Conductor and musicologist Živa Ploj Peršuh, who says that the baton is practically an extension of her arm, is one of the few Slovenian women conductors. The Slovenian Youth Orchestra was founded in 2019 with the aim of inspiring young people's enthusiasm for music. It is the only project of its kind in Slovenia that enables young musicians to experience first-hand every aspect of life as a professional musician. In that time it has become an important symbol of Slovenian culture and stands alongside more established European national youth orchestras. “Performing at the 7th Winter Festival is a unique opportunity for our orchestra and one of the highlights of the season. The chosen programme is a great challenge for the young musicians, who are working hard right up to the end and are looking forward to the event with great enthusiasm,” said the conductor.
This year Rok Zaletel Černoš became the first Slovenian violinist to take part in the prestigious International P. I. Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, where he competed against 25 violinists and advanced to the second round among the 13 best in the world. In 2019 he had already appeared before Ljubljana Festival audiences in the Young Virtuosos International Music Cycle. At just 16 he was admitted to the Academy of Music as an exceptionally gifted young talent. During his studies he received, among many other awards, the Prešeren Award. He studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and, as a scholarship holder of the City of Ljubljana, is currently continuing his master's studies at the Academy of Music under the mentorship of Prof. Vasilij Meljnikov. “With his artistic and musical talent, Rok easily captivates audiences. His playing shows stylistic musicality, virtuosity, a very beautiful sound and a confident, first-rate violin technique,” said his professor Anton Sorokov, first concertmaster of the Vienna Symphony.
They will perform works by three masters from the treasury of the classical repertoire. The evening will open with Brahms's Variations on a Theme by Haydn, written as an ode to Joseph Haydn and a landmark in the composer's output, as it was his first work for full orchestra without a soloist. This will be followed by Violin Concerto No. 1 H. by Wieniawski, rarely part of the orchestral repertoire, performed by Rok Zaletel Černoš. Beethoven wrote his Symphony No. 3, better known as the “Eroica”, at a time when he was losing his hearing. This personal anguish probably contributed to the intensity and depth of expression in the symphony, which also influenced later generations of composers. It is regarded as one of his best-known and most highly esteemed works and is dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte. The piece will round off the 7th Winter Festival.
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The Ljubljana Festival reserves the right to change the programme. More information at ljubljanafestival.si.
