CONCERTS
monday - concert 1
WHEN: 12 October 2026, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana (Julij Betetto Hall)
WHAT: SUITE ITALIENNE
CHAMBER STRING ORCHESTRA OF THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC, UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
Janez Podlesek – Artistic Director and Concertmaster
Jeremias Fliedl – Cello
PROGRAMME
Aldo Kumar: Istrian Suite
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971): Suite italienne for Cello and String Orchestra (arr. Benjamin Wallfisch)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893):
Andante cantabile from String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11
Pezzo capriccioso for Cello and String Orchestra, Op. 62 (arr. Luca Rizzo)
Edvard Grieg (1843–1907): Holberg Suite for String Orchestra, Op. 40
Jeremias Fliedl is among the leading Austrian cellists of his generation. He performs at prestigious international festivals and in Europe’s foremost concert halls, including the Salzburg Festival, Mozart Week, Ljubljana Festival, the Musikverein, the Elbphilharmonie and the Bozar. As a soloist, he has appeared with renowned orchestras including the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists, the Orchestra della Toscana, the Danish Chamber Orchestra and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn. He has performed under conductors such as Stéphane Denève, Ádám Fischer, Martin Haselböck, Thomas Sanderling and Emmanuel Tjeknavorian.
An accomplished chamber musician, he regularly collaborates with internationally acclaimed artists including Julian Rachlin, Daniel Müller-Schott, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Veronika Eberle, Karen Gomyo and Dominik Wagner.
In 2024, he released his debut album, Transformation, on Berlin Classics, recorded with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn under the direction of Emmanuel Tjeknavorian. The recording received outstanding reviews from the international music press.
Born in Klagenfurt in 1999, Jeremias Fliedl studied first with Igor Mitrović and later with Heinrich Schiff, Clemens Hagen and Julian Steckel. He is a prizewinner of several international competitions, including the Liezen, Svirél and Antonio Janigro competitions, and was the first Austrian cellist ever to receive a prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition.
Since 2022, he has performed on the "ex Gendron, Lord Speyer" cello, built by Antonio Stradivari in 1693.
This concert is presented in cooperation with the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana and the Austrian Cultural Forum from Ljubljana.
Organiser:
IM.PULS ART / Levstikova 22, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 1 251 11 12 / E: houska@siol.net
tuesday - CONCERT 2
WHEN: Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 7:30 PM
WHERE: City Museum of Ljubljana (Atrium)
WHAT: EARLY ROMANTICISM FOR CELLO AND PIANO – Part I
PROGRAMME
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Cello Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 58
Maruša Bogataj Turjak – cello
Miki Maoki – piano
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Adagio and Allegro for Cello and Piano, Op. 70
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces) for Cello and Piano, Op. 73
Milan Hudnik – cello
Hermina Hudnik – piano
***
Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65
Alja Mandič Faganel – cello
Sven Brajković – piano
The first concert of the two-part series Early Romanticism for Cello and Piano presents masterpieces by three of the nineteenth century's greatest composers: Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin. The programme explores the richness of the Romantic musical language, in which the cello and piano emerge as equal partners, moving seamlessly between intimate lyricism, lyrical melodies, dazzling virtuosity and dramatic expression.
The evening opens with Mendelssohn's Cello Sonata No. 2, one of the landmarks of the Romantic chamber music repertoire. It is followed by two masterpieces by Schumann—Adagio and Allegro and Fantasiestücke—works that reveal the composer's extraordinary sensitivity to colour, mood and poetic expression. After the interval, the programme concludes with Chopin's Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65, his final major chamber work and one of the most profound and technically demanding compositions in the cello repertoire.
The performers are cellists Maruša Bogataj Turjak, Milan Hudnik and Alja Mandič Faganel, with pianists Miki Maoki, Hermina Hudnik and Sven Brajković.
Organiser:
IM.PULS ART / Levstikova 22, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 1 251 11 12 / E: houska@siol.net / Tickets: www.eventim.si
TICKETS
WEDNESDAY - CONCERT 3
WHEN: 14 October 2026, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Cankarjev dom (Gallus Hall)
WHAT: FRIEDRICH GULDA – CELLO CONCERTO
Concert by the Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra celebrating its 30th anniversary
Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra
Conductor: Andreas Hanson
Soloists: Marc Coppey – cello
Andrew von Oeyen – piano
PROGRAMME
Jani Golob (1948– )
New Work
Friedrich Gulda (1930–2000)
Cello Concerto
George Gershwin (1898–1937) (arr. Tohru Takahashi)
Rhapsody in Blue
Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990)
Divertimento
Friedrich Gulda (1930–2000), the celebrated Austrian pianist and composer, wrote his Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra in 1980 for the renowned cellist Heinrich Schiff. Lasting around thirty minutes, it is one of the most original concertante works of the twentieth century. Scored for cello, wind orchestra and a jazz rhythm section, the concerto blends classical music with elements of jazz, rock, funk and Austrian folk music in a witty and highly virtuosic style.
The work is marked by striking stylistic contrasts—from energetic jazz-rock rhythms to lyrical Alpine melodies and dazzling cadenzas that allow the soloist to display both technical brilliance and artistic imagination. Since its successful premiere in 1981, it has become one of the most popular and distinctive works in the modern cello repertoire.
Organisers:
Cankarjev dom and Slovenian Armed Forces / Prešernova cesta 10, SI-1000 Ljubljana / T: +386 1 24 17 299 / E: vstopnice@cd-cc.si
TICKETS
THURSDAY - CONCERT 4
WHEN: 15 October 2026, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Mestni muzej Ljubljana (atrij)
WHAT: EARLY ROMANTICISM FOR CELLO AND PIANO – Part II
PROGRAMME
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Sonata "Arpeggione" in A minor for Cello and Piano, D 821
Sebastian Bertoncelj – cello
Sven Brajković – piano
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Stücke im Volkston (Five Pieces in Folk Style) for Cello and Piano, Op. 102
Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C major for Cello and Piano, Op. 3
Zala Vidic – cello
Petra Milković Prosen – piano
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Cello Sonata No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 45
Gorazd Strlič – cello
Mirjam Strlič – piano
The second concert of the two-part series Early Romanticism for Cello and Piano is dedicated to masterpieces of the early Romantic repertoire. Schubert's "Arpeggione" Sonata, one of the finest chamber works of the nineteenth century, captivates with its lyrical beauty and expressive warmth. Schumann's Stücke im Volkston draws inspiration from folk music, revealing the composer's rich imagination through five contrasting movements, while Chopin's Introduction and Polonaise brillante combines virtuosity, elegance and dance-like brilliance. The evening concludes with Mendelssohn's Cello Sonata No. 1, in which Classical clarity is beautifully interwoven with Romantic expressiveness and a brilliant concertante dialogue between cello and piano.
The performers are cellists Sebastian Bertoncelj, Gorazd Strlič and Zala Vidic, together with pianists Sven Brajković, Petra Milković Prosen and Mirjam Strlič.
Organiser:
IM.PULS ART / Levstikova 22, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 1 251 11 12 / E: houska@siol.net / Tickets:www.eventim.si
saturday - concert 5
WHEN: 17 October 2026, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Cankarjev dom (Gallus Hall) – Silver Subscription Series
WHAT: THREE SONATAS. THREE MUSICAL WORLDS.
Marc Coppey – cello
Andrew von Oeyen – piano
PROGRAMME
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
César Franck (1822–1890)
Sonata in A major (arranged for cello by Jules Delsart)
Once a protégé of the legendary Yehudi Menuhin and Mstislav Rostropovich, Marc Coppey is today one of the leading cellists of his generation and an increasingly sought-after conductor. He is a recipient of the French distinction Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, an acclaimed pedagogue, Artistic Director of the Les Musicales de Colmar festival, and Director of the Saline Royale Academy in Arc-et-Senans, one of France's most innovative centres for advanced musical education.
Performing on his 1711 Gofriller cello, Coppey will be joined by Andrew von Oeyen, a pianist renowned for his artistic refinement and brilliant technique. An exclusive Warner Classics artist, von Oeyen crowned his distinguished international career with his debut at Carnegie Hall in 2025.
Presented in cooperation with Cellofest Ljubljana, this recital showcases three milestones of the cello repertoire: Beethoven's heroic vision in sonata form, Shostakovich's deeply expressive and lyrical masterpiece, and Franck's cyclical musical journey, one of the great monuments of the Romantic repertoire.
Organiser:
Cankarjev dom / Prešernova cesta 10, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 1 24 17 299 / E: vstopnice@cd-cc.si
TICKETS
SUNDAY - CONCERT 6
WHEN: 18 October 2026, 11:00 AM
WHERE: Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana (Lucijan Marija Škerjanc Hall)
WHAT: FINAL CONCERT OF THE THREE-DAY WORKSHOP FOR 100 YOUNG CELLISTS FROM ACROSS SLOVENIA
The three-day workshop held during the final Cellofest in 2024 brought together 94 young cellists from 27 Slovenian music schools. At the closing concert, they filled the concert hall stage and, under the direction of Professor Ksenija Trotovšek Brlek, presented a memorable performance prepared in just three days. This year, we look forward to welcoming even more young participants!
Organiser:
Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana / Ižanska cesta 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 590 74 300 / E: info@kgbl.si
TICKETS
SUNDAY - CONCERT 7
WHEN: 18 October 2026, 8:00 PM
WHERE: KINO ŠIŠKA
WHAT: THE CELLO OF THE FUTURE
Peter Gregson – cello and electronics
On 18 October, Cellofest Ljubljana will welcome one of the most original contemporary cellists and composers, Peter Gregson, to Kino Šiška. Gregson's work lies at the intersection of classical music, electronic sound and film music, expanding the expressive possibilities of the cello into a rich and contemporary sonic landscape.
Renowned for his innovative approach to the instrument, Gregson seamlessly blends its acoustic sound with electronics and layered textures, creating music that is both intimate and sonically immersive. His performance in Ljubljana will offer audiences a unique opportunity to experience one of the most distinctive and forward-thinking musicians on today's international music scene.
Peter Gregson, born in Edinburgh in 1987, studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where he developed an early fascination with both the cello and experimentation with synthesizers and studio sound. He achieved international recognition with Bach Recomposed (2018), released by Deutsche Grammophon, in which he reimagined Bach's Cello Suites for multiple cellos and electronics, attracting a wide international audience.
The year 2025 saw the premieres of several new works, including Everything We Hear Begins First in Silence for the Omega Ensemble, Concrete Voids for the Aurora Orchestra, and his critically acclaimed self-titled album Peter Gregson, released by Decca Records. Gregson also composes extensively for film, television and dance. His music features in the BBC BAFTA-nominated series Lost Boys, the films A Little Chaos, directed by Alan Rickman, and Blackbird. More recently, he created a cello and string quartet arrangement of 360 by Charli XCX for the popular Bridgerton. His music has also been featured in projects for the luxury fashion houses Burberry, Balenciaga and Bvlgari, as well as in numerous ballet productions worldwide. He has collaborated with artists including Max Richter, Ed Sheeran, David Dawson and Paolo Sorrentino.
In recent years, Gregson has increasingly focused on immersive and spatial audio, exploring how music can be experienced not only through listening but also as a three-dimensional sonic environment. By seamlessly blending classical music, electronics and contemporary sound practices, he has established himself as one of the most original and innovative musicians of his generation.
Organiser:
IM.PULS ART / Levstikova 22, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 1 251 11 12 / E: houska@siol.net / Tickets:www.eventim.si
TUESDAY - concert 8
WHEN: 20 October 2026, 7:00 PM
WHERE: Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana – Vegova Campus (Vida Jeraj–Hribar Hall) - Vegova 7, 1000 Ljubljana
WHAT: DOUBLE SHIFT
Ema Grčman – cello
Katarina Leskovar – cello
PROGRAMME
Barry Guy (1947): Redshift
Larisa Vrhunc (1967): Premislek za dva violončela
Simon Steen-Andersen (1976): Study for String Instrument No. 3
Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023): Petals
Michael Beil (1963): String Jane
Vito Žuraj (1979): Ai marmi
Thomas Demenga (1954): Duo? o, Du…
Ema Grčman is a versatile cellist from Ljubljana who performs as a soloist and chamber and orchestral musician. She regularly appears at renowned festivals, including the Ljubljana Festival, Tartini Festival, Davos Festival and Stift Festival, and has collaborated with orchestras such as the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Graz Opera Orchestra, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and the Bern Symphony Orchestra. She has studied with renowned cellists including Valter Dešpalj, Julian Arp, Torleif Thedéen, Thomas Demenga and Anita Leuzinger. As a chamber musician, she has performed with artists such as Ilya Gringolts, Hugo Ticciati, Reto Bieri and Isabelle van Keulen, and she is a prizewinner of numerous international music competitions.
www.emagrcman.com
Slovenian cellist Katarina Leskovar is 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 appeared at leading venues including the Musikverein, Konzerthaus Vienna, Alte Oper, Semperoper Dresden and Concertgebouw, as well as festivals such as the Lucerne Festival, Davos Festival and Ljubljana Festival. She is dedicated to both classical and contemporary repertoire, has premiered numerous new works, and has collaborated with distinguished ensembles and composers. She studied in Graz, Basel, Dresden and Berlin, where she completed her soloist diploma.
Organiser:
IM.PULS ART / Levstikova 22, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 1 251 11 12 / E: houska@siol.net / Tickets:www.eventim.si
THURSDAY - CONCERT 9
WHEN: 22 October 2026, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Cankarjev dom (Gallus Hall) – Kromatika Subscription Series
WHAT: "LA MAESTRA" AND CELLOFEST
Soloist: Natalie Clein – cello
Conductor: Mojca Lavrenčič
PROGRAMME
Elfrida Andrée (1841–1929)
Overture in D major
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, "Italian"
The opening concert of the new Kromatika concert series, and at the same time the closing concert of this year’s Cellofest Ljubljana, will be conducted by Mojca Lavrenčič, winner of the prestigious La Maestra International Competition for Women Conductors in Paris and the current title holder.
Kromatika is a concert series presented by the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, featuring outstanding symphonic repertoire, renowned guest artists and innovative musical projects. Founded in 1955, the orchestra is one of Slovenia’s leading professional symphonic ensembles, with a distinguished tradition of concert performances, recordings and collaborations with internationally acclaimed conductors and soloists.
The evening opens with the rarely performed Overture in D major by the Swedish composer Elfrida Andrée, followed by Camille Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1, performed by the acclaimed British cellist Natalie Clein. Widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of the cello repertoire, the concerto is celebrated for its virtuosity, lyrical elegance and brilliant orchestral colours.
The concert concludes with Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, one of the most beloved works in the symphonic repertoire, radiating light, vitality and the spirit of the Mediterranean.
Organiser:
RTV Slovenia Music Production / Kolodvorska 2, SI-1550 Ljubljana, Slovenia / T: +386 1 475 24 69 / E: gprtv@rtvslo.si / Tickets: +386 1 24 17 299, vstopnice@cd-cc.si
TICKETS