IN MEMORIAM LORENZ BROTHERS – TEN YEARS OF TRIO RÊVERIE

TRIO RÊVERIE (Slovenia)

Mojca Jerman, violin
Katarina Leskovar, cello
Tanja Činč, piano

Programme:

Claude Debussy (1862—1918), Rêverie (arranged for piano trio)

Lucijan Marija Škerjanc (1900—1973), Maestoso Lugubre

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809—1847), Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
I. Molto Allegro agitato
II. Andante con molto tranquillo
III. Scherzo. Leggiero e vivace
IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionato

Klara Mlakar (1999), Under Your Skin, Preludium to Piano Trio in g minor by Clara Schumann (Premiere)

Clara Wieck – Schumann (1819—1896) Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17
I. Allegro moderato

The concert is a solemn tribute to the brothers Primož and Tomaž Lorenz, both of whom have made an indelible impact on our institution and the Trio Rêverie. It is fitting that they be the ones who pay homage to their memory through the universal language of music. The composition Maestoso Lugubre by Lucijan Marija Škerjanc pays homage to this great Slovenian Composer, who died 50 years ago.

The Lorenz family is known for their profound contributions to the Slovenian music scene. In the 1960s, Trio Lorenz revolutionized chamber music performance in Slovenia and gained a cult following at home. As cultural ambassadors of Slovenian music, they enthralled audiences around the world. However, their artistic journey was tragically cut short by death.

Primož Lorenz (1942-2007), hailed as the “father” of the revival of Ljubljana’s Old Town, was a visionary artist who sowed the seeds of cultural events that now flourish in our historic city centre. His passion for his hometown led to the creation of Imago Sloveniae, an institution which has since blossomed into a network of cultural heritage sites spanning twenty-five municipalities. He was a pianist, educator, and exceptional chamber musician, who co-created numerous concert events and founded the festivals Summer in Old Ljubljana and Nights in Old Ljubljana.

Virtuoso violinist Professor Tomaž Lorenz (1944-2016) started his series of musical competitive victories at the prestigious Young Yugoslav Artists competition in Zagreb in 1967, and followed it up with several awards, including three Prešeren Fund Awards, the Society of Slovene Composers Awards, and the Škerjanec Diploma. He performed with several prominent domestic and foreign chamber ensembles and founded the Leon Pfeiffer Competition for young violinists. He was a distinguished professor at the Ljubljana Academy of Music and the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music and Ballet, who mentored many outstanding young chamber ensembles, including the Trio Rêverie, whose performance will honour the brothers’ memory and celebrate the lives of these exceptional men through the beauty of music. 

For this special occasion, we have commissioned a brand-new piece from the talented up-and-coming composer Klara Mlakar, which will make its world premiere on this occasion. Known for her expertise in intricate musical structures and her exploration of the human voice and various instruments, Klara Mlakar has a degree in composition and music theory from the Academy of Music of Ljubljana, where she studied under the tutelage of Professor Vito Žuraj. She is currently continuing her studies in composition at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe in Germany under the guidance of Professors Markus Hechtle and Wolfgang Rihm.

Her compositions are performed by numerous esteemed musical ensembles and groups, including the Slowind ensemble, Ensemble Recherche Freiburg, Kammerchor der Christuskirche Karlsruhe, The Chamber String Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic to name but a few. Klara has recently taken the Slovenian choral world by storm, winning numerous accolades and awards, including special recognition for a promising composer under 25 at the 2022 Naša pesem (Our Song) competition, special recognition for best composition by a composer born after January 14, 1997 at the International Choir Competition in Preveza (Greece), first prize in the audience category at APZ Maribor Choral Composition Competition – Pójmo zaj, pojdimo zdaj/Let’s Sing Now, Let’s Go Now, first prize in the 2021 Aegis Carminis competition for new compositions, and special recognition for promising young female composers born after 1996. She also received first prize for her composition “Sneg pada/Snow’s Falling” at the second competition for choral compositions published by Mixed Choir Obala Koper, Slovenia.

According to the composer, her new composition Under Your Skin “was created as a contemplation inspired by Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio. It was born out of questioning those deeply rooted parts of our individual selves in which we subconsciously base all our decisions and actions. This train of thought then took her onto the topic of music, wondering how compositions impact one another, and above all, how composers “live” in one another? Is our (musical) personality truly our own, or is it essentially just an amalgamation of different influences into a filter, through which we then interact with the world?”

The members of Trio Rêverie, pianist Tanja Činč, violinist Mojca Jerman, and cellist Katarina Leskovar, have garnered numerous accolades at both domestic and international competitions. Until 2016 they had a common mentor in Professor Tomaž Lorenz, after which they studied under the tutelage of Professor Chia Chou at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. They have also refined their skills under the guidance of several renowned professors, including Trio di Parma, Homero Francesch, Nora Chastain, Wen-Sinn Yang, Daniel Rowland, Julian Arp, and Werner Bartschi. They actively perform around the world, having graced many major festival stages in Ljubljana and across Slovenia as part of the GM Oder cycle, the Gallus Fest program in Idrija, the “Young Talents” cycle in Dobrna, concerts by the Ljubljana Youth Music, the Tartini Festival in Koper, the European String Teachers’ Association, the birthplace of Hugo Wolf in Slovenj Gradec, Rače Castle, and the Crystal Subscription in Škofja Loka. They regularly perform abroad, having played in Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, and in the capitals of Croatia, France, England, and Austria. In September 2015, they earned the title of a world-touring ensemble when they crossed the ocean to embark on their concert tour of Argentina to play four concerts in Buenos Aires and two in the south of the country, in Villa Angostura and Bariloche.

Their exceptional talent is also evident from their high rankings at various international competitions. In 2013, they were the only awarded Slovenian chamber group at the Festival Bled international chamber group competition. In 2014, they were the absolute winners among chamber groups at the Tartini international competition in Piran. In 2015, they won first prize at the Primož Ramovš national chamber group competition, as well as first prize at Grand Prize Virtuoso international competition, where they were proclaimed absolute winners of the competition. In 2016, they participated in the “New Shakespeare Songbook” European project with RTV Slovenia on the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death.

Complimentary tickets, courtesy of Adria Media Ljubljana, GenLan, and Essai & Acai, can be collected an hour before the concert at the venue. Reservations are not possible.