Artists
Jeremias FLIEDl
cello
Jeremias Fliedl is one of the leading Austrian cellists of his generation. He regularly performs at prestigious international festivals and in some of Europe's most renowned concert halls, including the Salzburg Festival, Mozart Week in Salzburg, the Ljubljana Festival, Vienna's Musikverein, Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie and Bozar (Palais des Beaux-Arts) in Brussels.
As a soloist, he has appeared with distinguished orchestras such as the Orchestre National de Lyon, Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Zagreb Soloists, Orchestra della Toscana, Danish Chamber Orchestra and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn. He has collaborated with conductors including Stéphane Denève, Ádám Fischer, Martin Haselböck, Thomas Sanderling and Emmanuel Tjeknavorian.
An accomplished chamber musician, Fliedl regularly performs with internationally acclaimed artists such as Julian Rachlin, Daniel Müller-Schott, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Veronika Eberle, Karen Gomyo and Dominik Wagner.
In 2024, he released his debut album, Transformation, on the Berlin Classics label, recorded with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn under the direction of Emmanuel Tjeknavorian. The recording received widespread acclaim from the international music press.
Born in Klagenfurt in 1999, Fliedl began his musical education with Igor Mitrović before continuing his studies with Heinrich Schiff, Clemens Hagen and Julian Steckel. He is a prizewinner of several international competitions, including Liezen, Svirél and Antonio Janigro, and became the first Austrian cellist ever to receive a prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition. S
ince 2022, he has performed on the "ex Gendron, Lord Speyer" cello, crafted by Antonio Stradivari in Venice in 1693.
Natalie Clein
cello
Born in the UK, Natalie Clein made a name for herself at the age of sixteen when she won both the Eurovision Young Musicians in Warsaw and the title of BBC Young Musician of the Year. She received the ‘Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Award’ from the Royal College of Music in London, then completed her studies under Heinrich Schiff in Vienna. She records regularly for Hyperion, her recordings have won a Diapason d'Or, and she has also recorded 3 discs for EMI which won a Classical Brit award . In 2021, she was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to music. Natalie Clein has been invited to work with major orchestras worldwide, including the Philharmonia, Hallé, Bournemouth Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Orchestre National de Lyon, New Zealand Symphony, St Petersburg Symphony, and Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires. She performs regularly with conductors including Sir Mark Elder, Sir Roger Norrington, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Leonard Slatkin and José Serebrier, and with artists such as Marianna Shirinyan, Christian Ihle Hadland, Anthony Marwood, and Cedric Pescia. She has also collaborated with Martha Argerich, Ian Bostridge, Simon Keenlyside, Imogen Cooper, Lars Vogt, Isabelle Faust, and Yeol Eum Son. A fervent advocate for contemporary music, Natalie Clein has premiered works by Sir John Tavener, Charlotte Bray, Brian Elias, and Thomas Larcher. She has also taken part in multidisciplinary projects with the dancer Carlos Acosta, writer Jeanette Winterson, and the film-maker Deborah Warner. She is professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Rostock and visiting professor at the Royal College of Music in London.
Marc copey
cello
Marc Coppey is internationally recognised as one of the leading cellists of his generation, acclaimed as a soloist, chamber musician and conductor. A protégé of Lord Yehudi Menuhin and Mstislav Rostropovich, he gained international recognition at the age of 18 by winning First Prize and the Prize for the Best Bach Performance at the 1988 Leipzig Bach Competition.
Since then, he has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, including Alain Altinoglu, Emmanuel Krivine, John Nelson, Yutaka Sado and Lawrence Foster. Alongside the core cello repertoire, he is a passionate advocate of contemporary music, having premiered numerous works by leading composers, many of whom have dedicated compositions to him.
Coppey is also a distinguished recording artist, recording exclusively for audite classics. His recent recordings of works by Gabriel Fauré, Dmitri Shostakovich, Zoltán Kodály and French composers have received outstanding international reviews and prestigious awards, including the Diapason d'Or and Choc.
An internationally sought-after pedagogue, Coppey is Professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and Artistic Director of the Saline Royale Academy in France. He is also Artistic Director of the Easter Festival in Colmar and Music Director of the Zagreb Soloists.
A devoted chamber musician, he regularly performs with distinguished artists including Maria João Pires, Nelson Goerner, Viktoria Mullova, Emmanuel Pahud and François Dumont. In recognition of his artistic achievements, he was awarded the title Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.
Marc Coppey performs on the celebrated 1711 Matteo Goffriller cello, known as the "Van Wilgenburg", and lives in Paris.
Andrew von oeyen
piano
Andrew von Oeyen is internationally acclaimed for his elegant artistry, refined musicianship and brilliant technique, and is widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation.
Since his debut at the age of sixteen with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen, he has performed with many of the world's foremost orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic and Slovak Philharmonic. He has appeared in prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Wiener Konzerthaus, the Royal Opera of Versailles and Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow. An exclusive Warner Classics artist since 2017, von Oeyen has released several critically acclaimed recordings. His recent albums include Bach–Beethoven (2021) and Angels & Demons (2024), both of which received outstanding international reviews.
Born in the United States to a family of German and Dutch heritage, von Oeyen studied at The Juilliard School and Columbia University with distinguished teachers including Herbert Stessin, Jerome Lowenthal, Alfred Brendel and Leon Fleisher. He is the recipient of the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the Léni Fé Bland Foundation National Piano Competition. Today, he lives between Paris and Los Angeles.
Maruša TURJAK Bogataj
CELLO
Maruša Turjak Bogataj is Principal Cellist of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. She graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, where she studied with Professors Ciril Škerjanec and Miloš Mlejnik, before continuing her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich with Professor Wen-Sinn Yang. There, she graduated with distinction, earning both a Master's degree and a postgraduate diploma in chamber music as a member of the Munich ARTISTrio, which she co-founded in 2012 with her brother, violinist Matjaž Bogataj. The trio was awarded Second Prize at the prestigious Premio Trio di Trieste International Chamber Music Competition.
Maruša Bogataj Turjak was a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and is the recipient of numerous prizes at international competitions in Gorizia, Liezen, and Poreč, as well as two awards at Slovenia's national TEMSIG Competition. As a soloist, she has performed with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ljubljana Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the Slovenian Police Orchestra, the Carnium Chamber Orchestra, the Kranj Grammar School Symphony Orchestra, and the House of Culture Celje Chamber Orchestra.
MiLan Hudnik
cello
Milan Hudnik studied with Professor Ciril Škerjanec and furthered his musical education with the renowned Italian cellist Mario Brunello. He regularly performs as a soloist and chamber musician in Slovenia and abroad, and has made numerous recordings for Radio Slovenia. Together with pianist Hermina Hudnik, he has given the world premieres of many works by Slovenian composers.
Hudnik is also a dedicated pedagogue. He directs summer courses in cello and chamber music, and his students have achieved outstanding results at national and international competitions, where he is frequently invited to serve as a jury member. He is Associate Principal Cellist of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, a member of the contemporary music ensemble Neofonija, mentor of the cello section of the Nova Philharmonic Orchestra, and Professor of Cello at the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music and Ballet.
ALja Mandič Faganel
cello
Alja Mandič Faganel began her musical education with Damir Hamidullin and, at the age of sixteen, was admitted to the Academy of Music in Zagreb, where she studied with Professor Valter Dešpalj. She graduated with honours before continuing her studies with Monika Leskovar at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano and with Gavriel Lipkind in Frankfurt.
She is the recipient of numerous prizes at national and international competitions. As a soloist, she has performed with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Capellen Czech Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Strings, Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim, Ensemble Moscovia, and Aarhus Sinfonietta. An active chamber musician, she regularly appears at leading Slovenian festivals and concert series, including the Ljubljana Festival, Festival Maribor, Cankarjev dom's Silver Subscription Series, and the Narodni dom Maribor Chamber Music Series. She has also performed at festivals throughout Europe as well as in the United States, Canada, Russia, Israel, and Japan. She is a member of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.
SebastIan Bertoncelj
cello
Sebastian Bertoncelj comes from a musical family from Domžale, Slovenia. As a soloist, he has performed with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the University of Ljubljana Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, and the Bled Festival Orchestra, collaborating with conductors including Uroš Lajovic, Philipp von Steinaecker, En Shao, and Loris Voltolini.
Chamber music plays a central role in his artistic career. He has collaborated with distinguished musicians such as Boštjan Lipovšek, Emile Cantor, Mark Gothoni, Emma Steele, Solenne Païdassi, Aylen Pritchin, Thomas Carroll, Christopher Tun Andersen, Lorenzo Cossi, Wonji Kim Ozim, and Luz Leskowitz, and has appeared at numerous festivals across Europe.
After studying with Professor Miloš Mlejnik at the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music and Ballet and the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana, he continued his studies with Conradin Brotbek in Stuttgart, Christian Poltéra in Lucerne, and Enrico Bronzi in Salzburg. In addition to winning numerous first prizes at national and international competitions, he received the Prešeren Award of the Academy of Music.
Since 2016, Bertoncelj has devoted himself extensively to teaching. He is a cello professor at the Maribor Conservatory of Music and Ballet and the Celje Secondary School of Arts, while also serving as an assistant professor at the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana. During the 2021/22 academic year, he also taught at the Gustav Mahler Private University for Music in Klagenfurt.
Zala Vidic
cello
Zala Vidic began her musical education with Professor Ana Arh before continuing her studies with Professor Karmen Pečar Koritnik. She completed her Bachelor's degree with Professor Reinhard Latzko at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and earned her Master's degree under Pieter Wispelwey in Amsterdam.
She is the recipient of numerous national and international awards. As Slovenia's representative, she appeared at the Eurovision Young Musicians competition in Germany, and in 2015 received the prestigious Škerjanec Award for outstanding artistic achievement. Last year, she was a member of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta Academy. An active chamber musician, she is also a member of the Sensibile Piano Trio and the Cédez Cello Quartet.
Gorazd Strlič
cello
Gorazd Strlič completed both his graduate and specialist studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, where he studied with Professor Ciril Škerjanec. He is the recipient of the Klasinc Award and the Student Prešeren Award, and has won numerous prizes at national and international competitions.
He regularly performs at Slovenia's leading music festivals, including the Ljubljana Festival, Stična Festival, Glasbeni september, Festival Lent, and Festival Maribor. Chamber music occupies a prominent place in his artistic work, particularly through his collaborations with the Spiri Art Ensemble and Trio Maribor. He is Principal Cellist of the Maribor National Theatre Symphony Orchestra (SNG Maribor).
Orchestra of Young Cellists from Across Slovenia
At each edition of Cellofest Ljubljana, the youngest cellists from across Slovenia come together for a three-day workshop, where they discover the joy of ensemble playing and experience performing in a cello orchestra for the first time. The participants are between 5 and 14 years old.
The workshop usually brings together around 95 young musicians from different music schools throughout Slovenia. Under the guidance of renowned cello pedagogue Ksenija Trotovšek Brlek and her team of assistants, they prepare a joint concert programme. Playing in an orchestra helps young cellists develop their listening skills, intonation, rhythmic coordination, and their ability to create music together as an ensemble.
Peter Gregson
cello
London based composer and cellist Peter Gregson’s work sits at the intersection of contemporary classical music, technology, and modern songwriting. Known for his distinctive blend of acoustic cello and electronics, Gregson is one of the most innovative curators in the new classical landscape, creating music that moves fluidly between the recording studio, concert halls, theaters, and the big screen.
Born in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal Academy of Music, Gregson first gained attention through a series of recordings that explored the expressive possibilities of the cello through technology and production. His early repertoire —including Terminal, Lights in the Sky, Touch, Quartets, and his reimagining of Bach’s cello suites—earned critical acclaim for their fusion of classical performance, sound design and contemporary composition.
Gregson’s 2025 self-titled album Peter Gregson, released on Decca Records, marked a creative milestone. Conceived as a modern collection of “songs without words,” the album pairs cello with a modular synthesizer built by Gregson himself. A bespoke set-up comprises a series of samplers and sequencers. “But the big thing is that it doesn’t have any oscillators; it only has a mic input for the cello,” he says. “So everything that runs through it is a cello, and everything that comes out of it was created on a cello.” The synthesizer, he notes, allows him to use every sound the cello can produce, including coarse scrapes and subsonic rumbles, for expressive purposes. Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, the project represents what Gregson describes as the closest realization yet of the sound he hears in his head.
Alongside his recording career, Gregson is a sought-after composer and collaborator across film, television and games. His first feature film score, A Little Chaos (directed by Alan Rickman and starring Kate Winslet), was widely praised and nominated for the Public Choice Award at the World Soundtrack Awards. Since then, he has contributed to a wide range of screen projects and worked with music departments for major productions, while also composing for documentaries, installations and interactive media.
His work extends to dance and theatre, with commissions from leading companies around the world, with a new full length ballet commission from the National Ballet of Canada, with choreographer David Dawson, to premiere in 2027,
As an artist and cellist, Gregson has collaborated on works by leading contemporary composers including Max Richter, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Steve Reich and Gabriel Prokofiev, he performs internationally in venues ranging from leading concert halls concert halls to experimental art spaces. Recent performances have seen Gregson perform solo at the iconic Royal Albert Hall as Agnes Obel’s special guest and at London’s Southbank Centre for a new commission entitled “Concrete Voids” with Aurora Orchestra.
2026 began with Gregson reaching a new audience when his arrangement of Charli xcx’s “360” (for cello obligato and string quartet)—featured in the fourth season of Netflix’s global hit series Bridgerton. The piece quickly gained viral traction online as audiences across TikTok, Instagram and beyond embraced Gregson’s interpretation of a modern pop song. Gregson’s version transformed the track into an intimate arrangement that circulated widely across streaming platforms and social media alike, introducing his work and profile to millions of music consumers.
Katarina Leskovar
cello
Katarina Leskovar is a Slovenian cellist active as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral performer. As a member of the Talos String Quartet, she received the prestigious Tunnell Trust Award.
She has performed at renowned venues including the Musikverein and Konzerthaus Vienna, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Semperoper Dresden and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, as well as at festivals such as the Lucerne Festival, Davos Festival and Ljubljana Festival. Dedicated to both classical and contemporary repertoire, she has given numerous world premieres and collaborated with distinguished ensembles and composers.
She studied in Graz, Basel, Dresden and Berlin, where she completed her soloist diploma.
www.katarinaleskovar.com
rtv slovenia symphony orchestra
In 2025, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra celebrated 70 years of artistic activity. Throughout its history, the orchestra has been distinguished by musical excellence and outstanding performances. Its core mission is the creation of studio and live recordings for the national music archive of RTV Slovenia, while an equally important part of its work is its rich and diverse concert activity.
Over the decades, the orchestra has collaborated with numerous renowned conductors and soloists, including Marko Letonja, Daniel Raiskin, Lior Shambadal, En Shao, Mischa Maisky, Ivo Pogorelić and Irena Grafenauer, among many others. Since 2025, its Chief Conductor has been the acclaimed Hong Kong conductor Lio Kuokman.
The orchestra’s repertoire spans all periods of music history, from major symphonic masterpieces to contemporary works by Slovenian composers and projects that connect classical music with other musical genres. It has recorded almost the entire Slovenian symphonic repertoire, and its extensive discography includes more than 400 CDs.
The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra has performed on numerous international stages and participated in various European orchestral networks. In 2019, it became the first Slovenian professional symphony orchestra to undertake a highly successful tour of Latin America, performing in prestigious concert halls in Lima, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
Mojca Lavrenčič
conductor
The young Slovenian conductor Mojca Lavrenčič won First Prize at the La Maestra International Competition for Women Conductors 2026 in Paris, emerging as the competition’s outstanding winner. In addition to the main award, she received five of the seven special prizes, an exceptional achievement. Among them were the International Orchestra Committee Award, the ECHO (European Concert Hall Organisation) Award, the French Committee of Concert Halls and Orchestras Award, the Orchestre de Paris Musicians’ Award, and the ARTE Award.
"An outstanding achievement: Mojca Lavrenčič combines technical precision, artistic depth and a natural authority."
— international music media
Born in Vienna in 1993 and raised in Slovenia, Mojca Lavrenčič is a conductor distinguished by her exceptional sensitivity for musical interpretation, expressive depth and ability to inspire collaboration. Music has been an integral part of her life from an early age; her mother, herself a devoted musician, once dreamed of becoming a conductor — a passion that subtly influenced Mojca’s own artistic path.
She studied conducting at the University of Ljubljana with Marko Letonja, gaining her first professional experience at the Ljubljana Opera and Ballet Theatre. During the pandemic, she continued her studies in Switzerland with Andrea Marcon at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where she further developed her artistic vision and conducting style.
The Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra
The Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra was established in 1996. With its formation, the Republic of Slovenia continued the long tradition of military orchestras in Slovenian territory, dating back to the era of Empress Maria Theresa, when the first permanent military band was established in Ljubljana. Today, the Slovenian Armed Forces Band comprises more than 50 academically trained musicians. It performs at all major ceremonial events of the Slovenian Armed Forces, from unit anniversaries and military oaths to state celebrations and international meetings. There is hardly an official occasion or celebration where the orchestra does not appear in one of its formations – either as a full concert band, a ceremonial ensemble, a big band, a wind or brass quintet, or in other smaller ensembles. In addition, the orchestra regularly participates in numerous charity concerts and events organized by local communities. With its diverse repertoire and outstanding artistic quality, it consistently contributes to the excellence and dignity of official events while representing the professionalism and pride of the Slovenian Armed Forces. Since its foundation, the Slovenian Armed Forces Band has successfully developed into a professional, dynamic, dedicated and highly accomplished ensemble. It has performed an impressive repertoire and produced numerous recordings. A special testament to its quality are regular invitations to international concerts and military band festivals throughout Europe and the United States, where it appears as a respected ambassador of Slovenian culture. The orchestra has received the Bronze Medal (1997) and the Gold Medal (2006) of the Slovenian Armed Forces. In 2016, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, awarded the Slovenian Armed Forces Band the Order of Merit.
The Chamber String Orchestra of the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana
The Chamber String Orchestra of the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana has been active for more than a decade. In addition to its regular annual concerts in Ljubljana, the young string musicians have performed in other Slovenian concert centres and have also appeared in Italy, Croatia and Slovakia.
The rich repertoire available to the ensemble allows for a wide variety of programmes, while exploring different stylistic periods provides young musicians with a broad insight into the interpretative challenges of each era. Through its concerts, the orchestra continually demonstrates remarkable artistic growth, driven by strong creative energy, outstanding leadership and an unwavering commitment to achieving artistic excellence. As a result, every note, infused with passion, resonates with fullness and sincerity.
The orchestra’s achievements are regularly followed by Radio and Television Slovenia, which record and archive its public performances. From its foundation until 2008, the Chamber String Orchestra of the Academy of Music was led by Professor Ciril Škerjanc, a distinguished cellist and professor of cello and chamber music. In the academic year 2009/2010, violinist Janez Podlesek took over its artistic leadership and mentorship. A long-time concertmaster of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, he is currently a professor at the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana.
Miki Aoko
piano
Praised by BBC Music Magazine for her “genuinely memorable performances”, Steinway Artist Miki Aoki is an internationally acclaimed pianist known as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and educator.
She made her concerto debut at the age of twelve at London’s Royal Festival Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra and has since performed at major venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Barbican Centre, Gasteig München, and Laeiszhalle Hamburg, as well as at renowned festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, Rheingau Festival, and Menuhin Festival Gstaad.
Aoki has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras and her performances have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3, ORF, and BR Klassik. As a recording artist for the German label Profil Hänssler, she has released several acclaimed albums, including Tokyo Story, the world-premiere recording of original piano manuscripts from the films of Yasujirō Ozu.
A highly sought-after chamber musician and educator, Aoki has taught at institutions including Kronberg Academy, Mozarteum Summer Academy Salzburg, and Juilliard School. She is currently Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University.
Sven Brajković
piano
Croatian pianist Sven Brajković has established himself through his achievements at national and international competitions, including winning the 3rd International Four Notes Piano Competition in Abu Dhabi. He was awarded the prize for the best Croatian pianist at the Svetislav Stančić International Piano Competition.
In 2021, he graduated from the Academy of Music of the University of Zagreb in the class of Prof. Srđan Čaldarović. He is currently continuing his artistic development under the guidance of Prof. Aleksandar Serdar and works as an artistic associate at the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana.