Ljubljana, June 20th – Excitement is in the air, Kongresni trg is full, rows of chairs in front of the stage, a large stage, two orchestras, well-known and charming hosts, people arriving from all directions, dressed elegantly, walking toward the stage. A festive atmosphere fills Ljubljana, the evening is beautiful, summery, and the linden trees are still fragrant. The famous Festival Ljubljana has begun.
Internationalis attended the opening night, traditionally called “Summer Night/Poletnja noč.” The event was dedicated to the musical career of legendary songwriter and performer Janez Bončina, aka Benč, the mastermind of Slovenian music. This year, he celebrates 60 years of musical creation and a successful career, so it was only natural that the notes of this great artist would mark the GRAND OPENING! RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the RTV Slovenia Big Band, conducted by musical director Patrik Greblo, performed together with special guest vocalists: Alenka Godec, Tinkara Kovač, Anika Horvat, Ana Soklič, Aleksandra Ilijevski, Karin Zemljič, Tokac, Hamo, Bojan Cvjetićanin, Gregor Ravnik, Sergej Škofljanec, and Tomo Jurak. Benč sang too at the end of the evening, saying to everybody: “Ta noč je moja” and it was his night indeed!
The audience enjoyed the magic of Benč’s songs through performances of unforgettable hits such as:“Ta noč je moja,” “Kadar ognji dogorijo,” “Maja z biseri,” “Ob šanku,” “Zlata obala,” “Nosila je rdečo rožo,” “V veri, da boš srečna,” and “Ljubil bi se,” among others.
Poletnja noč, photo credits Festival Ljubljana
Internationalis had the pleasure to talk to Benč in the back stage and on a press conference couple of days before the opening of Festival Ljubljana – a fantastic artist with an impressive career who, regardless of success, remained so approachable, polite and still eager to create, to play and to perform in Slovenia and the Region.
We spoke among other things about his fellow musicians YU Grupa, who celebrate 55 years on stage this year, and about the musical times of Yugoslavia referred to as the Big Country, which was the stage for many musicians, including Mr. Bončina. He speaks so cheerfully about his musical friends in the Region, about his life and long and exciting career, about his son Lun Bončina, who plays football in Croatia.
Ljubljana is so beautiful, especially in summer. And this festival is one of the most beautiful jewels on Ljubljana’s face — its heart has been beating for 73 years for this city, which, as Mayor Zoran Janković said at the opening, is “the most beautiful city in the world.” More than 6,500 artists from various parts of the world will, during the festival, showcase their artistic talents and skills on the stages of among others, Križanke Summer Theatre and Cankarjev dom, during no fewer than 150 performances, concerts, exhibitions, and masterclasses.
View this post on Instagram
Darko Brlek, Artistic Director of the Ljubljana Festival has been for 30 years now successfully leading this festival of art and culture. Ljubljana city municipality allocates 11% of its budget to culture, not counting investments in the renovation and reconstruction of cultural spaces. 11%, not including infrastructure investments. As Mr. Brlek says, “For a city of 300,000 people, that’s substantial.” In recent years, Ljubljana completed major cultural projects like Cukrarna and the Rog Center, which were additional investments beyond the 11%. It’s one of the strongest examples of cultural funding in Europe. This says a lot about the vision and understanding of the importance of culture in Slovenia. An example to follow—and a case study in how Ljubljana’s best practices could be applied to other cities across the region.
In one of our earlier interviews with Mr. Brlek, we were impressed by his exceptional knowledge of artists from all corners of the globe, countless contacts, and long-standing friendships with stars of the world music scene—among whom he highlights: Zubin Mehta, Martha Argerich, Antonio Pappano, Riccardo Chailly, Charles Dutoit, Daniel Harding, Maxim Vengerov, Anna Netrebko, and many more.
Last summer, the Ljubljana Festival invited 6,300 artists from 55 countries. The festival had more than 55,000 visitors, including those attending free events. Since ticket sales are online, data shows visitors from 57 countries. This year will be even more impressive! The city of Ljubljana and the Mayor clearly understand the economic importance of investing in culture. Mr. Brlek adds: “The idea is to organize high-quality performances, so the Festival can attract audiences from other cities and countries. They come to Ljubljana, stay in hotels, dine out, enjoy themselves, shop—and all of that contributes to the local economy.”
Facts and figures about the Festival Ljubljana:
Festival Ljubljana is one of the most prestigious and oldest festivals in Europe and has been attracting culture lovers from around the world since 1953. Symphonic and chamber concerts, opera and ballet performances, musicals, theatre events, jazz and pop concerts—all take place at stunning venues such as Kongresni trg, Križanke Summer Theatre, Cankarjev dom, the Slovenian Philharmonic, and other locations in the capital. From June 20th onwards, every evening will be an opportunity for a unique artistic experience that, with its special touch of elegance, creates an unforgettable festival atmosphere. Just trust your artistic sense and choose something for yourself this June, July, August, or September. For example, one of these events: Joseph Haydn: The Creation, El amor brujo, a concert by Tomaž Domicelj, The Coronation of Poppea, Fausto Romitelli: The Breath of the Beast, the 28th International Art Colony, or pick something yourself at www.ljubljanafestival.si
