Subscriptions
SMS - SYMPHONIC MASTERPIECES SERIES
Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Gallus Hall, Cankarjev dom
6 Concerts (Thursday, Friday)
PC - PHILHARMONIC CLASSICS
Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Gallus Hall, Cankarjev dom
6 Concerts (Thursday, Friday)
NOW - NEW ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Gallus Hall, Cankarjev dom
4 Concerts (Wednesday)
VIP - VOCAL-INSTRUMENTAL PROGRAMME
Slovenian Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra
Marjan Kozina Hall, Slovenian Philharmonic
5 Concerts (Friday)
MVP - MAINLY VOCAL PROGRAMME
Slovenian Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra
Marjan Kozina Hall, Slovenian Philharmonic
6 Concerts (Sunday)
YOUNG EARS SERIES – YES!
Marjan Kozina Hall, Slovenian Philharmonic
5 Concerts (Saturday at 10.00 am and 12.00 noon)
BPS - BIG PHILHARMONIC SUBSCRIPTION
26 Concerts (SMS + PC + NOW + VIP + MVP)
BOS - BIG ORCHESTRAL SUBSCRIPTION
16 Concerts (SMS + PC + NOW)
BCS - BIG CHORAL SUBSCRIPTION
10 Concerts (VIP + MVP)
Dear music lovers!
We are approaching the end of the second season of our collaboration with the Chief Conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, Stephen Layton, and the Chief Conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Kakhi Solomnishvili. We are extremely grateful to both of them for their selfless devotion to the artistic growth of both ensembles, which has been recognised by you, our esteemed audience, as well as by the wider international public. It is due to the clear increase in the quality of performances that both the choir and the orchestra are able to attract prominent figures of the international music scene to Ljubljana, who present the best of the best in their concert offerings. At the same time, both ensembles are, and will continue to be, welcome guests in other Slovenian cities and on international concert stages. Of course, our concerts are above all intended for you, our valued and loyal audience. As artistic directors, we carefully design each concert programme so that it is as inspiring as possible. The results of our efforts are proudly presented in this subscription booklet. In addition to the rich and diverse programme of our six established subscription cycles, this season will also feature a number of special events.
The first such event is the 12th Philharmonic Festival of Baroque Music, whose artistic concept will be entirely overseen by one of the world’s most renowned interpreters of Baroque music, Japanese violinist and conductor Shunske Sato. Under his inspiring leadership, three superb concert programmes will be created, among which a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion will certainly be a highlight. With the 2026/27 season, we will also enter the year in which the entire music world will commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven. The Slovenian Philharmonic will pay tribute to this musical giant with performances of all of his nine symphonies. Under the leadership of carefully selected conductors, some of the symphonies will be performed in the 2026/27 season, while the remaining works will form part of the 2027/28 season. In the new season, our Saturday Insights into Music (SIM) will be transformed into Preconcert Orchestral Presentations (POP), which will take place before each concert of the New Orchestral Works (NOW) subscription series, making the concerts even more accessible. Experienced moderators will help to bring the new compositions closer to the widest possible audience, further enriching and enhancing our musical experience of the concerts of the increasingly popular NOW subscription series.
Before we enter the new 2026/27 concert season together, a social gathering with members of the Slovenian Philharmonic once again awaits you, dear subscribers. We still recall the sun setting on the walls of the Žužemberk Castle, within which we had the honour of welcoming you, our most loyal listeners, at the first Castle Concert. At this concert, the orchestra performed a lighter programme, after which the audience had an opportunity to toast the performers and chat with them over snacks. For many of us, it was an unforgettable event, certainly worth repeating. We therefore warmly invite all current and new subscribers to join us on 21 June 2026 at the Celje Castle, where you can listen to hot Spanish rhythms while enjoying a unique view of the surrounding hills and the beautiful Savinja Valley. Finally, as the director of Slovenia’s central musical institution, I would like to address a slightly more serious topic: the cramped premises of the choir and orchestra. The inadequate and unhealthy working conditions have forced us to take decisive action in order for the Slovenian Philharmonic to continue its development in a new, modern concert hall with first-rate acoustics. The concert experience would certainly be elevated to the highest level in such a hall, which is why, respected and valued audience, we sincerely hope for your support in our efforts. In the 2026/27 season, we will prepare a number of consultations and round tables, as well as an extensive media campaign, with the aim of raising awareness among politicians, the private sector and the wider public about the necessity of building a New Slovenian Philharmonic in order to meet the needs of today’s generation and all future generations. I firmly believe that we all love music too much to merely rest on our laurels, so let’s boldly continue our journey together into a bright future.
Matej Šarc Director and Artistic Director of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Dear audience!
Before you is the new concert season of the Slovenian Philharmonic in all its colour. Music has always been a space of infinite shades, in which the concept of colour plays an important and multifaceted role. Colour not only denotes the aesthetic quality of sound but also represents one of the key elements of musical expression. Timbral variety, dynamic differences and diverse instrumental combinations create a rich sound palette that enables a deeper and more precise interpretation of the musical work. The choir is a unique organism in this respect: each vocal group has its own colour, with each singer contributing a subtle but indispensable shade to the wider spectrum. Although the main starting point of vocal music is the word, the same word can radiate with joy or cast a shadow of sadness depending on the specific colour of the voice.
The new season of the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir will therefore be dedicated to colour in the broadest sense. For the first time, you will have an opportunity to listen to separate concerts by the Slovenian Philharmonic Men’s and Women’s Choirs, revealing two completely different sonic worlds. The women’s choir brings a brighter sound spectrum with a distinct transparency, while the men’s choir offers a darker, more compactly rounded sound with greater sonic weight. A special place will be given to the Schubertiade, a concert evening in which the solo voice will intertwine with the choir’s chamber ensembles. This programme approach expands the traditional form of the lieder, with the intimacy of the solo line being complemented by a polyphonic sound structure. This year’s Mainly Vocal Programme subscription series will open with a performance by the State Chamber Choir Polifonija from Lithuania, which will present the rich and distinctive tradition of choral music. Their programme will subtly intertwine tradition and modernity, revealing the diversity of the Lithuanian musical heritage. We will also bring another top professional choral ensemble to the Slovenian concert stage, the SWR Vokalensemble from Stuttgart, which will join forces with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir at a concert of the New Orchestral Works subscription series. At the remaining concerts of the Vocal-Instrumental Programme and Mainly Vocal Programme subscription series, the voice will appear in dialogue with a wide variety of ensembles, including larger orchestral groups, chamber instrumental ensembles and individual instruments, but a cappella performances will, of course, still occupy the central place. At the same time, the programme of the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir will encompass a diverse range of musical periods, enriched with the premieres of new works by Slovenian composers, which will further expand the repertoire for male, female and mixed vocal ensembles. The choir will also perform at concerts
elsewhere in Slovenia and abroad. In August 2026, we will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Vespers at the festival Musik Brixen, and in April 2027, eight singers from the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir will embark on a special two-week concert tour, where, as part of the European Union Choir under the direction of conductor Iván Fischer, they will participate in the commemoration of the bicentennial of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven and the 55th anniversary of the European anthem by performing the Ninth Symphony. The ten concerts of the tour will take place in Brussels, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Lucerne and Budapest. In conclusion, let me express my heartfelt joy that you follow our work and co-create our concert evenings. I sincerely hope that our carefully designed programmes, with their diverse range of voices and instruments, their sophisticated combinations and their sensitivity towards the word, will appeal to you. I warmly invite you to discover with us just how infinitely colourful and expressively rich the human voice can be. We look forward to your company!
Sebastjan Vrhovnik Artistic Director of the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir
TV
Listen remotely
You are invited to watch recordings of Saturday Insights into Music (SIM) and selected concerts.