Welcome ceremony of the 7th Winter Festival

The highlight of the evening was the solo violin performance of Rok Zaletel Černoš, who proved himself technically and even more interpretively. He was backed by the orchestra, which was able to support his expression with great skill. All credit must also go to conductor Ziva Ploj Peršuh, who, especially in Beethoven's Eroica, challenged the orchestra with an energetic attitude and brought out an ingenious contrasting interpretation.

This year's winter festival, this time for the seventh consecutive year, was also organised by the Ljubljana Festival and featured internationally renowned soloists, including Kai-Min Chang , winner of the 1st Ljubljana Festival International Piano Competition, pianist Olga Kern , singer Lidia Rodríguez González , trumpeter Vicente Campos and violinists and pianists Maxim Vengerov and Vago Papiano . Yan Pascal Torteller and Roberto Abbado were the conductors, Ensemble Dissonance also performed at the festival. On the last evening we heard the Slovenian Youth Orchestra under the direction of Živa Ploj Peršuh, and the soloist was violinist Rok Zaletel Černoš, who this year was the first Slovenian violinist to take part in the P.I. Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition in Moscow. He performed in Henryk Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 14.

Johannes Brahms's Variations on a Theme of Haydn in B flat major, Op. 56a is one of the composer's most popular works. The theme is taken from the chorale Saint-Antoine from Feldpartie in B flat major, Hob. II/46 Joseph Haydn. Brahms wrote eight variations on the theme and a finale. In the interpretation of the Slovenian Youth Orchestra we felt the warm sound of brass and wind instruments, which stood out with their airy and tactful playing. The performance was moving, with an emphasis on pure tone and a solemn character in the finale.

Hardly expected Violin Concerto No 1 in F-sharp minor, op. 14 Henryk Wieniawski's work sounded a bit more lively until the violin, which touchingly filled the soloist's space. Rok Zaletel Černoš conjured up a clear, singing sound with a light and calm, yet refined way of playing. The sound of the violin was at times subtly sensual, at others dramatically energetic, but throughout extremely flexible and clear. The orchestra supported him, especially in the violins. Particularly sensuous was the sombre Preghiera, while the Rondo spun vehemently in the virtuoso soloist's playing and touched us lightly with the grace of the melody in a temperamentally lyrical interpretation.

Symphony No.3 in E flat major, Op. 55, also called "Eroica", by Ludwig van Beethoven, rang out decisively in an experienced and dramatic interpretation. The orchestra recreated it in an expressively contrasting performance, with an elegant degree of enthusiasm and sophisticated dramatic impulses. We witnessed nuances right up to the colourful crescendo and the expressively powerful passages. The Allegro con brio was contrasting and energetic, Marcia funebre, The Adagio assai evoked a darker mood in the strings, while the winds were brighter. In the third movement Scherzo. Allegro vivace the opposite moods are awakened, and another melody appears in it and it returns to the original one. The horns stood out, sounding warm and inviting. The finale was particularly dramatic and involved the whole orchestra, with the emphasis on the pizzicato strings and staccato woodwinds. The musicians were very engaged throughout the performance.

To conclude, the highlight of the evening was the solo violin performance of Rok Zaletel Černoš, who proved himself technically and even more interpretively. He was backed by the orchestra, which was able to support his expression with great skill. All praise must also go to conductor Ziva Ploj Peršuh, who, especially in the Beethoven Eroici challenged the orchestra with an energetic posture and brought out a subtle contrasting interpretation.