Ljubljana Festival
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16 Nov 2018
Faust, directed by Tomaž Pandur, produced by the Slovene National Theatre Drama Ljubljana and co-produced by Ljubljana Festival,
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11 Jul 2018
15 Jul 2018
The performances Hero 2.0, produced by Moment Arts and Culture Association and En-Knap Productions, Dark Union and Ant Ferocious, both produced by En-Knap Productions; a concert by the Ljubljana International Orchestra (LIO) and the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Živa Ploj Peršuh and co-produced by Ljubljana Festival; and an event by the Slovenian rapper Challe Salle,
at the Mittelfest
History
The origins of the Ljubljana International Summer Festival - today called Ljubljana Festival - may be traced back to 1952, when the Ljubljana Tourist Society organised its first Tourist Week. This first Ljubljana Festival featured a series of cultural, economic, folklore, turistic, and sport events. Since that time the festival has outgrown the character of a local tourist event and developed into a renowned international event which offers its ever-growing number of visitors in the summer months a variety of musical, theatrical and dance performances by leading domestic and international artists.
Programme
In the two months span - from beginning of July to end of August - Ljubljana Festival covers diverse events: from chamber concerts, symphonic concerts to opera and theatre performances to jazz concerts. Some of the most famous personalities that have appeared on the stage of the Ljubljana Festival include Marjana Lipovšek, Katia Ricciarelli, Grace Bumbry, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, José Carreras, Yuri Bashmet, Misha Maisky, Shlomo Mintz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Riccardo Muti, Gidon Kremer, Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Julian Rachlin, Angela Gheorghiu, Maceo Parker, Gilberto Gil, Wynton Marsalis, Marcelo Alvarez, Bernarda Fink, Vadim Repin, Zubin Mehta, sir Andrew Davis, Midori, Tomaž Pandur, Ennio Morrcone, not to mention some of the best symphonic orchestras of the world.
In the last years Ljubljana Festival established itself also as an important producer of opera performances. Therefore the production from both Slovene opera institutions were incorporated (Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Maribor, Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Ljubljana as well as international productions of Lithuanian National Opera, Bolshoi Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre and Croatian National Theatre.
Important part of Ljubljana Festival are also Slovene Music Days. They are devoted to Slovene music and event comprises various concerts, an international musicological symposium and round tables.
In recent years too the programme has been enriched by the Križanke International Art Colony, which gathers artists in the inspiring environment of Križanke.
Venues
Ljubljana Festival's events take place at several locations in Ljubljana but most are held within Plečnik's open-air complex at Križanke which was created within the abandoned former monastery especially for the festival. Major events are held at the Open-air Stage, while other venues include the Baroque-style Križanke Church, the Knight's Hall and the 'Courtyard of Hell'. Some of the events are realized also in Cankarjev dom or at the Ljubljana castle.
Projects
The 54th Ljubljana Festival of 2007, for instance, featured 72 performances involving more than 3,000 artists from 23 countries, and attracted more than 83,000 visitors. The festival opened with Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor, a joint project of Kiev Opera House, the Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Ljubljana - Opera and Ballet and the Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Maribor. Three more operas - Aida, Die Valkure and Salome - were presented by the Lithuanian State Opera and Ballet, and Faust was staged by the Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Maribor. The 2007 programme also featured London's West End production of the Dirty Dancing, Tomaž Pandur's Tesla Electric Company, the Sinfonietta Cracovia orchestra under Krzysztof Penderecki, and violinist Vadim Repin. Highlights of the festival were the three performances by the Bolshoi Theatre and two concerts by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
External links
- Ljubljana Festival website (in English)