14th CHRISTMAS CONCERT IN FRONT OF THE MAGISTRATE
KATRINAS
Katarina Habe, vocals
Sanja Mlinar Marin, vocals
Petra Grkman, vocals
and ALPINA ŽIRI WIND ORCHESTRA
conductor Branko Mrak
Admission free!
Programme:
- Gabriels Oboe
- Veseli glas gre
- Tih večer
- Din, Don Merilly On High
- Halleluyah
- Kaj skriva stari klobuk
- White Christmas
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Božični venček
- Sveta noč
We are already facing the 14th Christmas concert in front of the City Hall, which is traditionally organized by the Staroljubljanski Zavod za Kulturo in cooperation with Tourism Ljubljana and the City of Ljubljana on Christmas Eve, 24 December, at 5 pm. The concert of Christmas and gospel music, which is popular with both Ljubljana residents and visitors to the city, has become a regular feature of the lively December cultural offer in the capital. This year, Katrinas and the Alpina Žiri Wind Orchestra under the baton of conductor Branko Mrak will take us on a pleasant Christmas evening with a special program.
Katrinas is a consonance of three female voices painting colorful experienced musical stories. Katarina, Sanja and Petra share common musical visions and creative drive. They share a desire to create quality polyphonic vocal music and to convey its positive message to people. They stroll through different genres, perform with different backing bands, and the common thread is to create quality music that touches the soul. They recorded four studio albums and one live album, performed several times at the Lent festival, at the St. Nicholas evening on TV Slovenia and had several solo concerts and music evenings. They have also been guests of numerous television and radio shows and participated in the most high-profile media events. Among other things, they opened and hosted the awarding of the Victors, participated in the Melodies of the Sea and the Sun, performed at the Miss Slovenia pageant and at the 5th anniversary of POP TV. At Slovenska popevka, they received the award of the expert jury for the best song of the festival for the song Letim. The ensemble collaborates with many Slovenian musicians and orchestras, such as Neisha, Oto Pestner, the Šentrupert Wind Orchestra, the Slovenian Army Big Band, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and others. At the Christmas concert, they will perform with the Alpina Žiri wind orchestra.
The Alpina Žiri wind orchestra is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The orchestra was founded in 1947, and since then it has been constantly taking care of the tradition of music in Žiri. During this time, the orchestra progressed with excellent conductors and participated in various competitions, where it achieved resounding results, including a gold plaque and winning the Cup of the absolute winner at VIII. music festival in the entertainment program for the Ormož Cup (2001), a gold plaque at the XI. music festival in the entertainment program for the Ormož Cup (2005) and a gold plaque with special praise and won the absolute winner’s cup at XXXI. Slovenian music competition in Žalec (2013), and presented his work throughout Slovenia and beyond its borders at numerous events. In recent years, both the orchestra, led by Branko Mrak since 2010, and the members themselves have been regenerated. The goal of this rejuvenated band is to bring music closer to different generations of listeners and perform it at a high level.
Conductor Branko Mrak began his musical steps at the Logatec Music School and continued his education at the Secondary School of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana, the Jazz Academy in Graz and the Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel. He was a member of the Big Band of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, a member of the band D Zombies, the founder and former leader of the Big Band Wonderbrass. He has also collaborated with the Ljubljana SNG Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Basel Modern Music Orchestra. Since 2010 he has been the conductor of the Žiri Wind Orchestra, and from 2013-2015 he was also the conductor of the Vogrsko Wind Orchestra. With both orchestras, he received a gold plaque at the national competition of Slovenian bands.
