Auditions have been completed for The Slovenian Youth Orchestra, and a new generation of SMO members has been formed. This year's round of auditions brought the highest number of applications to date, and the panel also confirmed the exceptionally high standard of the young musicians who applied.
Our warmest congratulations to all newly selected members. An important chapter lies ahead of them: joining an orchestra that offers young musicians not only concert performances but also a space for growth, collaboration, discipline and artistic excellence.
Record number of applications confirms the importance of SMO for young musicians
The large number of applications matters not just as a statistic but as a clear signal that young musicians recognise the Slovenian Youth Orchestra as one of the key opportunities for their development. This year many candidates showed an exceptionally high level of preparation, musicianship and a serious approach to orchestral work.
This confirms that SMO remains a place where ambition, talent and the desire to progress come together. The new generation of members is therefore no coincidence, but the result of a strong and ever higher-quality pool of young musicians. Another important fact: the Slovenian Youth Orchestra also connects Slovenian musicians studying abroad. This bond can quickly become extremely fragile, which is why it is especially important that there is a centre where young people abroad can reconnect with stages at home.
The large number of applications is not just a statistic but a clear signal that young musicians recognise the Slovenian Youth Orchestra as a key opportunity for their development. This year's candidates demonstrated a high level of preparation, musicianship and a serious approach to orchestral work.
This confirms that SMO remains a meeting place for ambition, talent and the desire to progress. The new generation of members is therefore the result of an ever stronger, higher-quality pool of young musicians. It is also important that the orchestra connects Slovenians studying abroad and enables them to reconnect with stages at home.
Why is orchestral experience so important for a young musician?
Orchestral experience is one of the most important steps on a young musician's path. It develops not only technical precision but also the skills that cannot be fully acquired individually: listening to others, responsiveness, breathing together as a group, responsibility towards the whole, concentration and stamina in large musical forms.
In an orchestra, a young musician learns that playing at the highest level is not just a matter of the individual, but of the ability to place one's sound, knowledge and energy at the service of a shared interpretation. That is precisely why a high-quality orchestral experience is so valuable: it prepares them for the reality of the professional music world.
Slovenian youth Orchestra were stepping stone for professional career
The Slovenian Youth Orchestra is not just a space for one project or one season. It is a national youth orchestra that opens doors for young people to more demanding artistic experiences, bigger stages and a higher level of musical work.
Membership of SMO means entering an environment where young musicians grow alongside strong peers, under the guidance of experienced mentors and in projects that demand seriousness, dedication and maturity. That is why, for many, SMO is an important stepping stone towards a professional career in music.
For young musicians such an experience is invaluable: not only because of the repertoire and performances, but because of the standard the orchestra sets. The high level of work prepares young people for future auditions, studies, international projects and professional ensembles.
The best young musicians need most demanding experience
The new generation of members of the Slovenian Youth Orchestra is entering an environment of high expectations and a high standard of playing. SMO brings together promising young musicians who want more: more knowledge, more experience, more stages and more real contact with the musical profession.
Such an environment is important because it encourages young people to move beyond the comfort of everyday routine and into a space where artistic maturity, orchestral discipline and self-confidence are formed. Performances on major stages, work on demanding repertoire and encounters with strong competition are all part of the path that shapes a young musician.
Congratulations to the new SMO members
Our warmest congratulations to everyone accepted into the Slovenian Youth Orchestra this year. Your success is the result of dedicated work, perseverance and the musical potential you showed at your audition.
At the same time, it is important to say this too: an audition is not a final verdict on a musician. It is a moment along the way. That is why we also want to encourage all of you who may not have been selected this year. The high standard of applications showed what a strong generation of young musicians is emerging in Slovenia. Every bit of preparation, every experience and every new attempt counts.
The new generation of SMO members is here, and with it comes new energy, new dedication and a new chapter for the Slovenian Youth Orchestra.
This year's programme:
Klasični Artač
28 and 29 March 2026
- L. van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
- W. A. Mozart: Symphony No. 40
- W. A. Mozart: Symphony No. 31
- W. A. Mozart: Overture to the opera The Magic Flute
- J. Strauss: Overture to the operetta Die Fledermaus
- G. Rossini: William Tell Overture
Young Euro Classic Festival
Konzerthaus Berlin / 13 August 2026
(project dates 8–14 August 2026)
- M. Krečič: Fast Break
- L. Porra: Entropia
- L. van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
Tour of Slovenia
September
- SMO and Leopold I.
Slovenian Philharmonic
- 10. 2026
(project dates 23–31 October 2026)
- G. Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan”
