, while devoting their time to pedagogical work as well.
Ensemble of the Academy of Music Ljubljana:
The Flute Quartet NAI
The members of the flute quartet NAI are Karin Garb, Mateja Nagode, Neža Božič and Lana Kuščer. They have been performing since 2003 when the fourth member, Lana Kuščer, joined the original members (Karin Garb, Mateja Nagode and Neža Božič). All the members of the quartet are students of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. Karin Garb, Neža Božič and Lana Kuščer study with Prof. Fedja Rupel, and Mateja Nagode with prof. Rudi Pok. The quartet has been successfuly working under the mentorship of Prof. Matej Grahek. The group's programme is substantial, since they are at home with all sorts of music. They have had concert performances on various stages all over Slovenia, where they are always welcome.
The Piano Trio
The piano trio comprises students of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana: Jakob Bobek (clarinet), Gregor Fele (violoncello) and Tadej Horvat (the piano). The chamber group performs under the mentorship of prof. Tomaž Lorenz and is going to make its first public appearance at this year's World Music Days. All three members of the trio are very active as solo and chamber performers; they have taken part at numerous performances, competitions, additional trainings, music seminars and festivals, to which purpose the trio has been formed, and which will probably also dictate the manner of their further cooperation.
Experimental Studio of the Heinrich Strobel Foundation
The Experimental Studio of the Heinrich Strobel Foundation pursues the path of uniting art and technology in a spirit of active dialogue. Generally, compositions with electronics emerge as collaborations between composers and technicians. For this reason, the studio is equipped, on the one hand, with a full-time staff of technical specialists. On the other hand, the Heinrich Strobel Foundation awards composers grants which make it possible for them to work with the technicians in the studio, either to generally expand their artistic and technological horizons or to conceive specific compositional projects. Composers of a wide range of musical styles and orientations (such as Stockhausen, Boulez, Globokar, Dittrich, Halffter, Huber, Nono, Schnabel, Serocki and many more) have produced works with live electronics which are performed by the Experimental Studio in collaboration with performers, ensembles and orchestras at festivals and concerts all over Europe.
Vasilij Meljnikov
Vasilij Meljnikov studied with Olga Parhomenko at the Music Academy in Minsk, where he also completed a MA in Music. He pursued his studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. His pedagogical work started at the Special High School for Extraordinary Musical Talents. At the same time, he worked as the Assistant Professor at the Music Academy in Minsk. He was also the member of the State Chamber Orchestra of Belarus with which he performed across the former Soviet Union countries and Europe. Since 1990 he has worked in Slovenia; he is now Professor of violin at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He has also performed at numerous concerts as a soloist and a chamber musician.
Katja Krajnik
She completed the study of viola at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana in the class of Professor Svava Bernhardsdottir. She pursued her studies with Professor Nobuko Imai at the School of Music in Detmoldu, where she graduated with honours in 1999. During her studies she performed as a soloist and in numerous international chamber groups. She participated in several international summer schools in Europe (Croatia, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic) and USA – in all these venues she also performed. Since April 2000, she has been the substitute of the solo violist of the RTV Slovenia Symphonic orchestra.
Igor Mitrović
Igor Mitrović was born in Beirut. He graduated at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana in the class of Professor Miloš Mlejniko. In May 1993, he successfully concluded his postgraduate study. He went on to study at the »Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel« with Antonij Meneses and Walter Levin. He perfected his technique at master classes with Daniel Šafran, Janoš Štarker, Boris Pergamenščikov and others. In 1987, he won the Second Prize at the Young Musicians Competition in Zagreb. Since 1994 he has been the solo violoncellist of the RTV Slovenia Symphonic Orchestra. He performs home and abroad as a cellist and member of various chamber groups.
Mojca Zlobko-Vajgl
The harpist Mojca Zlobko-Vajgl graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. She finished her postgraduate studies of harp Konzertexamen at the High School of Music and Theatre in Hamburg in the class of Prof. Marie Graf. After finishing her studies she became devoted entirely to solo performing and chamber music. In the past few years she has performed at home and abroad as a solo artist together with renowned orchestras (The Chamber Orchestra of Vienna Symphonic Musicians Wiener Concert-Verein, The Chamber Orchestra of Hamburg Philharmonic Society, The Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, Ensamble Ars Amata Zürich, etc.). From 2000 onwards she has been cooperating with The Chamber Orchestra Wiener Concert Verein in Vienna in their subscription concerts. She toured several countries as a guest, from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, as well as the distant Canada.
BBC Singers
The BBC Singers are the UK's only full-time professional chamber choir. World-renowned for their dynamic performances of contemporary music, for over 75 years has the group commissioned, premiered and recorded new works by many of the twentieth century's key composers, including Poulenc, Britten, Tippett, Boulez and Berio. The group performs and records choral music from the sixteenth century to the present day, with regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Television, frequent appearances at the BBC Proms, and a busy concert schedule throughout the UK and abroad. The BBC Singers have appointed Bob Chilcott as Principal Guest Conductor and Edward Cowie as Associate Composer. The group plays a leading role in the musical life of the BBC as well as the wider musical community, and regular education work helps train and enthuse future generations of students of vocal music, composers and conductors.
Carmina Slovenica
Carmina Slovenica is one of the leading ensembles of the world choir movement. It is also one of the foremost avantgarde vocal ensembles, creating interesting contemporary music projects. The choir can boast concert tours in almost all the countries of Europe, the USA, Canada, Africa, South America and China, highest awards at important international choral competitions, participation in international projects such as Songbridge 2000 and Across the Bridge of Hope…, recordings for Slovene and foreign radio and television stations, 7 CDs, invitations to specialist choral events of the highest esteem and participation at the European Symposium on Choral Music organized by the IFCM, the General Assembly of Europa Cantat, America Cantat, the World Symposium on Choral Music in China, etc., and excellent reviews of the choir's performances by the musical experts and critics. All of these achievements speak for themselves and confirm the choir's highest reputation.
Canticum Mixed Choir
There are 26 singers of both genders in the Vocal Group Canticum, mostly students, with Jože Fürst as their artistic leader. Vocal Group Canticum was established in 1993, and has been performing under the patronage of the Philharmonic Society in Maribor. Despite its short history, Canticum has already had several concerts in Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece and Croatia. The Vocal Group has also won a few notable accolades: first place at the competition Franz Schubert in Vienna, first place at the international choir competition Tonen 2000 in Monster in Holland, first place and Grand Prix at the 3rd International Choir Festival and Jersey 2001 Competition (Great Britain).
Ljubljana Madrigalists
The Ljubljana Madrigalists mixed chamber choir was founded in 1991. That same year the artistic director and conductor Matjaž Šček entered the choir into the international choir competition in Arezzo (Italy) where it was successfully placed into the finals. Soon after its first anniversary, the choir blossomed at the national singing contest in Maribor, and was thus gladly accepted into the circle of the best of Slovenia. The choir has been constantly verifying and strenghtening its quality by a choice of mixed reportoire, and also by having appearances at competitions and short or long tours abroad. It has also creatively cooperated with Slovenian composers, foreign conductors, and regularly produced CDs with its own recordings. In 2001-02 the head of the choir was Walter Lo Nigro, and in 2003 the conducting position was taken over by Andreja Martinjak.
Choreographers:
Nils Christe
Nils Christe started his ballet training at the Rotterdam Dance Academy when he was only six. At the Rotterdam Conservatory he was studying classical guitar and English flute, but interrupted his study when the Netherlands Dance Theatre offered him a contract to dance in its ensemble. At 17, he joined the Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT) and danced in over 80 ballets in the following 15 years. The following teachers influenced him: Hannie Bouwman, Benjamin Harkarvy, Hans Brenna and Simon Mottram. He cooperated with important choreographers such as John Butler, Anna Sokolow, Jennifer Muller, Louis Falco, Glen Tetley, Jerome Robbins and others. He ceased dancing in 1981 and became an independent choreographer. Between 1986 and 1993 he was the Art Director of the Scapino Ballet from Rotterdam (at that time, it operated under a different name). Nils Christe created more than 65 ballets, worked with 48 various ensembles in 21 countries across the world.
Staša Zurovac
Staša Zurovac graduated at the High School for Classical Ballet in Zagreb in the class of Professor Tatjane Lucić-Šarić. He pursued his studies in St. Petersbourg with Professor V. K. Onoshka. Since 1989, he has been working at the Croatian National Theatre (HNK) in Zagreb, where he became the ballet soloist in 1995. He was awarded the status “Balet Champion” in 2003. He cooperated with numerous choreographers such as Milko Šparemblek, Martino Muller, Ted Brandsen, Vasco Wellenkamp, Gagik Ismailian and Peter Breuer. He has been working as s choreographer and touring, both in Croatia and abroad, with his performances since 1996. In 2001 he presented his creation »The Fiancee's dream« with his ballet group Croatia in London’s v Covent Garden. In 2001, he received the Audience Award At the 5th Choreographic Miniatures Festival.
Conductors:
Jože Fürst
Jože Fürst graduated in conducting and the piano from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, where he also specialized in the piano. He continued his studies of conducting in Berlin and Weimar. During his artistic work he headed the Royal Male Choir in Belgium, Chamber Choir of Radio Ljubljana, singing group Akord 84 and the Academic Student Choir Tone Tomšič Ljubljana. His artistic work has earned him several awards, including the Gallus Prize, the highest choir award in Slovenia.
Vinko Globokar
Vinko Globokar graduated in trombone from the National Conservatory in Paris. Later on he studied composition and conducting with Rene Leibowitz, counterpoint with Andre Hodeir, and furthered his studies with Luciano Berio. He has given the first renditions of a large number of works for trombone, compositions by Luciano Berio, Maurizio Kagel, Rene Leibowitz, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and others. He has conducted his own works with the orchestras of Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Radio France, Radio Helsinki, Radio Ljubljana, Jerusalem and the Warsaw Philharmonic. From 1967 to 1976, Globokar was Professor at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. From 1973 to 1979, he was the Director of the Department of Instrumental and Vocal Research at IRCAM in Paris, and from 1983 to 1999 he taught and conducted the 20th century repertoire with the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana in Florence.
René Gulikers
René Gulikers (1961) studied orchestra conducting at the Academy of Music in Maastricht (The Netherlands). His other subjects were schoolmusic and the viola. He attended several conducting courses in Holland and abroad, e.g. in Salzburg in 1985, where he studied with Ferdinant Leitner and won the first prize for young conductors. René Gulikers has been since its foundation in 1988 artistic leader of Ensemble ’88, a chamber ensemble specialised in more uncommon contemporary music. As an orchestra conductor, he led the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, was invited to South-Korea and Japan, was on a concert-tour through Russia with the BACH Chamber Orchestra Ekaterinburg etc. On invitation he conducted the Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile and the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also very active in his own country. As a teacher of orchestra conducting and new music René Gulikers is at the moment associated with the Musikhochschule in Münster.
Uroš Lajovic
Uroš Lajovic studied composition (L.M.Škerjanc) and conducting (D.Švara) at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, and then also at the High School of Music in Vienna (H.Swarowsky). He specialized in Salzburg with Bruno Maderna. From 1972 to 1991 he was a permanent conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic, guest of the symphonic artists and the Chamber Orchestra RTV Slovenia, and the head conductor of the Zagreb Radio Symphonic artists (1979-81). He has been a regular guest of the Zagreb Philharmonic and several important European orchestras. From 1989 onwards he has been a professor of conducting at the High School of Music in Vienna. He has toured in Europe, the USA, Russia, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. He has initiated and conducted many Slovenian musical works. In 1989 he founded the chamber orchestra Slovenicum, and has been its conductor and artistic director.
Marko Letonja
Marko Letonja studied at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, first piano and then conducting under Prof. Anton Nanut. He simultaneously studied conducting under Prof. Otmar Suitner at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, graduating there in 1989. He conducted at the opera houses in Palermo, Naples and Rome, and performed in Spain, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Hong Kong, Japan, Israel and the USA. In Ljubljana and also on the international music scene Marko Letonja has co-operated with many exceptional soloists. His most recent successes were concerts at the Wiener Festwochen with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Basel Simphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of San Carlo Lisbon. Marko Letonja is a regular guest conductor of Teatro San Carlo in Naples, The Scala Theatre in Milan, Teatro Bellas Artes in Mexico City and the symphony orchestras in Graz. In August 2003 Letonja will become chief conductor of Basel Symphony Orchestra.
Andreja Martinjak
Andreja Martinjak graduated from Musical Pedagogics at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. Already during her studies, she led various choirs and took an active part in international choir seminars and symposia; In Ljubljana (1995) in Marktoberdorf (in 1996 and 2001) with Professor Volkerj Hempfling in Veszprem (in 1997) with Professor Laszlo Heltay. She was the private tutor of the Youth Choir of the Elementary School »Rihard Jakopič« in Ljubljana and of Ljubljana Madrigalists, the Choirmistress of the Children’s Choir Vič and the Mixed Choir of St Anton from Padova. In 2001, she founded the vocal group »Vocata«, which she leads. She became the conductor of the Ljubljana Madrigalists in 2002/03.
Anton Nanut
Anton Nanut studied at the Ljubljana Music Academy and started his career as the regular conductor of the Dubrovnik City Orchestra. After leaving Dubrovnik he became the leading conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra in Ljubljana and head of the conducting department at the Ljubljana Academy of Music. With the Philharmonic Orchestra he toured Italy, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Soviet Union and the USA. From 1981 to 1998 Nanut was chief conductor of the Slovenian Radio Symphony Orchestra concentrating on recordings for the radio (over 30 CDs) and TV network, as well touring in the USA (incl. Carnegie Hall), Mexico and many European countries. He also led the Dresden Staatkappelle, the Berlin Radio Symphony, the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra and many others. For his work Nanut has received a number of rewards, among them the Carnegie Medal, Smetana Medal, Golden Medal Milano etc.
David Porceljin
David Porceljin studied flute, composition and conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of Music in Haag. At that time he also studied the baroque flute with Frans Vester and Frans Brüggen, specialising in authentic performance practice of the baroque and classical periods that have formed his interpretations as a conductor in those areas of the repertoire ever since. Winning a scholarship for the study of conducting and composition in Geneva enabled David Porceljin to expand his reputation outside his native country. He was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor of the “Noordhollands Philharmonish Orkest” as well as Music Director and Conductor of the Netherlands Dance Theatre. He was awarded many prizes.
Dieter Rossberg
After finishing his studies of conducting, piano, composition and opera production at the High School of Music in Hamburg, Dieter Rossberg became the first conductor of the Land Theatre in Detmold, in 1983 the first conductor and the deputy music director at the Land Theatre in Innsbruck; in 1989 took over the same position in the opera house in Kiel. Since 1992 he has appeared as freelance opera and concert guest conductor and conductor of broadcast productions and festivals in Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Estonia, Canada, France, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Russia and Italy. He has recorded many CDs and frequently records also for the radio. He has already collaborated five times with the ensemble of SNG Opera and Ballet.
Karmina Šilec
Karmina Šilec was born in Maribor and took her degree at the Music Academy in Zagreb. She first tried her hand as a conductress at the age of 16. She has been conducting Carmina Slovenica choirs since 1987, giving concerts in Slovenia and abroad (Italy, South Africa, Canada, Austria, France, Britain, China, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, USA, Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, Venezuela…). Her choirs have been confirmed time and again at many international competitions where the choirs have won a number of top prizes and high awards.
In addition to her artistic work with the choirs she works as an artistic adviser for choral music, gives lectures and workshops to conductors and regularly appears as guest conductor, jury member or member of artistic committees at choral festivals and competitions. She is a member of Multicultural and Ethnic Commission of IFCM- International Federation of Choral Music.
Milivoj Šurbek
Conductor Milivoj Šurbek is an all-round musician, working as a conductor on opera and concert stages, a pianist and educator. After studying the piano and conducting at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, he advanced his music studies at The Guidhall School of Music in London. For several years he worked as a conductor in the Opera house of Ljubljana, and from 1985 to 1991 he worked as professor at the State University Osaka Kyoto, where he taught master classes of conducting and the piano, headed a symphonic orchestra, mixed choir and an opera school. From 1991 to 2000 he held the position of an artistic leader and main conductor of the Wind-instrument Orchestra of the Slovenian Police. Šurbek’s pedagogical work at the Academy of Music is important as well. In addition, he also works as an accompanying pianist at the concerts of vocal solo performers and as member of juries at international competitions.
Hugh Wolff
Hugh Wolff was born in Paris of American parents. After graduating from Harvard, Wolff returned on a fellowship to Paris, to study conducting with Charle Bruck and composition with Oliver Messiaen. He then continued his studies in Baltimore with Leon Fisher. Wolff began his professional career as Associate Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington under Mstislav Rostropovich in 1979. He then served as Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 1985-1992. His association with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra began with his appointment as its Principal Conductor in 1988. Hugh Wolff became Principal Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra in September 1997. He appears regulary with all the major North American orchestras, he has conducted leading ensembles in Canada, Australia and Japan. European engagements include appearances with the most renowned orchestras in Europe.
Soloists:
Mate Bekavac
Mate Bekavac graduated in 1995 from the High School of Music in Graz with Prof. B. Kovacs. At 19 he finished his studies at the Salzburg Mozarteum in the class of Alois Brandhofr, and specialized at the Julliard in New York with Charles Neidich. He has receieved several awards, among them the first prize at the international competition Yamaha in Vienna, the prize of the professional jury of the Eurovision contest in Prague; in 1995 he won the first prize at the international competition of clarinetists in Seville, and a year later he was among the finalists of the audition for Young Concert Artists in New York. As a solo performer he has made an appearance together with the Munich and Moscow solo artists, orchestra from Frankfurt... As a chamber musician he has been collaborating with Irena Grafenauer, Tartini Quartet and many other renowned artists.
Maja Cerar
Born in Zurich, Maja Cerar graduated from the Conservatory of Wintherthur where she studied with Aida Stucki-Piraccini. She also took master classes with Zakhar Bron, Franco Gulli, Igor Oistrakh and Igor Ozim. Since 1995 she has been expanding her repertoire with Dorothy DeLay in New York. She worked with composers Beat Furrer, György Kurtág, Sebastian Currier, Uroš Krek and many others. In the spring of 1998 she graduated in musicology from the Columbia University with the Master of Arts and in 2001 with the Master of Philosophy degree. Since her debut in the Zurich Tonhalle in 1991, Maja Cerar has performed as soloist with orchestras including the Slovene Philharmonic and the Symphony Orchestra of Zurich. She has also given numerous solo and chamber music recitals on international tours. In 1997 she made successful debuts in Paris, New York and Washington.
Hugh Davies
Hugh Davies is a freelance composer, instrument inventor, performer and musicologist specialising in the new sound sources of the 20th century. He studied music at the Oxford University and was assistant to the composer Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne. As a Researcher at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales of the French Radio in 1966-67 he compiled a catalogue of electronic music compositions. From 1967 to 1986 he was the founder-director and from 1986 to 1991 the research consultant, of the Electronic Music Studio, Goldsmiths’ College of the University of London. He has been a co-founder of several British and international contemporary music organisations. Since 1999 he has been a part-time Researcher in Sonic Art at the Centre for Electronic Arts, Middlesex, London.
François Espinasse
François Espinasse studied at the National Conservatorie in Toulouse. He continued his studies with Xavier Darasse and André Isoir. In 1986 he won the third prize at the International Competition of Toulouse. Espinasse is Organ Professor at the Academy of Music in Bordeaux and also the organist at the church St. Severin in Paris. He had concerts and many master classes in several countries. He is the member of the Commission for historical Organs and the Commission for the new Organ at the French Ministry of Culture.
Irena Grafenauer
After graduating from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana Irena Grafenauer continued her studies with Boris Campa, Karheinz Zöller and Aurèle Nicolet. During the course of her studies, she was awarded numerous international prizes as well as become first solo flautist of the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra (Munich). In 1987 Irena Grafenauer chose to undertake a career as a soloist, which meanwhile has taken her throughout Europe, North America, Japan, Asia, Australia and Africa. She has been also very active as a chamber musician, collaborating with many renowned musical names. She has appeared further as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and many other well-known European orchestras. She has been professor of flute at the Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg since 1987. She has recorded numerous discs for Philips, a number of which have received coveted international prizes.
Žarko Ignjatović
The guitarist Žarko Ignjatović graduated from the Academy of Music in Zagreb (Croatia) in the class of Prof. Darko Petrinjak and a few years later also at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz under Prof. M. Bäuml-Klasinc. In 1995 he completed his three-year postgraduate studies at the Salzburg Mozarteum in the class of Prof. Eliot Fisk. He also took part in numerous seminars and workshops held by renowned names of the world scene and won many prizes at national competitions. He works as a lecturer at the Faculty of Pedagogy in Maribor and teaches at the Secondary Music and Ballet School in Ljubljana.
Hans van Koolwijk
Hans van Koolwijk is fascinated by sound, primordial sounds that you can shape, hear and feel. After graduating from both the Dutch Royal and the State Academy for Visual Arts, in 1987 he positioned himself somewhere between the visual arts and music. He has given concerts, for instance, in museums such as the Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum and MACBA in Barcelona, and has also had exhibitions in concert halls such as the Rudolfinum in Prague and the Recital Hall of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. His central work, the bambuso sonoro, originates from the idea of a single performer operating a number of flutes simultanoeously. He has developed many sound sculptures, such as oorsprong, glissando etc., and in Laboratory for Live Electro-Acoustic Music he developed alternative types of sound generation.
Mile Kosi
Mile Kosi graduated from The Academy of Music in Ljubljana. For many years he was the first viola of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. Since 1980 Mile Kosi has been the first viola of the orchestra Gurzenich – Kölner Philharmoniker and has, as the first foreigner, been member of the Festival Orchestra Bayreuth in the same function. He also taught for a few years at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He has performed, as a soloist and chamber musician, in Europe, Japan, China and the USA with Slovenian and foreign conductors, such as Hubad, Lajovic, Bour, Shallon, Inbal, Janowski, Conlon and others. He made several recordings and premiered works of Slovenian composers (Petrić, Ramovš, Krek, Gabrijelčič).
Jože Kotar
Jože Kotar is principal clarinet with the Slovenian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and senior university teacher at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He completed his studies and afterwards postgraduate studies with Prof. Alojz Zupan at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He has won many prizes, among others the Academy and the University Prešeren Award. As a soloist and member of chamber ensembles he has performed in Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland and the USA. He is member of the ARIART Woodwind Quintet, the Slovene Clarinet Quartet and founder of Slovenian Clarinet Choir.
Drago Kunej
Drago Kunej is a graduate of the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He joined the Institute of Ethnomusicology of the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1993 and soon became headof the Sound Archive. Drago is actively involved in the technical and methodological aspects of sound recording for research purposes, particularly field recordings and the problems of sound preservation, conservation, restoration, re-recording and archiving. In the beginning of 2001 he successfully concluded postgraduate studies of Acoustics at the Academy of Music.As an active musician he is above all devoted to reviving the heritage of Slovenian folk music, by performing it on various instruments and by arranging compositions for instrumental and vocal outfits. He has been involved in acoustic research of the supposed bone flute since it was found, and has published his findings in several scientific articles. He has represented the sonorous possibilities ofthe bone flute in public on many occasions, both individually and accompanied by other instruments, on the base of his own musical creativity and performance or in cooperation with other contemporary composers.
Marjana Lipovšek
After finishing her studies of pedagogics at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, she continued to specialize at the High School of Music in Graz, where she finished solo singing studies. After graduation she was accepted in the State Opera, where she acquired her first experience on stage, later becoming member of the Hamburg Opera. Marjana Lipovšek has performed in almost all the major singing roles. She achieved tremendous success as Delilah in the opera Samson and Delilah at the international festival in Bregenz, and she also sang the role in Berlin and Paris. She enjoys the same success in concert literature, records and performs with the most important orchestras, some of which worth mentioning are, The Vienna Philharmonics, The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, The New York Philharmonic Orchestra and The Boston Symphonic Orchestra. In 1993 she earned the high title Bavarian Chamber Singer, and in May 1996 in Vienna as the only Slovenian singer besides Anton Dermota also the honorary and professional title Chamber Singer for topmost artistic achievements.
Klaus Mertens
The German bass-baritone Klaus Mertens studied music pedagogy, and worked as a school teacher before deciding to embark on a solo singing career. He studied with the professors Else Bischof-Bornes, Jakob Stämpfli and Peter Massmann. This was soon followed by busy career both at home and abroad. He has worked with many renowned conductors and also with prominent orchestras such as Royal Concergebouw Orchestra, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, etc. Klaus Mertens is known as a prominent and much sought-after singer of the baroque oratorio and concert repertoire, and has with various conductors repeatedly recorded the great vocal works of Bach. His repertoire also includes the great romantic oratorios such as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, as well as the 20th century music. An extensive discography of more than 100 albums as well as many international radio and television broadcasts testify to his competence as a versatile singer.
Dalibor Miklavčič
was first brought to attention as the receiver of two awards at the European competition of young organists in 1989 and 1992. A renowned professional magazine Orgel International has recently pronounced his CD recordings as an »exceptional interpretation« and as »elegant with no exception, despite virtuosic tempo«. He studied the organ and composition at the High School of Music in Vienna, and furthered his studies in Milan with L. Ghielmi. He performed in concerts, lectured and managed international master courses in Slovenia, Belgrade, Austria, Latvia, Germany, Romania, Italy, Luxemburg, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, and received many favourable reviews. He is the President of the Slovenian Organ Society, a respected advisor at the production of new organs, the President of the Comission for the Organs of the Ljubljana archdiocese, and member of the jury of international organ competitions.
Kaija Saarikettu
Obtaining her diploma from the Sibelius Academy in 1977, Kaija Saarikettu gave her debut concert two years later. She then continued her studies at the Swedish Radio Music School (diploma 1980). Her solo and chamber music engagements have taken Kaia Saarikettu to most parts of Europe, the United States, Japan and Russia. Her partnerships with many contemporary composers have resulted in a large number of works written specially for her, and she has also premiered seven violin concertos. Kaija Saarikettu has been teaching at the Sibelius Academy since 1985, as Professor since 1995. She was a Professor at the Edsberg Music Institute in Stockholm (1996-97) and Artistic Director of the Eloserenadi Festival in Finland (1995-2002).
Božidar Svetek
Božidar Svetek, a private researcher and video artist, has since 1979 been exclusively concentrating on the connection of music, painting and technics, i.e., the linking of sound and picture. With the onset of modern computer technology, he transfers such »classic« experience into a new medium. In 1996 he took out a patent for a procedure of visualizing a sound event, so that by the help of a new instrument, he »plays« the colour contents of each music work. The new instrument offers a new post-productive expressive form to music, which is accessible to every individual. What is achieved by this is a film quality that opens new concepts and aesthetic extensions united in two human immanences, in a united duration frame of time and space. All the so far accomplished promotions of the connection of technics, music and fine arts, prepared at home and abroad, have brought him several prizes and distinguished awards.
Borut Zagoranski
Borut Zagoranski finished the study of the accordion in the class of Prof. Slavko Magdič in Pula (Croatia). He has taken part in national and international competitions, and was bestowed with many awards. At international competitions in Pula he got the first prize two times, in 1997 the first prize was awarded to him at the prestigious competition in Castelfidardo (Italy), in 1998 he was singled out as a representative of Slovenia, at the competition Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians in Vienna, and in the same year he got the third prize at the world competition Trophee mondial. In 2001 he was awarded Chancellor of the University Award in Rijeka (Croatia). He has been performing as a solo performer and in chamber groups, but also together with orchestras in Slovenia and abroad, and recorded for RTV Slovenia.
Franc Žibert
Franc Žibert graduated in music pedagogics from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He furthered his study of the accordion in Trossingen in the class of Prof. Hugh Noth. From 1989 he has been assistant professor at the Baden Conservatory in Karlsuhe. He has performed as a solo and chamber musician, taken part in various festivals in Karlsruhe, Barcelona, Trieste, Ljubljana and Radenci, and recorded for various radio stations. He has been cooperating with many Slovenian composers and encouraged the creation of new musical works for the accordion. He has taken part and lectured at numerous courses and summer schools for the teachers of the accordion.