This summer, Ljubljana will once again come alive with world-class artistic experiences. Running from 20 June to 12 September 2025, the 73rd Ljubljana Festival will host outstanding international and national artists and offer audiences a rich and varied programme. The festival, which is among the oldest and most prestigious in Europe, has been attracting lovers of culture from all over the world since 1953. Exceptional venues such as Congress Square, the Križanke Summer Theatre, Cankarjev Dom, the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall and other locations around the capital will host symphonic and chamber concerts, opera and ballet performances, musicals, theatrical events and jazz and pop concerts. Every evening will be a new opportunity to enjoy a unique artistic experience, part of a cornucopia of events that together will create an unforgettable festival atmosphere.
MAMMA MIA! RETURNS TO KRIŽANKE ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS PREMIERE
Following an absence of a few years, Mamma Mia!, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, returns to Križanke, in a production directed by Jug Radivojević. With the help of the unforgettable songs of ABBA, we will follow the story of bride-to-be Sophie, a romantic-minded young woman who longs to find her father, and her mother Donna, who believes there is no room for men in her life. In a musical that has already delighted audiences all over Slovenia, this tale full of optimism and the search for love and truth will once again unfold onstage, courtesy of a glittering cast featuring some of Slovenia’s best-known performers: Simona Vodopivec Franko, Alenka Godec, Damjana Golavšek, Gojmir Lešnjak, Uroš Smolej, Jan Bučar, Marjan Bunič, Lea Bartha Pesek, Matjaž Kumelj and many others.
(Saturday, 15 June at 9 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
LJUBLJANA FESTIVAL ON THE LJUBLJANICA
The river Ljubljanica, with its rich archaeological and cultural history, will for the tenth year running host a unique musical event as part of the summer festival – the Ljubljana Festival on the Ljubljanica. This tradition derives from the musical regattas organised by the amateur musicians of the predecessor of today’s Slovenian Philharmonic in the early eighteenth century. These artists filled Ljubljana’s riverbanks with music, bringing joy to citizens and visitors alike. The Ljubljana Festival on the Ljubljanica continues this tradition and offers an unforgettable musical experience that combines cultural history with the city’s vibrant summer atmosphere. Young musicians from the Ljubljana Academy of Music and the Ljubljana Conservatoire of Music and Ballet will perform a diverse repertoire. Listeners will be able to join them aboard a riverboat and enjoy the music as they travel along the river that flows through the historic heart of Ljubljana. This year’s performers will include the AG Brass Quintet, the Inuaria Flute Quartet, the Ab Ovo Trombone Quartet, the Bass Brass Collective and the KGBL Euphonium/Tuba Quartet.
(Monday, 16 June to Wednesday, 18 June)
GRAND OPENING WITH SUMMER NIGHT
The 73rd Ljubljana Festival will officially open with the gala concert Summer Night – This Night is Mine in the city’s central Congress Square. The event will be dedicated to the sixty-year musical career of legendary songwriter and performer Janez Bončina, aka Benč. The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and RTV Slovenia Big Band, conducted by musical director Patrik Greblo, will be joined onstage by special guest vocalists Alenka Godec, Tinkara Kovač, Anika Horvat, Ana Soklič, Aleksandra Ilijevski, Karin Zemljič, Tokac, Hamo, Bojan Cvjetićanin, Gregor Ravnik, Sergej Škofljanec and Tomo Jurak. The audience will enjoy the magic of Benč’s songs through performances of unforgettable hits such as: “Ta noč je moja”, “Kadar ognji dogorijo”, “Maja z biseri”, “Ob šanku”, “Zlata obala”, “Nosila je rdečo rožo”, “V veri, da boš srečna” and “Ljubil bi se”, among others.
(Thursday, 19 June at 8.45 pm, Congress Square)
A UNIQUE STAGING OF HAYDN’S CREATION
La Fura dels Baus will this year take the stage at Cankarjev Dom with a performance of The Creation by Joseph Haydn. The oratorio, which captivated audiences from its very first performance, is considered to be one of the first universal works, intended both for the general public and for musical connoisseurs. It is based on the biblical story of the creation of the world. Known for its genre-crossing productions and innovative stagings, the renowned Catalan theatre company is constantly experimenting with new approaches as it blurs the boundaries between performers and audience. The latest astonishing spectacle was created under the artistic direction of the company’s founder Carlus Padrissa and the musical direction of Laurence Equilbey. Musical accompaniment will be provided by the Grammy-nominated ADDA Symphony Orchestra under charismatic conductor Josep Vicent. The performers will be joined onstage by the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir and outstanding soloists Alba Férnandez-Cano, Víctor Sordo and Toni Marsol.
(Monday, 30 June at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
A MUSICAL JOURNEY FROM FLAMENCO TO LATIN RHYTHMS
Following two extremely successful concerts at last year’s 72nd Ljubljana Festival, the ADDA Symphony Orchestra returns this year with its principal conductor Josep Vicent. The concert event El Amor Brujo will feature the contributions of singer Ginesa Ortega, flamenco dancer David Romero and the illustrations of Sagar Forniés. The programme consists of the orchestral suite Spanish Capriccio by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the ballet-pantomime El Amor Brujo, the story of an Andalusian gypsy woman called Candela, by Manuel de Falla, and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, which composer Leonard Bernstein adapted from his legendary musical of the same title. Both orchestra and conductor are famed for their incorporation of multimedia techniques and their stylistic diversity. The evening will connect Europe’s rich musical heritage, Spanish folk songs and the flamenco tradition with the rhythms of Latin America.
(Wednesday, 2 July at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
THE TREASURES OF JAZZ
The Duke Ellington Orchestra, a leading force in the jazz tradition for over a century, will take the stage of the Križanke Summer Theatre. Conducted by Paul Ellington, the grandson of the legendary Duke Ellington, the orchestra continues the legacy of one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century. Duke Ellington, who rose to fame at Harlem’s Cotton Club and sealed his iconic status at the Newport Jazz Festival, created a body of work spanning more than a thousand compositions – still the most extensive recorded legacy in the history of jazz. His unforgettable masterpieces – including both jazz standards and music for films and musicals – live on in the performances of his orchestra, which is noted for its charisma, virtuosity and unique sound.
(Wednesday, 3 July at 9 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA
Claudio Monteverdi’s opera L’incoronazione di Poppea, directed by Eva Hribernik and with musical direction by Egon Mihajlović, will be staged at Ljubljana Opera House, the home of the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana. It is a remarkable work of baroque musical theatre that centres on the story of Roman emperor Nero and his love affair with the beautiful Poppea. The story also finds an echo in the events of today’s world, where egotistical and narcissistic leaders abuse their power to eliminate those who oppose their wishes. For the students of the Ljubljana Academy of Music, this project presents a major challenge, since the performance will include elements of historical performance practice and the use of historical instruments – a rarity in Slovenia.
(Friday, 4 July and Saturday, 5 July at 7 pm, Ljubljana Opera House)
TOMAŽ DOMICELJ: LAST ACOUSTIC
Legendary singer-songwriter Tomaž Domicelj returns to the Devil’s Courtyard after an interval of two years with the significantly titled project Last Acoustic. This year he celebrates his 77th birthday and 60 years of professional musical activity. He will treat the audience to a selection of his best-known songs, ranging from his early beginnings to more recent creations, while demonstrating his mastery of the acoustic guitar and bottleneck technique. He will be joined by a special guest: the outstanding saxophonist and clarinettist Marjan Farič, whose collaborations with Domicelj date back many years.
(Friday, 4 July at 9 pm, Devil’s Courtyard)
SONIC REALITY AND FANTASY, FROM “PROFESSOR BAD TRIP” TO LIVE ELECTRONICS
Brussels-based contemporary music ensemble Ictus will perform Professor Bad Trip, which won Best Performance at the Venice Biennale’s Festival of Contemporary Music in 2023. Created by Fausto Romitelli, this sound research project combines the influences of hallucinogenic experiences, psychedelic rock, techno music and guitar solos. The programme will also include a performance of Aganis by sound artist Dominic Sambucco, an experimental piece that uses aquariums full of water, synthesisers and drum machines to create something new in the field of multimedia art. Also appearing will be Luka Lah and Nejc Pucko, better known as RotorMotor, a DJ duo whose energy-filled sets and innovative approach to electronic music have rapidly made them firm favourites on Slovenia’s club scene. The evening will break musical conventions and offer the audience a journey through unpredictable soundscapes.
(Saturday, 5 July at 9 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
KRIŽANKE AS A STUDIO FOR FINE ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
From 7 to 11 July the Križanke complex will host the International Fine Arts Colony, an event that has been a significant part of the summer festival for many years. Under the artistic leadership of selector and painter Tomo Vran, a group of chosen artists from various countries and continents will be given a unique opportunity to create. Križanke provides artists with a space to work, while its exceptional surroundings offer both inspiration and creative freedom. The colony highlights the importance of international collaboration, opening the door for artists to gain new experiences, build connections and express their creativity. The artworks created will be presented at an exhibition in Križanke’s Knights’ Hall at the conclusion of the colony.
(Sunday, 6 July to Friday, 11 July, Križanke)
ART WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN
From 8 to 12 July, from 10 am to 12 pm each day, the Little Art Colony will host children’s creative workshops aimed at young artists aged 7 to 14. In the inspiring setting of the Devil’s Courtyard, where history and art intertwine, participants will develop their creativity under the guidance of expert mentors Ema Kobal and Klara Kracina. They will try their hand at making musical instruments from cardboard, creating mosaics and collages, exploring printmaking using the collagraph technique, and decorating colourful candle holders. The workshops are free of charge but booking is required.
(Monday 7 July to Friday 11 July, Križanke)
THE FILM MUSIC OF ENNIO MORRICONE
Ennio Morricone is today regarded as one of the most prolific and important film composers of all time. He created the scores for films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Mission, The Untouchables, Bugsy, Malèna and The Hateful Eight, winning two Oscars, three Grammys and three Golden Globes for his work. The renowned artist performed his own works at the 56th Ljubljana Festival in 2008. This time, the conductor’s baton will be wielded by his son, Andrea Morricone. The programme, which will take us on a journey through Morricone’s most famous scores, will be performed by the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the Mixed Choir of the Glasbena Matica Ljubljana. The soloists will be soprano Vittoriana De Amicis, violinist Vincenzo Bolognese and harmonica player Luigi Mattacchione.
(Monday, 7 July at 9 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
THE BALLET VISIONS OF EDWARD CLUG
Cluster is an evening of ballet consisting of a cycle of four dance pieces – Proof, Mutual Comfort, Handman and Cluster – created for the Netherlands Dance Theatre. These pieces are the work of the artistic director of the ballet company of the Slovene National Theatre in Maribor, Edward Clug, who in 2022 received the Silver Order of Merit of the Republic of Slovenia for his contributions to the development of culture and art. His work primarily explores existential and social issues and the sensitive dynamics of human relationships. The chosen programme will highlight the most penetrating studies of the human body and movement, while a selection of compositions by Slovene composer Milko Lazar and rock band Radiohead will provide a touch of intimacy that underscores Clug’s personal expression. They will reveal a glimpse of unfulfilled fantasies, visions of the most hidden desires and hopes, and the secret power that, like a dormant substance, we often carry in ourselves.
(Wednesday, 9 July at 9 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
BROADWAY’S BIGGEST HIT COMES TO LJUBLJANA
The Phantom of the Opera, the world’s most popular musical, will have its spectacular Slovene premiere in the summer of 2025 as part of the 73rd Ljubljana Festival. This stunning musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber has been capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide for decades. The story takes us to Paris, where deep beneath the opera house hides the mysterious musical genius known as the Phantom, obsessed with the talent and beauty of young soprano Christine Daaé. The musical has already delighted more than 160 million people across 48 territories, 198 cities and 21 languages. This is an opportunity to experience a spectacular musical event featuring a world-class cast from the West End and Broadway who will transport the Ljubljana audience to a world of love, passion and mystery.
(Wednesday, 9 July to Sunday, 20 July, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
RE5PIRACIONES – TANGO THAT BREATHES PASSION
The concert Re5piraciones: From Gardel to Piazzolla will resonate with the rhythms of the tango, performed by acclaimed musicians. The accordion quartet 4 Bellows 4 Tales – Stefano Bembi, Zoran Lupinc, Maurizio Marchesich and Imad Saletović – will join forces with the virtuoso bandoneonist Rodolfo Mederos, a multiple Latin Grammy nominee. The programme will feature works by the greatest tango masters, including Astor Piazzolla, Carlos Gardel, Agustín Bardi, and Juan Carlos Cobián, who have shaped the development of this passionate musical genre.
(Friday, 11 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS: TRAINING WITH THE BEST TEACHERS
Once again this year, masterclass artistic director Branimir Slokar has invited leading music teachers to Ljubljana to share their expertise with young musicians eager to improve their skills. This year students will be taught by:
- François Benda, clarinet
- Christian Lampert, horn
- Latica Honda-Rosenberg, violin
- Hartmut Rohde, viola
- Jens Peter Maintz, cello
- Rick Stotijn, double bass
- Emanuel Abbühl, oboe
- Ole Kristian Dahl, bassoon
- Reinhold Friedrich, trumpet
- EpifanioComis, piano
(Tuesday, 15 July to Sunday, 10 August, Vič-Rudnik Music School)
EVA PETRIČ: WE ARE LIKE BUTTERFLIES
Eva Petrič’s immersive performance and multimedia installation We Are Like Butterflies, in the church of the Križanke complex, combines video and sound projections with an installation of hybrid butterflies in a thoughtful dialogue about the traces left on Earth by humanity. The performance offers a view of our planet from a low Earth orbit, as seen by astronauts and satellites, revealing the shadow of humanity through holes in light. A poetic apology from humankind to Earth, it raises the question of whether peace is possible only in the imagination or also in reality. An echo of the performance remains in the multimedia installation, which is open for viewing.
(performance: Tuesday, 15 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church, exhibition: Tuesday, 16 July to Tuesday, 12 August, Križevniška Church)
THE PIANISTIC ELEGANCE OF VIOLETTA EGOROVA
Renowned Russian pianist Violetta Egorova, who studied at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatoire under Lev Naumov, is regarded as one of the leading ambassadors of the Russian piano school. She will perform a programme that blends classical structure, virtuosity and lyrical depth, with works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann. Her interpretation brings a dramatic intensity and technical refinement that will accompany the audience through the different melodic worlds of the piano.
(Wednesday, 16 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
MASTERFUL STRINGS AND PIANO: SONART & EPIFANIO COMIS
One of Slovenia’s most promising string quartets, SonArt, will join forces on the festival stage with the renowned Italian pianist Epifanio Comis. The evening will be dedicated to the rich tradition of piano chamber music, with a programme of masterpieces that demand technical excellence and profound artistic interpretation from their performers. SonArt, known for their energetic performance and stylistic precision, will create an unforgettable musical experience alongside Comis, a respected interpreter of the classical repertoire.
(Thursday, 17 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
VIRTUOSO INTERPRETATIONS FROM THE KOREAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
The renowned Korean Chamber Orchestra will present an evening of classical and contemporary music at the National Gallery. One of the soloists will be Ilia Kim, an internationally acclaimed pianist who has built her career in Berlin, Salzburg, Hanover and Bologna. She will be joined by Esther Yoo, an American violinist of Korean descent, who has worked with leading conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel and Vasily Petrenko. The orchestra, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, will perform works such as Jindo Arirang by Korean composer Jisoo Lee, Malédiction by Franz Liszt and Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings, promising the audience an unforgettable musical experience. The orchestra will be conducted by its music director Min Kim.
(Monday, 21 July at 8 pm, National Gallery)
BAROQUE MASTERPIECES WITH VIRTUOSENSEMBLE
This summer concert will feature works by two of the most influential Baroque composers – Arcangelo Corelli and Antonio Vivaldi. The Suite for Strings by Arcangelo Corelli and selected concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, including the Four Seasons cycle, will be performed by Virtuosensemble, featuring some of the key players from the Camerata Strumentale Siciliana. Their interpretation of Vivaldi will highlight his mastery of the string idiom, with all the dynamic contrasts and playful themes that characterise his oeuvre.
(Tuesday, 22 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
THE MÜNCHNER VIRTUOSEN CONDUCTED BY LORENZ NASTURICA-HERSCHCOWICI
The Münchner Virtuosen, an ensemble whose members are drawn from the ranks of the Munich Philharmonic, will offer an evening of exceptional technical brilliance and artistic expressiveness under the baton of the acclaimed concertmaster and conductor Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici. Known for performing on instruments crafted by legendary makers such as Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati and Guadagnini, the chamber orchestra offers audiences a richly textured sound experience. Nasturica-Herschcowici, a former concertmaster of the Munich Philharmonic, is celebrated for his charismatic stage presence and profound interpretations. He and the Virtuosen will together create an unforgettable musical evening, with a programme shaped by the far-reaching influence of the Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla, the father of tango nuevo, who revolutionised traditional tango by weaving in elements of jazz and classical music and helped elevate it into a globally popular musical genre.(Wednesday, 23 July at 8 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall)
A MASTERFUL MUSICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE VIOLA AND PIANO OF LIU LIYUAN AND LAN CUI
Viola player Liu Liyuan, a former winner of the International Young Artist Concerto Competition in New York, is an associate professor of viola and assistant director of the orchestral department at the Zhejiang Conservatoire of Music in Hangzhou. She is joined by pianist Lan Cui, who completed her studies at the Royal Conservatoires of Brussels and Antwerp and at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo. Together they will perform works by Chinese composer Zhuang Liu and Johannes Brahms.
(Thursday, 24 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
A MUSICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN CELLO AND PIANO
The programme of this concert in Križevniška Church will consist of cello sonatas by three stylistically diverse composers – Claude Debussy, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitry Kabalevsky – performed by Duo Becchio, formed in 2023 and comprising the outstanding Spanish musicians Mario Teruel Santapau and Óscar Álvarez Peris. Santapau is an award-winning cellist who has performed in numerous youth orchestras, while Álvarez Peris, also a competition winner, maintains an active concert career and teaches.
(Friday, 25 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
THE VIRTUOSIC ENERGY OF THE AÏGHETTA QUARTET
The Aïghetta Guitar Quartet, a distinguished ensemble from Monaco, has been captivating audiences for over four decades with a blend of classical tradition and contemporary influences. The quartet will perform a varied programme, ranging from classical works by Ferdinando Carulli and Gioachino Rossini to the passionate compositions of Manuel de Falla, as well as original works by members of the quartet. The programme will conclude with an operatic touch in the form of Carmen’s aria from the opera of the same title by Georges Bizet, arranged for four guitars.
(Monday, 28 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
RHYTHMS OF PASSION AND FREEDOM FROM VIRTUOSO ENSEMBLE TRAFFIC STRINGS
Founded by Romanian violist Lucian Moraru in 2005, Traffic Strings is an ensemble that blends classical, jazz, tango and contemporary music. The group has released eight albums to date, including three new ones last year, respectively dedicated to jazz, Romanian classical music and a fusion of Baroque and tango. Their performance in Ljubljana will combine Romanian musical heritage, the freedom of jazz and instrumental virtuosity, with works by Gerónimo Giménez, Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard and Chick Corea, along with original compositions by Moraru.
(Tuesday, 29 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
A GRAMMY-NOMINATED PROJECT IN KRIŽEVNIŠKA CHURCH
Ensemble Dissonance has become an indispensable instrumental partner of the Ljubljana Festival. Among their latest achievements is the 2025 Grammy nomination for the album Entourer, recorded in collaboration with guitarist Mak Grgić, with whom they have prepared an exceptional programme. The concert will feature works by Joaquín Rodrigo, including Two Andalusian Miniatures and Concierto de Aranjuez, the Macedonian folk tune Kasapsko oro arranged by Klemen Hvala, and Balkan Suite for Guitar and Strings by Miroslav Tadić, in an arrangement by Leon Firšt.
(Wednesday, 30 July at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
SPANISH ELEGANCE AND PIANISTIC VIRTUOSITY
The RTVE Chamber Orchestra will take to the festival stage under the baton of Marc Moncusí, an acclaimed conductor with extensive international experience. The evening will open with Vistes al mar by Eduard Toldrà. Trumpeter Borja Antón, principal trumpet of the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, and pianist Dmitry Ishkhanov, an exceptional young musical talent, will be the soloists in a performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor – a work that is effectively a double concerto for piano and trumpet. The concert will conclude with Romanian Caprice by Lucian Moraru, a piece inspired by the folk song Ciocârlia (The Skylark).
(Thursday, 31 July at 8 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall)
FIRST CONCERT BY LJUBLJANA FESTIVAL MASTERCLASS TEACHERS
The first concert by the masterclass teachers will feature works by the Romantic composers César Franck, Robert Schumann, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Benjamin Britten and Ernst von Dohnányi, alongside a contemporary piece by the German-Iranian composer Sarvenaz Safari. Appearing on stage will be the distinguished teachers Jens Peter Maintz (cello), Hartmut Rohde (viola), Latica Honda Rosenberg (violin), Ole Kristian Dahl (bassoon), Evgeny Sinaiski, Ken Nakasako, Naoko Sonoda and Rie Shimada (all piano).
(Friday, 1 August at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
CONCERTO GROSSO: MUSICAL MASTERS AT WORK
Dmitry Sitkovetsky will appear with the internationally acclaimed Ensemble Dissonance in a programme of twentieth-century music. Joining this outstanding ensemble as soloists will be violinists Benjamin Ziervogel and Janez Podlesek. The evening will feature works by Arvo Pärt, Alfred Schnittke and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed in arrangements that will captivate listeners with their depth and artistic sensitivity.
(Monday, 4 August at 8 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall)
MOZART’S MASTERPIECE DON GIOVANNI INTERPRETED BY YOUNG OPERATIC TALENTS
Under the artistic direction of conductor George Pehlivanian, the Pehlivanian Opera Academy will present a concert performance of Don Giovanni, one of the trio of operatic masterpieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with librettos by Lorenzo Da Ponte. The work combines comedic elements with dark, supernatural aspects, while addressing fundamental philosophical questions of freedom, morality and the consequences of one’s actions. Maestro Pehlivanian is the founder of a unique academy that brings together talented young singers and conductors from around the world, offering them the opportunity to refine their skills in opera performance and production.
(Tuesday, 5 August at 8 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall)
FROM HANDEL TO BACH: A BOW TO MUSICAL HERITAGE
The Ljubljana Festival masterclass teachers will take music lovers on a journey through Baroque masterpieces and the Classical repertoire. The programme will feature works by George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Robert Schumann, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach. Taking the stage on this occasion will be the distinguished musicians and teachers Emanuel Abbühl (oboe), Reinhold Friedrich (trumpet), Eriko Takezawa (piano) and Kimiko Imani (piano).
(Wednesday, 6 August at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
AN EVENING OF CHAMBER MUSIC
The evening’s programme will feature chamber works for double bass, clarinet and piano, performed by the distinguished musicians and teachers Rick Stotijn (double bass), François Benda (clarinet), Elina Gotsouliak (piano) and Zsuzsa Bálint (piano). The programme will include works by Giovanni Bottesini, Gioachino Rossini, Francis Poulenc, Leonard Bernstein, Astor Piazzolla, David Anderson, Vilmos Montag, Reinhold Glière and Morton Gould.
(Thursday, 7 August at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
A MUSICAL JOURNEY FROM THE BALKANS TO BRAZIL
The concert Balkan & Brazilian Resonances will see violinist Bojan Cvetrežnik and pianist David Gordon present a diverse programme that combines Balkan and Brazilian influences with baroque and jazz elements. The concert will include works by Samuel Dushkin and several Slovene composers, along with Brazilian music and traditional folk music from Romania, Bosnia and Serbia. Joining them as guest soloist will be violinist Barja Drnovšek, who also performs with folk ensembles and is part of the Godalkanje platform, founded and led by Cvetrežnik.
(Friday, 8 August at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
THE ART OF THE VIOLIN WITH ELINA DENISOVA
Elena Denisova, an exceptional violinist and an ambassador of the sensuousness of sound, captivates audiences with her technical mastery and expressive power. Her interpretation of the classical and contemporary repertoire has earned her international recognition on the most prestigious concert stages. As the founder of the Gustav Mahler Ensemble and artistic director of the WoertherSee Classics Festival, she remains one of the most prominent figures in classical music today.
(Monday, 11 August at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
THE STRING SEXTET AND THE HARMONY OF STRINGS
The Ensemble.si – Strings concert promises an evening of works for string sextet by Richard Strauss, Frank Bridge and Antonín Dvořák, performed by a sextet of outstanding Slovene musicians: violinists Petra Kovačič and Matjaž Bogataj, violists Gea Pantner Volfand and Mladen Somborac, and cellists Nika Somborac and Primož Zalaznik. Beginning with the sextet that opens Strauss’s opera Capriccio, the programme will continue with Bridge’s impressionistic piece and conclude with Dvořák’s glorious sextet in A major.
(Tuesday, 12 August at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
VOCAL VIRTUOSITY AND MASTERFUL CHAMBER MUSICIANSHIP IN KRIŽEVNIŠKA CHURCH
Ensemble Dissonance, a key element of the Ljubljana Festival, joins forces with soprano Nika Gorič and tenor Jaka Mihelač for an unforgettable evening entitled Mahler in Ljubljana. Gorič will enchant the audience with her expressive power and broad range, while Mihelač’s powerful voice will accompany listeners through a rich musical landscape. The concert will combine remarkable technique and passionate interpretation and promises to be a unique musical experience.
(Thursday, 14 August at 8 pm, Križevniška Church)
A VIRTUOSO OF MANY WINDS
Goran Bojčevski & Balkan Nuevo will be a musical evening full of passion, virtuosity and unique arrangements, presented on stage by Goran Bojčevski, a virtuoso on the clarinet and many other wind instruments who moves seamlessly between the classical, world music and jazz genres. The holder of a master’s degree from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, he has been captivating audiences across Europe for more than 15 years, initially through world tours with the Slovene group Terrafolk and later with his own musical style, Balkan Nuevo, which he performs with various ensembles. This time he will be joined on stage by Andraž Frece (accordion), Matic Dolenc (acoustic guitar), Jan Sever (piano, keyboards), Jaka Krušič (double bass) and Gregor Hrovat (drums). The programme will consist of Macedonian and other folk pieces arranged by Bojčevski for the ensemble.
(Monday, 18 August at 8.30 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
I SOLISTI VENETI – AMBASSADORS OF THE ITALIAN MUSICAL TRADITION
I Solisti Veneti are a chamber orchestra renowned for their performances of Italian Baroque music and their rich international career. They have performed in more than a hundred countries and received recognition from the European Parliament as Ambassadors of Culture and Music Across Borders. Under the direction of conductor Giuliano Carella, they will join forces on stage with acclaimed flautist Massimo Mercelli, who regularly collaborates with the some of the biggest names in classical music. They will also perform Filmscapes, a new composition for flute and orchestra by British composer Rachel Portman, commissioned by I Solisti Veneti and Massimo Mercelli.
(Tuesday, 19 August at 8 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall)
MY HAT HAS THREE HOLES WITH RADE ŠERBEDŽIJA
Rade Šerbedžija, one of our region’s greatest acting icons, returns to the Ljubljana Festival following last year’s successful concert. Together with his group Zapadni Kolodvor, he will appear at the Križanke Summer Theatre in a performance entitled My Hat Has Three Holes. Šerbedžija is a versatile artist (a director, poet and musician as well as an actor) whose concerts are characterised by his unique sense of humour, interludes of prose and poetry, and anecdotes about the artist’s life. With his music, which blends influences ranging from rock to world music, and his poetry, he has captivated multiple generations. Don’t miss this special evening of humour, music and personal stories that have shaped the life and art of Rade Šerbedžija.
(Wednesday, 20 August at 8.30 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
THE ELEGANCE OF BALLET AND THE VIRTUOSITY OF STRINGS
Svetlana Zakharova and Vadim Repin, partners in life and on the stage, will this summer conjure up a unique pas de deux blending dance and music. Zakharova is prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet and an étoile of the La Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan. Russian-born Belgian violinist Vadim Repin became the youngest winner of the violin section of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels at the age of seventeen. Pas de Deux for Toes and Fingers is the first project created jointly by the husband and wife team and has immediately enchanted audiences. Part concert, part dance recital, it incorporates a wide range of music by some of the world’s most eminent composers. The two performers will be accompanied by Ensemble Dissonance, which ever since its foundation has been committed to the development and performance of chamber music at the highest artistic level.
(Thursday, 21 August at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF GYPSY MUSIC
The Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra is famous both in its native Hungary and around the world. The mission of the orchestra, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary, is based on the intergenerational transmission and thus also the continuity of Roma musical creativity and the performance of this spirited, often highly rhythmic and danceable and always virtuosic music in the symphonic medium, at the highest level. August’s concert in Ljubljana will be an opportunity to hear works by some of the great composers of the past century – including Franz Liszt, Béla Bartók, Johannes Brahms, Georges Bizet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Zóltan Kodály and the entire Strauss family. These composers frequently incorporated into their own compositions a musical idiom which they believed coincided with the melos or inner melody of this nomadic culture.
(Friday, 22 August at 8.30 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
PEACE CHILD MUSICAL
Young musicians from all over the world will gather in Ljubljana this summer for Peace Child Week, organised by the Slovene Youth Orchestra in collaboration with Peace Child International. The climax of the week will be performance of the Peace Child musical, which shows the transformative power of cooperation and urges children to break the cycle of conflict and inspire peace and reconciliation. The Slovene Youth Orchestra has been using music as a force for change for years. With more than 150 participating musicians, it continues its mission of spreading empathy, dialogue and solidarity.
(Saturday, 23 August at 8.30 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
AN ODE TO FRIENDSHIP WITH THE CHENGDU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Chengdu Symphony Orchestra, led by one of China’s most promising conductors, Lin Chen, will present an evening of symphonic music featuring the outstanding violin soloist Ning Feng, a former student of the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. The concert will open with the Violin Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major by Zhao Jiping. The composer spent more than a decade working on the piece, in which he sought to give musical expression to the spirit of friendship and love. The programme will continue with Golden Face, a composition by the young composer Ziyang Wen, whose music draws inspiration from Chinese culture and nature. In the second part of the evening, the orchestra will perform one of the most popular symphonic works of the nineteenth century, the magnificent Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, inspired by the collection of folk tales One Thousand and One Nights.
(Monday, 25 August at 8 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall)
AN EVENING OF PUCCINI
World-renowned soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Yusif Eyvazov return to Ljubljana after a decade after their last visit for a special evening dedicated to the operas of Giacomo Puccini. The Russian-born Austrian soprano is considered one of the foremost and most distinguished figures in classical music, while the Azerbaijani tenor, who trained in Italy, has been honoured with numerous awards, including the title of People’s Artist of Azerbaijan. Together with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Maribor Opera Chorus and the Ljubljana Opera Chorus, conducted by Denis Vlasenko, they will perform some of the most beloved and emotionally charged highlights from Puccini’s operas, including Turandot, Manon Lescaut, La bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. Joining them on stage will be guest artists Pumeza Matshikiza (soprano) and Jérôme Boutillier (baritone).
(Tuesday, 26 August at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
DANCE AND MOVEMENT WORKSHOPS RETURN TO THE LJUBLJANA FESTIVAL
Once again this year, the Committed to Steps project will offer dance and movement workshops, culminating in a final performance, for children undergoing rehabilitation at URI Soča. Organised in collaboration with Zavarovalnica Sava and URI Soča, the project has in recent years also welcomed children from the Contemporary Dance programme at the Ljubljana Conservatoire of Music and Ballet. The workshops encourage inclusion and foster understanding of mobility impairments, offering children the opportunity to strengthen bonds through the shared experience of dance. The final performance will take place at Križanke, with free tickets once again available for this special event.
(Wednesday, 27 August at 6 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
A NEW WAVE OF LOVE WITH HAMO & TRIBUTE 2 LOVE AND THE RTV SLOVENIA BIG BAND
Hamo & Tribute 2 Love will light up the stage at Križanke with a very special concert alongside the RTV Slovenia Big Band, with bold new arrangements that will take their songs into an entirely new dimension. Hamo & Tribute 2 Love have been thrilling audiences with their energy, charisma and unique blend of rock, blues and pop for more than 20 years. Fifty concerts a year, seven albums and countless sold-out venues are achievements that few home-grown bands can match. Expect bold new arrangements by Tadej Tomšič and the first chance to hear songs from their upcoming album.
(Friday, 28 August at 8.30 pm, Križanke)
A MUSICAL PHENOMENON FOR ALL GENERATIONS
Vlado Kreslin, a musical and social phenomenon, has been inspiring Slovenia’s music scene for over 40 years. Together with his distinctive Beltinška Banda and Mali Bogovi, and numerous guests, he will present a rich treasury of songs interwoven with sincerity, emotion and stories that transcend the boundaries of time and space. Kreslin’s voice grows more refined with age, while his lyrics, with their insightful poetry, speak to both young and old, regardless of background or affiliation. His music, which blends traditional Prekmurje motifs with contemporary influences, has become a symbol of bridging generations and cultural traditions.
(Saturday, 30 August at 8.30 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
TRIP TO LAS VEGAS
Trip to Las Vegas is a one-of-a-kind concert: a journey in the company of some of the biggest legends of music and entertainment. Enjoy songs that have defined the history of music, from Elvis Presley to Dean Martin, performed by three of Slovenia’s top singers and musicians – Oto Pestner, Uroš Perić and Omar Naber – accompanied by the witty and versatile Tina Gorenjak, who will be sure to keep the laughter and energy flowing. An evening that will bring together everything a music lover could wish for – outstanding vocals, nostalgic melodies and an unforgettable atmosphere that will stay with you long after the final encore.
(Monday, 1 September at 8 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
A MUSICAL SPECTACLE FROM THE ORCHESTRA DELL’ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DI SANTA CECILIA
The Ljubljana Festival is set to host one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia from Rome, which ever since its foundation has been committed to the highest standards of performance of the symphonic repertoire. Founded in 1908, the orchestra numbers many world-famous names among its past conductors, including Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy and Camille Saint-Saëns. The orchestra’s current music director is Daniel Harding, who was appointed in October 2024. He is also music and artistic director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The soloist at this magnificent concert will be the Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená, whose exceptional voice will further elevate an already outstanding programme.
(Tuesday, 2 September at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES OF SELECTED ARIAS FROM TOSCA
This year’s Ljubljana Festival will include a concert performance of selected arias from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Tosca, with a world-class line-up of singers under the baton of conductor Modestas Pitrėnas: American-Canadian soprano Sondra Radvanovsky will sing the title role of Floria Tosca; Jonathan Tetelman will interpret the part of Mario Cavaradossi; and Sir Bryn Terfel will perform the role of Baron Scarpia. Under Pitrėnas’s able direction, the SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra and the Maribor Opera Chorus will create a unique musical experience in which historical facts interweave with the dramatic elements of Puccini’s verismo.
(Wednesday, 3 September at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
THE ARTISTIC LEGACY OF THE SCULPTOR SLAVKO TIHEC
The exhibition Hommage à Slavko Tihec: Thirty-Two Years On will open in Križevniška Church, the church of the Križanke complex, at 6 pm on Thursday, 4 September. Curator Nelida Nemec will present Tihec’s artistic legacy, which includes works such as the National Liberation Struggle Monument in Maribor and sculptures exploring movement, light and new technical approaches. The exhibition, prepared in conjunction with Maribor Art Gallery, will be on view until 25 September 2025.
(Thursday, 4 September to Thursday, 25 September, Križevniška Church)
AN EPIC MUSICAL EXPERIENCE – LES MISÉRABLES
Les Misérables is one of the most popular musicals of all time, as demonstrated by a successful Broadway run lasting more than a quarter of a century, eight Tony Awards and the title of the longest-running show in London’s West End. Inspired by Victor Hugo’s novel, it has been enchanting audiences for decades with its timeless story of the struggle for justice, freedom and redemption. Among its innumerable cinematic and theatrical incarnations, Les Misérables has a special connection with the capital of neighbouring Croatia, since it was first staged in Zagreb before it became famous around the world (1982), a mere year and a half after its Paris premiere. This year’s 73rd Ljubljana Festival offers festivalgoers four opportunities to see this production of Les Misérables by Zagreb’s Komedija Theatre, directed by Stanislav Moša.
(Thursday, 4 September to Sunday, 7 September at 8 pm, Križanke Summer Theatre)
VERDI’S OPERA OF PASSION AND BETRAYAL
Giuseppe Verdi’s operatic masterpiece Otello will come to life on 8 September in Cankarjev Dom’s Gallus Hall, in a production directed by Guy Montavon. His fresh and distinctive interpretation breathes new life into the darkest corners of Shakespeare’s tragedy – a tale of jealousy, betrayal and doomed passion that has long been a staple of the operatic repertoire. One of his final works for the stage, Otello bears Verdi’s unmistakable signature, recognisable in the characteristic fullness of the orchestra’s sound and the virtuosity of the singers. At the same time, however, some elements of the work nod to the compositional techniques of Richard Wagner. The conductor will be Roberto Gianola, who has appeared in the past with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and is ready to transport the audience into the world of this tragic love story.
(Monday, 8 September at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
THE MASTERY OF MAXIM VENGEROV AND THE REFINEMENT OF THE SLOVENIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Following his remarkable concert at last year’s 7th Winter Festival, Grammy-winning violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov, described by many as an artist with a Renaissance spirit, returns to Ljubljana for this year’s summer festival. Playing his legendary “ex-Kreutzer” Stradivari (1727), he will perform the haunting Violin Concerto in D minor by Jean Sibelius, Finland’s greatest composer. Vengerov will be joined by the Georgian maestro Kakhi Solomnishvili, already well known to audiences in Slovenia as the new principal conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. On this occasion the orchestra will conjure up its distinctive sound in a performance of the Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin by Richard Wagner, before ending the evening with Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, described by its composer as “a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit.”
(Tuesday, 9 September at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
A MAGNIFICENT EVENING OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
With a tradition dating back more than 160 years, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo remains a leading force in the world of classical music. The orchestra will appear with the legendary pianist Martha Argerich, under the baton of conductor Charles Dutoit, whose eminent career dates back more than six decades. The concert promises to be a feast of classical music of the highest calibre, with a programme that includes Maurice Ravel’s musical tale Ma mère l’Oye, which brings classic fairy-tale motifs to life with imaginative orchestration. Next we will hear Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, considered one of the most beautiful piano concertos of the Romantic era, in which all of Martha Argerich’s virtuosity will be on display. The evening will end with Claude Debussy’s impressive symphonic poem La mer, in which the composer conjures up the unpredictable power and beauty of the ocean in his own inimitable style.
(Wednesday, 10 September at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
A MAGNIFICENT CLOSE TO THE 73rd LJUBLJANA FESTIVAL
This year’s 73rd Ljubljana Festival will conclude with a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic, an orchestra inseparably linked to the history and tradition of European classical music. Its members, who are among the finest musicians in the world, are exclusively drawn from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. The Vienna Philharmonic is notable not only for its homogeneous musical style, but for its unique structure, with the organisation governed by a twelve-member committee elected from among the members of the orchestra. Under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst, music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philharmoniker will bring the festival summer to a close with a performance of Symphony No. 38 in D major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The work was first performed in Prague, earning it the nickname the “Prague Symphony”. This will be followed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s passionate Symphony No. 6 in B minor, known as the Pathétique, which the composer considered to be his finest work.
(Friday, 12 September at 8 pm, Gallus Hall, Cankarjev Dom)
Tickets to Ljubljana Festival events are available for purchase online at ljubljanafestival.si, and at the Križanke box office, Petrol service stations and other Eventim ticket outlets. Ljubljana Festival Club members are entitled to a 10% discount (does not apply to co-productions). You can join the Club here. Membership of the Club is free of charge.
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Thank you for your interest in the Ljubljana Festival programme.
The Ljubljana Festival reserves the right to modify the programme.
More information at ljubljanafestival.si
Information / Public relations
Tina Berk
Tel.: +386 (0)1 241 60 20
tina.berk@ljubljanafestival.si
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The founder of the Ljubljana Festival is the City of Ljubljana, which also provides financial support. Member of the European Festivals Association (EFA) since 1977.
