“Chamber music is a style intended for small ensembles. The focus is on finely tuned collaboration between the individual musicians. In my opinion, this is one of the most important components in the development of young musicians.  Brass chamber music combines the powerful sounds and versatility of brass instruments with the intimacy and delicacy of chamber music. By establishing and developing this competition, we are creating a platform that has never before existed in this format anywhere in the world. I am very proud and grateful that Festival Ljubljana and the City of Ljubljana are making this competition possible!”

Branimir Slokar was born in Maribor, Slovenia, where he had his first trombone lessons. Upon winning first prize for trombone at the 7th Yugoslav Music Competition in Zagreb, he decided to follow a musical career. In 1969 he completed his studies at the Ljubljana Academy of Music with distinction and went on to study further at the Paris Conservatory. He won many prizes and distinctions, including the 23rd ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1974, and played with many renowned orchestras such as Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra). In 1980 he gives up his orchestral activities’ and pursues his soloist career with concertos for trombone and orchestra, chamber music, solo recitals with organ, piano and harp. Slokar has also an incredible gift for teaching. Apart from professorships in Freiburg i.Br. (Germany) and Bern (Switzerland), he is regularly invited to master classes in Europe, USA, and Japan. He founded the Slokar Trombone Quartet in 1973. In 2010, he won “The Neill Humfeld Award for Excellence in Trombone Teaching” of the International Trombone Association. In 2013, he was awarded the honorary citizenship of the city of Maribor. In 2018 he received an honorary doctorate “Doctor Honoris Causa” from the National Academy of Music in Bulgaria.