This summer’s concerts delighted us with their exceptionally high standard. Ljubljana Festival ensured this from the very start as the brilliant pianist Simon Trpčeski impressed us with his beautiful performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, and above all with his both subtle and energetic interpretation. Meanwhile, the conductor Vasily Petrenko put on a superb performance of Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.

 At the end of the Ljubljana International Summer Festival we were also able to enjoy the most noble orchestral sound possible – the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from Amsterdam – rightly renowned as one of the best orchestras in the world. Under the baton of the conductor Ivan Fischer and thanks to an excellent orchestra, Gustav Mahler’s beautiful Symphony No. 7 unfolded before us like a colourful narrative, exploring and diving into the innermost recesses of the composer’s richly sumptuous expression.

The French refinement of the brilliant pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Aldo Ciccolini was his mentor) was a wonderful surprise for the audience. Accompanied by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and playing Camille Saint-Saens’ Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5, (popularly known as “The Egyptian” after the country where it was composed), Thibaudet proved himself to be a rare living representative of great piano playing. Thibaudet was absolutely glowing in the truly hedonistic exuberance of sensitive tonal nuances, such as are not always produced even by the greatest names. Thibaudet’s technical perfection and brilliance, which he passionately combines with a French spirit, is absolutely stunning, as seen not least in his appearance, with his carefully considered sense of style.

Nevenka Leban Orešič