On 13 August 2026, the Slovenian Youth Orchestra (SMO) made its debut at the Young Euro Classic festival, one of Europe's most prestigious platforms for youth symphony orchestras, at the Konzerthaus on the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. Led by its founder and conductor Živa Ploj Peršuh, the orchestra performed as a cultural ambassador for Slovenia.
For more than 25 years, Young Euro Classic has presented outstanding youth orchestras from all over the world, always in the same hall – not by application, but solely by invitation of the festival. That SMO, founded in 2019, received an invitation means that in just seven years the orchestra has reached the level by which the festival selects its most distinguished performers. The Berlin concert fully confirmed this assessment.
Concert programme at the Konzerthaus Berlin
The Slovenian programme opened with Fast Break by the Slovenian composer Matija Krečič, followed by Entropia, a concerto for electric bass and orchestra by the Finnish composer and bassist Lauri Porra; both works received their German premiere at this concert. It was the second time SMO had collaborated with Porra, who, alongside composing art music, is also an active member of the power metal band Stratovarius. Their first appearance together was in 2024, at a sold-out concert at the Ljubljana Festival. The evening closed with one of the best-known symphonies of all, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.
The German press greeted the performance with praise. The Berliner Morgenpost reported that the hall literally resounded at the climaxes, while RONDO Magazin summed up the concert in these words: »The Slovenian Youth Orchestra made a lasting impression on its Berlin debut.«
“Our young musicians were brilliant – they put all their youthful energy, unwavering dedication, true team spirit and pride into every note they played. To play on a stage where the world's finest youth orchestras have stood before them, and to win over both audience and critics there, is an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. We can rightly be proud of ourselves, of the orchestra and of Slovenia.” said Živa Ploj Peršuh after the performance.
For Slovenia, the tour means more than a successful concert
This year Young Euro Classic opened its doors to the Slovenian Youth Orchestra for the first time, and the tour gave the young musicians the opportunity to promote Slovenian creativity directly to an international audience, diplomats, journalists and representatives of the European music scene in one of the most important concert halls in Europe. In addition to the festival, the tour was also supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, together with the Slovenian Cultural Centre Berlin (SKICA Berlin) and the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Berlin. It is an exceptional promotion of our country, and support for the project is undoubtedly an investment that, thanks to SMO's brilliant performance among the world's finest youth orchestras, will be repaid directly and many times over.
