Ljubljana Octet

The Ljubljana Octet was founded in 1972 as a student male octet within the framework of the Academic Choir Tone Tomšič. Today, under the Music Direction of Igor Švara, it is one of most representative Slovene chamber choirs. The major part of the Octet's repertoire consists of Slovene folk songs (adaptations by Slovene composers F Marolt, M Tomc, Ž Prelovec, L Kramolc, P Kernjak and D Švara), plus male-voice choral compositions from the periods of Renaissance, Romanticism and National Revivalism. A special place within the Octet's activities is reserved for the compositions of contemporary Slovene composers: it has given premieres of more than 50 modern Slovene works.

The Octet has participated in several important international competitions and festivals, including the Langenargener Sommerfestspiele on Lake Constance, the chamber music festival Voci d'Europa in Porto Torres, Sardinia, the Festival of Choral Music in Larissa, Greece, the festival Polifonia at Alpe Adria at Schio, Italy, the European Musical Forum, Budapest and the C A Seghizzi International Singing Competition in Gorizia, Italy (first prize). It has performed concerts in Italy, Austria, Hungary, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Finland, Spain, the states of the former Soviet Union, Canada, the USA, Australia, China and Tibet.

The Octet has received the national music award, a Gallus Plaque from the Gallus Foundation. Its discography includes the series Slovenija moja dežela, and also more recently an interpretation of Missa Aux Cathedrales by C Gounod and Missa in F by J G Rheinberger (Nika Records, 2004).

Ljubljana Octet

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