She received the invitation nearly three years ago, and now, with selected works by Salieri, Mozart, and contemporary composer Tomáš Ille, she steps alongside the greats. Riccardo Muti also conducted within the same concert cycle.
The prestigious Musikverein is considered one of the brightest venues in classical music. Brahms, Mahler, and Strauss worked here. On 15 June 2025, the stage within the Salieri 250 cycle will, for the first time, host Slovenian conductor Živa Ploj Peršuh.
It is an important debut, concluding decades of her internationally established artistic career. Riccardo Muti - legend of the global conducting elite - also performed in this cycle. Inclusion in such a programme is a remarkable recognition.
Živa Ploj Peršuh received the invitation nearly three years ago from the artistic director of the concert series, Wiener Konzertverein, who visited Ljubljana in spring 2022. Her impression of the Slovenian Youth Orchestra, the energy of the concerts, and the conductor’s artistic vision led to a collaboration that now culminates in a Viennese debut.
A Programme That Bridges Eras
Soloist at the concert will be Sebastian Breit, principal oboist of the Vienna Philharmonic. The programme unites classical works by Antonio Salieri, W. A. Mozart, and F. X. Süssmayer with the contemporary premiere of a new composition by Czech composer Tomáš Ille, written specifically for this occasion.
Such dramaturgy reflects the conductor’s artistic philosophy: reverence for tradition combined with an essential connection to the present and contemporary creativity..
Slovenian Conductor Živa Ploj Peršuh on the Vienna Stage
The ensemble under her baton in the Golden Hall will consist of top musicians from the international orchestra operating under the auspices of the Wiener Konzertverein – an organisation dedicated to preserving and developing Vienna’s concert culture.
For Živa Ploj Peršuh, this will be her first appearance at the Musikverein, but it also continues her long-standing dedication to bridging art and education, collaborating with international institutions, and exploring new musical meanings through conducting.
A Bridge Between Vienna and Ljubljana
Her conducting year continues in August with the project Peace Child, led in cooperation with ART BSA, the Slovenian Youth Orchestra, and POK25 (Summer Orchestra Camp 2025) as part of the global initiative SIT DOWN. After the summer premiere at the Križanke as part of the Ljubljana Festival, the performance will also appear in October at the Wiener Konzerthausreaffirming the symbolic link between the two capitals of musical culture..
