40th Slovenian Music Days: a tribute to a century on the air
The Jubilee 40th Slovenian Music Days marks the centenary of the first radio broadcast of classical music in Slovenia, and celebrates creativity, interpretation and cultural dialogue from 17 to 23 April 2026.
The broadcast was first organised by Marij Osana, on 26 January 1926. It consisted of a performance by the string quartet of the Glasbena Matica Orchestral Society and opened a new chapter in Slovenia’s musical culture.
Now, the Jubilee 40th Slovenian Music Days, will take place at various venues in Ljubljana and Maribor and will combine concerts, symposia, exhibitions and panel discussions.
It will offer attendees insight into the historical development of Slovene music, the work of contemporary composers and an exploration of musical phenomena that have defined a century of radio broadcasts of art music.
Find out below all the shows and information.
CEREMONIAL OPENING OF THE JUBILEE
The 40th Slovenian Music Days opens in Maribor with a concert dedicated to Janez Matičič, one of the most original and distinctive Slovene composers of the twentieth century. The programme is performed by the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Maribor conducted by Simon Krečič, with pianist Lovorka Nemeš Dular – one of the composer’s closest collaborators and an outstanding interpreter of his music – as soloist.
Friday, 17 April 2026, 7.30 pm, Ondina Otta Klasinc Auditorium, SNG Maribor
ORGAN SOUNDS OF THE PAST
Polona Gantar’s recital Visits of the Queen – “Invisible Threads” reveals the forgotten connections between Slovene organ music, the Viennese musical tradition and the pioneering radio broadcasts of the 1930s.
Saturday, 18 April 2026, 8.00 pm, Church of the Annunciation, Ljubljana
ART SONGS FROM THE SLOVENE TRADITION
This recital of art songs by Štefica Grasselli and Irena Zajec entitled In Lavish Happiness, presents the rich history of the Slovene vocal idiom through works by various composers. The art song, one of the most intimate musical forms, allowed Slovene composers to combine Romantic and modernist influences with local poetry.
Sunday, 19 April 2026, 7.30 pm, Knights’ Hall, Križanke
CONTEMPORARY CHAMBER DIALOGUES
For nearly six decades, the Society of Slovene Composers (DSS) has promoted home-grown creativity and ensured the visibility of contemporary music. This year’s DSS Concert Atelier presents a fresh selection of chamber works by Slovene composers of different generations. The diversity of the compositions reveals an interplay of classical, jazz, popular and vocal-theatrical idioms that speak to contemporary aesthetic sensibilities.
Monday, 20 April 2026, 7.30 pm, Knights’ Hall, Križanke
INTERNATIONAL MUSICOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
From 20 to 22 April, the Knights’ Hall will host the International Musicological Symposium, marking the centenary of the first live radio broadcast of art music in Slovenia. Led by Jernej Weiss, the event brings together leading musicologists from around the world with presentations of the latest research on radio, art music broadcasting and the development of compositional and performance practice. The symposium offers an in-depth view of the historical, technological and aesthetic significance of radio broadcasting and its role in shaping Slovene musical culture over the past century.
20-22 April 2026, Knights’ Hall, Križanke
HISTORICAL ECHOES OF SLOVENE MUSIC
The concert Songs That Have Withstood Time, in Ljubljana’s Union Hall, recreates two remarkable documents of Slovene musical and radio heritage: a recording of a 1938 concert by the Nightingale of Trbovlje children’s choir, the first transatlantic broadcast from the studios of Radio Ljubljana, and a partially preserved recording of a 1941 performance by the Academic Choir conducted by France Marolt. Both offer valuable insight into Slovene national identity and the quality of home-grown performers at a time when the airwaves were offering a platform to Slovene music for the first time.
Tuesday, 21 April 2026, 6.00 pm, Union Hall
RADIO AND SOUND HISTORY
The Knights’ Hall will also open the door to a Radio Listening Room. The programme opens with a round-table discussion on “Radio – Support for Regional Musical Art?” with guests Urška Čop Šmajgert, Lea Hedžet, Tatjana Gregorič, Tjaša Krajnc and Simona Moličnik, moderated by Vesna Volk. Mojca Menart presents “Euroradio – The European Union Before the European Union”, offering a brief history of Slovenia’s involvement in music broadcasting via the Euroradio network.
Tuesday, 21 April 2026, 6.00 pm, Knights’ Hall, Križanke
A PANORAMA OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Night of Slovene Composers presents an overview of the latest Slovene musical creativity with twelve composers of different ages and inspirations, giving the concert an exclusive freshness. Since it began in 1992, the event has been a central platform for the presentation of Slovene music in its many stylistic and aesthetic forms, interweaving traditional, jazz, minimalist, experimental, operatic and theatrical influences. The evening offers a dynamic reflection of the contemporary Slovene musical landscape.
Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 7.30 pm, Slavko Osterc Hall, Slovenian Philharmonic
CLOSING CELEBRATION OF CONTEMPORARY CREATIVITY
The jubilee 40th Slovenian Music Days concludes with a concert that brings together domestic and international musical currents and reflects the diversity of Slovenia’s contemporary musical landscape. The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Loy – an internationally acclaimed interpreter of contemporary music – presents a rich programme spanning the musical spectrum. The composition reflects the conviction that music must stir and transform our view of the world. The evening is a celebration of contemporary creativity, superb interpretation and expressive diversity.
Thursday, 23 April 2026, 7.30 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall, Slovenian Philharmonic
FROM LENS TO SCULPTURE
The exhibition programme brings together two distinctive forms of contemporary visual art. First, the photography exhibition A Silent Gaze at Ars by Klavdij Sluban (2–30 April) captures the creative processes of radio projects that reveal the subtlety of artistic work and the dialogue between creation and the radio medium. Then the sculpture exhibition I’ll give you three guesses by Tajda Tomšič (21 April–21 May) transforms Križevniška Church into a space of introspective meditation where the Sphinx, as a symbol of inner strength, is surrounded by mirrors of light. Together, the two exhibitions create a space for reflection on creativity, identity and inner strength.
Thursday, 23 April 2026, 7.30 pm, Marjan Kozina Hall, Slovenian Philharmonic
Tickets for the 40th Slovenian Music Days and the 9th Winter Festival are available for purchase online at ljubljanafestival.si, or in person from the Križanke box office, Petrol service stations and other Eventim ticket outlets. Ljubljana Festival Club members are entitled to a 20% discount during the presale period for the events of the 40th Slovenian Music Days, which lasts until 26 December, and a 10% discount after tickets go on general sale.
You can join the Club here. Free tickets for Visits of the Queen – “Invisible Threads”, DSS Concert Atelier and Night of Slovene Composers are available from the Križanke box office. Admission to the International Musicological Symposium and Radio Listening Rooms is free of charge. Secondary school and university students can collect free tickets for all 40th Slovenian Music Days events at the Križanke box office.
More information at ljubljanafestival.si