Free tickets for the concert are available at Križanke Box Office.

Empirio Duo
Andrey Ilienko, piano
Laura Calligaris, violin

Programme:
Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Sonata in F major No. 5, Op. 24
***
Vilko Ukmar: Memoari
Paul Hindemith: Harp Sonata
Xenia Erdélyi: Elegy in memory of Glinka
Marcel Grandjany: Rhapsodie

Duo Empirio consists of violinist Laura Calligaris and pianist Andrey Ilienko. Laura enrolled at the arts gymnasium of the Maribor Conservatory of Music and Ballet in 2017, where she was taught by Vesna Čobal. She has won numerous prizeds, including: a double gold plaque (violin, solfeggio) at the TEMSIG competition in 2018, a gold plaque and third prize with the Libero Piano Trio at TEMSIG 2020, and a gold plaque and third prize as a soloist at TEMSIG 2021; gold plaques at the Svirél international competition in 2016 and 2017; in February 2023 she won third prize in the under-32 category (no first prize awarded) at the VIII. Agustín Aponte International Music Competition in Tenerife. Since 2021 she is continuing her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz as a violin student in the class of Priya Mitchell. Andrey entered the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz in 2020, initially studying with Ayami Ikeba. He is currently pursuing further studies with Zuzana Niederdorfer. His competition successes include first prizes at competitions in Gorizia and Grado and a gold plaque at TEMSIG 2019. In 2021 he formed Duo Empirio with violinist Laura and the two have performed successfully together in Italy, Austria and Germany. In March 2023 they received a Live Music Now scholarship, giving them the opportunity to perform concerts in Austria, while in July 2023 they were admitted to the International Chamber Music Academy in Ochsenhausen, where they were mentored by Ida Bieler and Konrad Elser.

Aja Urlep (born 2004) began her musical training in 2010 at Nazarje Music School with teachers Katja Šumečnik, Erika Frantar, Anja Kožuh Lešnik and Tea Plesničar before continuing at the secondary level with Dalibor Bernatović at Celje Music School and with Naja Mohorič at the Fran Korun Koželjski Music School in Velenje. After completing her secondary education she enrolled in the undergraduate course at the Civic School of Music Claudio Abbado in Milan, where since the start of the 2024–25 academic year she has been a student in the class of Irina Zingg. She has achieved notable results at national and international competitions during the course of her studies. As a soloist, she has won first and second prizes at TEMSIG competitions and a gold medal and second prize at the International Young Talents Music Competition in Gorizia. She has also won a gold medal and first prize in the chamber music category of the International Young Musicians Competition Antonio Salieri as part of a duo with flute, and a gold plaque and third prize in the chamber ensemble with harp category at the Celeia International Competition. In the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years she took part in the EMARSMaster programme, working with harpist Patrizia Tassini. In 2024 she attended the prestigious HarpMasters Summer Academy in Italy.