The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra is in the middle of serious preparations for the new season: as a part of the Chromatics cycle the audience will listen to nine superior concerts. The first concert will take place on September 24, the Russian cellist Tatjana Vassiljeva will perform with the orchestra under the leadership of maestro En Shao.

As Maja Kojc, the artistic director of the symphony orchestra, explained in the interview, their main objective was to develop a diversified programme of high quality. The proof of that can be obtained by just glancing at the contents of the nine concerts to be held from now until the month of June. The audience will be able to enjoy a spectre of music from different periods and of several genres, from baroque to jazz.

November dedicated to 50th anniversary of Ars

The November concert will be dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Radio Slovenia Third Channel – Ars. For the celebratory concert The Symphony Orchestra will join forces with Big Band RTV Slovenia, Children, Youth and Chamber Choir RTV Slovenia, and the stage actor Igor Samobor. Three new Slovenian works by Milko Lazar, Aldo Kumar and Uroš Rojko will be unveiled.

The concert journey will be continued in the festive December, on December 5, when the works of Verdi, Wagner, and Mascagni will be put on stage by the Symphony Orchestra, SNG Opera & Ballet Choir Ljubljana and Slovenian Chamber Choir. Until the end of the subscription season, which will end on June 9 with a genuine jazz party, the orchestra will be joined by a number of excellent domestic and foreign musicians, Blaž Šparovec, (clarinet), Benjamin Ziervogel (violin), Katja Krajnik Kralj (viola), Igor Mitrović (cello), Bence Bogányi (bassoon), Karmen Pečar (cello) and Lisa Smirnova (piano). The main conductor En Shao will occasionally hand his baton to his colleagues, Lorenzo Castriota, Daniel Raiskin, Tibor Bogányi and Darko Butorac. Subscriptions are available until September 13.

Maja Kojc, the artistic director of the symphony orchestra, took time for a short conversation with us before the beginning of the season, and gave us a short description of the season and the manner of operation of the orchestra.

Where did the name »chromatics« come from?
Chromatics is a term connected with music and colours – it can be understood as division to tones and semitones, while the word itself originates from the Greek word for colour. Tones differ in height, length, and strength, but in colour as well. It is interesting that especially musicians often develop the so-called co-perception, which in this case means that they attach separate tones and tonalities to colours; sometimes in connection to a certain instrument, but not necessarily so. Our orchestra used to have a green subscription, now we have several colours (laughter).

Which was your guidance when choosing the programme for this year? (This year both at home and abroad Wagner and Verdi get a lot of attention.)

Our main goal was to develop a high quality and diversified programme, which should of course reflect the important anniversaries – 200 years since the birth of Verdi and Wagner; we must not forget the 150th anniversary of the birth of Pietro Mascagni. Yet much more 'alive', and important for our culture and thus for all of us is the 50th anniversary of the ARS programme, which will be celebrated by a special concert on November 7. Next to these anniversaries we are boasting a significant part of domestic musical creativity and performance; we are giving opportunity to young soloists, and introducing new guests. But of course the orchestra remains the centre – high-quality, flexible and inspiring. It will lead us through different genres, and play three famous Concerts for orchestra.

The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra frequently cooperates with a number of musicians from home and abroad. How are such cooperations arranged?

There are several ways. Often through agencies, recommendations and hints received from several parties, and through personal contacts as well. There is a great number of interesting and excellent musicians, even if not world famous.

Do artistic directors from different houses cooperate, or coordinate with each other in order to prevent duplication?

We try to, as we all find it very important. It hasn't always been like that. Yet occasionally duplication is hard to avoid. I am absolutely in favour of exchanging experiences.

Most members of your orchestra are Slovenian, but you have musicians from other countries as well. How did they find the way into your orchestra?

We have musicians from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Japan … I might have forgotten some. And, of course, the main conductor is from China. Musicians usually learn about the auditions from Internet, or are told about them by somebody they know. The information spread quickly, especially due to less and less places in the orchestras ...