Seviqc

Contact

Seviqc Brežice Festival

Slovenska cesta 1, SI-1000 Ljubljana

http://www.seviqc-brezice.si/

info@k-ramovs.si

Phone386 (0) 1 242 0812, 386 (0) 51 303 040

Organised byArs Ramovš

Klemen Ramovš, Director

info@k-ramovs.si

Frequencyannual

Festival dates9.8.2024 - 23.8.2024

A concert at the Brežice Castle Knight's Hall, Seviqc Brežice Festival 2010

Today, the Seviqc Festival is synonymous with early music in Slovenia. Over four decades, it has solidified its reputation both domestically and internationally. At home, it is considered a crucial national development programme and one of the most significant cultural events. Globally, it is renowned as an exceptional and highly esteemed event, garnering acclaim from artists, producers, critics, the business world, and music enthusiasts alike.

The Seviqc festival exclusively features world-class artists performing top-tier programmes of the highest quality. The festival places great emphasis on cultivating the local early music scene and fostering connections between Slovenian and international musicians. Through diverse programmes sections, it offers a comprehensive exploration of European and world musical heritage from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Emphasizing the living nature of art, as reflected in the festival’s motto “SEmper VIva Quam Creata” or “always alive as created,” the Seviqc programme is meticulously crafted according to historical performance practices and exclusively presented in Slovenian cultural heritage sites.

Venues

All festival venues are integral parts of Slovenia's architectural and cultural heritage, primarily comprising castles and churches. Reflecting the festival's strong commitment to cultural decentralization and regionalization, its events span nearly the entire country. In 2024, the Seviqc programme will take place at Bogenšperk, Celje, and Sneženik Castles, the Old Counts' Mansion, the National Hall, and the Cathedral Church of St. Daniel in Celje, as well as the city's music school and public library, at Devil's Tower in Soteska, and the Cultural and Congress Center in Dolenjske Toplice.

Utrinki / Glimpses Seviqc Brežice 2012 by Seviqc Brežice on YouTube

Programme

The main objective of the festival is to promote the revival of the Early Music scene in Slovenia. Other aims included stimulating cultural tourism, developing Early Music departments at Slovene conservatories and the Academy of Music, contributing to a higher level of professional music. The festival participates in the European Day of Early Music (EDEM) concerts programme organised on the 21st of March throughout Europe, coordinated by REMA - European Early Music Network and under the patronage of UNESCO.

Early music instruments showcased at the European Day of Early Music event, held annually on 21 March at the National Museum of Slovenia. Organized by Ars Ramovš, the event was part of the Seviqc festival in 2013.  

The Seviqc Brežice Festival programme is aimed specifically at the public but also enjoys a notable reputation amongst professional music critics and audiences. Radio Slovenia records selected concerts of the Festival and since 1997 has also presented festival recordings throughout the year (Banchetto Musicale: Brežice after Brežice). One or two concerts a year are recorded for Slovenia's national television station. Several festival editions are available also on CDs.

Besides hundreds of prominent individual artists, the festival has since its beginning presented world recognised ensembles, such as: Accademia di Musica Antica Bolzano (IT); Accademia Daniel Israel (IL); Adel Singers (NO); Akademia Muzyczna w Krakowie (PL); Arcana ensemble (IT); Ars Antiqua Austria (AT); Capella Savaria (HU); Collegium Marianum (CZ); Dialogos (FR); Ensemble Cantilena Antiqua (IT); European Union Baroque Orchestra (GB); Helsinki Baroque Orchestra (FI); Het Barokorkest van het Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag (NL); Hrvatski barokni ansambl (HR); I Solisti di Cremona (IT); Komorni zbor RTV Slovenija (SI); La Stagione Frankfurt (DE); London Baroque (GB); Melande Amsterdam (NL); Musica Antiqua Köln (DE); Musica Antiqua Russica (RU); Stockholm Antiqua (SE); The Purcell Quartett (GB); Zarabanda (ES), Capella Carniola (SI), Nour Ensemble (IR), Accentus Austria (A), Les Ambassadeurs (F), etc.

Accentus Austria performing 17th-century music at the Seviqc in 2013. The venue, Slovenska Bistrica Castle, was established by the Habsburgs in the 14th century but was later rebuilt. At the end of the 17th century, Franz Ignaty Flurer painted the Baroque illusionist frescoes.

In 2015 the programme comprised musica cubicularis (SI), XVIII-21, Le Baroque Nomade (FR); Jean-Christophe Frisch (FR); Camerata Bachiensis (DE); Faenza (FR); Académie baroque européenne d’Ambronay (FR) & Radio Antiqua (NL); Concilium musicum Wien (AT); Ensemble Diatessaron (ES); Svetilen (RU); Edin Karamazov (HR); Amsterdam Corelli Collective (NL); Musica Aeterna (SK); Flanders Recorder Quartet (BE); Voces Suaves (CH), etc.

The festival regularly provides quite generous discounts on ticket prices (for students; people with low-income; families; members of various Slovene societies and associations; ticket-holders to other festivals such as Ljubljana Festival, Primorska Summer Festival). All the events taking place at church locations have free admission. Every concert is enriched by superb wine tastings and the occasional special event.

International cooperation

Since its inception in the 1980s the festival has incorporated international cultural elements that are still quite relevant today. Until 2008 the festival was organised in partnership with a national partner; previous partner countries were: Great Britain (2000); the Netherlands (2001); the Czech Republic (2002); the European Union (2003); the Netherlands (2004); France (2005 and 2008); Italy (2006); and Spain (2007). The festival continues to cooperate with different European countries and their embassies.

The festival is also a member of REMA (Réseau Européen de Musique Ancienne), the European Early Music Network. Radio Slovenia regularly exchanges festival recordings via the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

The festival producer Ars Ramovš has been involved in several European partnerships and projects, for instance in the PurPur - the European Sound Interchange and its sequel PurPur - the European Opera Sound, and since 2014 in eeemerging, a Creative Europe large-scale project to support young early music ensembles, led by Ambronay Cultural Encounter Centre (FR).

See also

• Ars Ramovš

External links

• Seviqc Brežice Festival website
• A map of Seviqc Brežice Festival locations
• The 2015 programme
• REMA (Réseau Européen de Musique Ancienne/European Early Music Network) website (in French and English)
• The Seviqc channel on YouTube

Gallery

Accentus Austria performing 17th-century music at the Seviqc in 2013. The venue, Slovenska Bistrica Castle, was established by the Habsburgs in the 14th century but was later rebuilt. At the end of the 17th century, Franz Ignaty Flurer painted the Baroque illusionist frescoes.

A poster for the Café Europa (FR) concert on the Seviqc Brežice Festival 2013

A poster for the Capella Carniola concert within a European Day of Early Music in March 2013

A poster for the Le Tendre Amour concert on the Seviqc Brežice Festival 2013

A poster for the PurPur Orchestra's presentation of the Joseph Haydn's opera Orlando Paladino at the Knights' Hall of the Brežice Castle, in the framework of the Seviqc Brežice Festival in 2013, in the framework of the PurPur - the European Opera Sound project.

A concert by Capella Carniola at the Turjak Castle, Seviqc Brežice Festival 2014

Early music instruments showcased at the European Day of Early Music event, held annually on 21 March at the National Museum of Slovenia. Organized by Ars Ramovš, the event was part of the Seviqc festival in 2013.  

A concert at the Brežice Castle Knight's Hall, Seviqc Brežice Festival 2010

Seviqc Brežice Festival, 2010

Seviqc Brežice Festival, 2010

Seviqc Brežice Festival poster, 2010

Seviqc Brežice Festival poster, 2011