Slovenska filharmonija (Slovenian Philharmonic)

The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, together with its predecessors Academia Philharmonicorum, the Philharmonic Society, and the first Slovenian Philharmonic, boasts a rich tradition that positions it among the oldest institutions of its kind in Europe. Its roots date back to 1701, when local nobles, following the example of Italian societies, founded the Academia Philharmonicorum, whose main pur

Show more…

The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, together with its predecessors Academia Philharmonicorum, the Philharmonic Society, and the first Slovenian Philharmonic, boasts a rich tradition that positions it among the oldest institutions of its kind in Europe. Its roots date back to 1701, when local nobles, following the example of Italian societies, founded the Academia Philharmonicorum, whose main purpose was to promote the art of music. During the period dominated by the bourgeoisie, the Academia’s work was continued by the Philharmonic Society (1794), which gained a reputation as one of the best-organized music societies in Central Europe. It is therefore not surprising that honorary membership of the society was accepted by Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Niccolò Paganini, and Johannes Brahms, among others. The main goal of the Philharmonic Society was to perform instrumental music, which gave rise to the outlines of a modern symphony orchestra.

Such an orchestra came to life fully in 1947, when the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra was founded, thus reviving the rich concert life that had been marked by the Philharmonic Society over the previous century and a half. The orchestra underwent constant growth, thanks largely to its Slovenian permanent conductors, including Sam Hubad, Uroš Lajovic, and Marko Letonja, as well as many celebrated guest conductors, such as Carlos Kleiber, Riccardo Muti, Charles Dutoit, and Daniel Harding, and soloists of the greatest international reputation.

The orchestra initially performed in the main hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic, but since 1982 it has presented regular concerts at the Cankarjev Dom Cultural and Congress Centre. It offers the Ljubljana audience a variety of subscription series, which include the standard orchestral repertoire of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as the most contemporary music and music from earlier stylistic periods, thus bearing testimony to the musicians’ versatility. The orchestra brings together the best Slovenian musicians, who, since 1990, have been joined by many outstanding foreign instrumentalists. The domestic success and strong tradition of the orchestra can also be experienced aboard. In recent decades, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra has undertaken tours and guest appearances in the most prestigious halls and renowned festivals around the world.

Since 2019, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra has been the resident orchestra of the Ljubljana Festival.

Show less…