THE YOUTH ORCHESTRA ALPE-ADRIA (Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, France, Ukraine)

THE EVENT IS PART OF THE JUNE IN LJUBLJANA FESTIVAL

Conductor: Slaven Kulenović

Soloists:
Violetta Vasileva, soprano
Juncan Zhu, baritone
Mariia Khodakivska, cello

Programme:

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901), The Four Seasons from the opera Sicilian Evening Prayer
Spring

Guiseppe Verdi (1813–1901), Traviata
Violetta’s aria – E’ strano! … è strano!… Sempre libera
Germont’s aria – Di Provenza il mar, il suol
Duet of Violetta and Germont – Madamigella Valery

Mariia Khodakivska, Seasons (premiere)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893), Italian Cappricio, Op. 45

The Youth Orchestra Alpe Adria is an international ensemble, established through the collaboration of the Johann-Joseph-Fux Konservatorium and the Musikverein für Steiermark. It unites talented young musicians from Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and France, with Ukraine joining as a special addition this year. Based in Graz (Austria), the orchestra serves as a cultural bridge across borders, fostering collaboration and artistic excellence. The musicians participate in an intensive rehearsal period, working with renowned international lecturers and conductors, providing them with valuable professional experience in a dynamic, multicultural setting. Each season, the orchestra performs one concert in Graz and one or two additional concerts in the partnering countries, showcasing a diverse repertoire under the leadership of prominent conductors.

Slaven Kulenović, one of the most successful Slovenian conductors of the younger generation, is an artist with a refined sense for different musical styles. During the 100th concert season, he served as the chief conductor of the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra. For the jubilee gala concert, he was an assistant to the renowned conductor Riccardo Muti. From 2013 to 2023, he was the conductor and artistic director of the Domžale Symphony Orchestra and currently chairs the Ljubljana Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. Among the highlights of his career are a high-profile guest appearances with the KGBL Symphony Orchestra in Dresden, Munich, Graz, Budapest, Belgrade, Sarajevo, and Zenica, as well as a performance at the opening of the Imago Sloveniae International Festival 2019, where he conducted The SNG Maribor Symphony Orchestra and a united choir of Croatian and Serbian national radio televisions. In 2024, he collaborated with violinist Žiga Brank and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra to release a CD, featuring the complete violin and orchestra works of L. van Beethoven. In February 2022, he made his debut at the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, conducting La Traviata by G. Verdi. At the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, Kulenović initially studied piano under Dubravka Tomšič Srebotnjak, graduating with distinction in 2007. For his interpretation of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C minor, he received the Prešeren Award from the Academy of Music. He then pursued conducting under Milivoj Šurbk, completing his studies in 2009. Among others, he attended conducting masterclasses with Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Hannu Lintu, Klaus Arp, Marko Letonja, George Hurst, Wolfgang Dörner, and Andrej Borej. He has conducted numerous orchestras, including the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the SNG Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the SNG Maribor Orchestra, the Lohja Orchestra (Finland), the Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and various broadcasting ensembles from Croatia and Serbia. Additionally, Kulenović has performed many works by prominent Slovenian composers and is a professor of piano and chamber music at KGBL.