The first evening of this year’s Noches de Tablao contemporary flamenco cycle begins with the concert-dance vision of an artist who has profoundly reshaped the space between jazz and flamenco – Guillermo McGill. The Spanish jazz drummer, composer, and professor of Uruguayan origin, whose playing has shaped the sound of countless flamenco and jazz legends, presents his deep understanding of music as a living substance, as embodied emotion, through the project Dance of the Angel (La danza de un ángel).

Decades of musical creation have forged a brilliant musical mind in which youthful pretension and the need to prove oneself have given way to wisdom, evolving into a pure ability to merge deep emotional expression with musical sophistication. In his pursuit of fundamental themes of spirituality, Guillermo McGill has found a space where individual and collective emotions, stories, and unspoken truths converge – in a continuous dialogue with movement, with dance, with invisible currents that shape our inner world. Music, hand in hand with dance, has always been the purest expression of the human spirit, a way to bridge silence and inhabit time.

There is a place where this truth still lives, woven into everyday existence. Dance of the Angel finds its inspiration in Andalusia, a corner of the world where flamenco resides – an artistic language that does not merely tell stories but marks every moment in need of a voice. In it, the project’s creator sought an understanding of rhythm that transcends technique, resembling more a conversation, the simplicity of breath, and the echo of something ancient yet always new. In this vision, Guillermo McGill meets Slovenian artist, dancer, and choreographer Urška Centa, who unbinds flamenco from tradition, using it as a means to excavate new metaphorical territories and identities. Together with extraordinary collaborators – Sevillian musicians, saxophonist Bernardo Parrilla and pianist Chiqui Cienfuegos, Madrid-based guitarist Álvaro del Valle, and Slovenian double bassist Jošt Lampret – they seek to bridge distances and traverse the boundaries of time, space, and self through sound and movement.

This is not just a concert. It is an invitation into a dimension where music is everything.

About Guillermo McGill
Guillermo McGill is a drummer, percussionist, professor, composer, and producer who has collaborated with some of the most prominent artists in jazz and flamenco, including Enrique Morente, Dave Liebman, Tete Montoliu, Juan Manuel Cañizares, John Abercrombie, Wynton Marsalis, Marc Johnson, George Mraz, Niño Josele, and many others.
As a member of Chano Domínguez's trio, alongside Javier Colina, since its founding in 1991, he also participated in Fernando Trueba’s film Calle 54. He
continues to perform and has released seven albums as a bandleader while contributing to more than 80 recordings as a sideman. Additionally, he has
published the Flamenco Jazz Real Book and two instructional books for cajón. He has performed at some of the world’s most renowned festivals, theaters, and concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Mariinsky Theater, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Teatro Real, Auditorio Nacional, JVC Jazz Festival NY, Lincoln Center, Beacon Theater, Chicago Jazz Festival, Los Angeles Jazz Festival, Palais de Congrès de Paris, Kennedy Center, Berlin Jazz Festival, Festival de Jazz de Buenos Aires, Beijing Jazz Festival, Blue Note Tokyo, Yokohama Jazz Promenade, Kuala Lumpur DPAC, North Sea Jazz Festival, and many more.
Since 1984, he has taught drums and ensemble performance at some of Spain’s most prestigious jazz schools, including Taller de Música in Barcelona, Taller de Músicos in Madrid, Escuela de Música Creativa, and since 2005, Musikene, where he currently teaches.

About Noches de Tablao
The Noches de Tablao cycle presents contemporary flamenco art through interdisciplinary artistic events primarily based on the live connection between
music and dance, alongside an educational and theoretical program. The project builds a cultural bridge between international and local artists, fostering dialogue between flamenco and other musical genres while showcasing new approaches to music, dance, and performance art. Since its inception in 2017, Noches de Tablao has provided a platform for cuttingedge artistic projects that challenge genre boundaries, offering a wide range of contemporary forms of expression. The cycle features concerts and dance performances where tradition enters into dynamic alliances with innovation.

Noches de Tablao cycle supported by Riko d.o.o.

Running time: 120 min
In Slovenian, without translation.

The ŠILA School Improv Theatre League is a student-run improv theatre programme kicking off its 28th season this coming spring!

ŠILA’s grand final will determine the winner of the 24/25 ŠILA season that gets to keep the coveted ŠILA trophy for one year. One of the teams gained a slight lead over the other contestants in the first final. Are we in for a major surprise in the Grand Final?

The two ŠILA teams that have scored the most points this season and made it through to the final will compete in a problem-solving competition. The ŠILA competitions take the form of short improv disciplines condensed into three-minute scenes. The audience members also play a key role in the show, influencing its course and deciding the final result with their cues for scenes and scores. This unforgettable display of unscripted theatrical scenes full of humour and imagination is not to be missed.

After the show, awards will be presented for the best achievements in the improv theatre throughout the year.

ŠILA is a nationwide improvisational theatre programme for high school students that has been promoting cultural recreation for young people since 1997.

 

"The Impro liga’s What's Better? season, which has thrilled audiences all year round, promises a truly fantastic conclusion in the grand final."

The What's Better? season has seen us address various controversial issues. We've divided this year's improvisers into two large groups, based on their leanings towards this or that side of the argument. The Blue and the Red Group contested against each other in small teams all year long over “what’s better”. So, among other things, we learnt that introverts are better than extroverts and that football is better than basketball. 
The season will culminate in the Grand Final in the beautiful Štih Hall, where the best improvisers of the season will face off!

The audience will be thrilled by the world-renowned Theatresports format, designed by the father of theatre improvisation, Keith Johnstone. It's a hilarious combination of sports and theatre, where teams of experienced improvisers face off in a variety of stage challenges, taking cues from the audience. The entire competition is judged by expert referees, who evaluate the scenes and give penalties. The audience is invited to loudly criticise the judges, in the classic sporting style.

After the final match, awards will be given to the best achievements of the season.

In Slovenian, without translation.

The band Fake Orchestra has been active as a musical collective since 1997, with its more or less permanent members and guests including many top-class Slovenian musicians. They have performed at numerous important venues and celebrations in their homeland, as well as abroad, from Istanbul to New York.

They have recorded five albums in a variety of genres. At their now traditional December concert, they will present a selection of their favorite jazz repertoire.

Ana Vipotnik - vocals
Primož Fleischman - saxophone
Igor Leonardi - guitar
Aljoša Kavčič - piano
Tadej Kampl - bass
Lovro Bone - drums
Special guest: Lara Grbić - vocals

Nino Ošlak is preparing a unique concert experience to celebrate his 15-year career. The current winner of the Popevka music competition will release his fourth original album, titled Elektro-romantika, this fall. The versatile pop musician will perform solo for the first time at Cankarjev dom, and the concert will not only be a retrospective of his work but also a glimpse into the future.

Nino began developing his musical talent as a child and entered the world of popular music in his teenage years. In 2013, he released his first solo pop album titled Simfonija, and during his studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, he released two more solo pop albums. With several of his songs (Nekaj je na tebi, Rabim te, Ko si z mano...), he has become one of the most played domestic radio artists in recent years. In addition to new songs, some of his hits that have marked his first fifteen years of creation will also be performed in a special, more intimate way. For some songs, Nino will be joined on stage by specially selected guests, whom he prefers to keep as a surprise.

Nino Ošlak is considered one of the more charismatic and productive musicians of the younger generation, who captivates listeners of different generations with his exceptional interpretation and stylistically diverse musical ideas. Nino's performances are not just ordinary concerts. They are experiences where music authentically meets the heart, and where the musician and his accompanying ensemble connect with the audience in a unique way—through stories, both romantic and life-inspired, through narratives and romantic melodies.

PERFORMERS
Nino Ošlak – vocals, piano
Gregor Nestorov – drums, percussion
Marko Matjašič - keyboards
Tadej Klojčnik – bass
Dominik Širovnik – electric & acoustic guitar
Rok Martinovič – acoustic guitar
Neža Tuma – backing vocals
Blaž Vidovič – backing vocals

Predstava Tam, v vrtu je povabilo v vrt dveh, ki v njem odstirata lepoto mehanizmov poslušanja. V svojem početju prisluškovanja naravi odkrivata svetove zvoka in njihovo odzvanjanje v polju vidnega. Pri tem jih prevajata skozi lastni telesi, da v njima razširita domišljijske potenciale in opazujeta njihovo sovpadanje s svetom giba.

Urška Centa, koreografinja in plesalka, ter Domen Novak, dramski igralec, skozi zvočno-gibalno predstavo vodita s čistim instinktom radovednosti in ta med njima ustvarja povezave in plete odnose, ki preizprašujejo linearne poteke dogajanja. Podobe, ki prihajajo iz različnih osebnih časovnih obdobij dveh soustvarjalcev, so razrez njune performerske identitete, znotraj njih pa potekata iskanje medsebojnega stika ter raziskovanje njunega sobivanja in soodvisnosti.

Vrt razumeta kot igrišče, mikrokozmos človeških interakcij, zgradbo skupnosti, prostor za razisko-vanje različnih konstelacij odnosov, kraj povabila. Skupaj opazujeta daljnosežnost in verižnost reak-cij v njem in onkraj njega, pri tem pa poudarjata vlogo čutov pri oblikovanju človeške izkušnje. 

V predstavi se človeško telo kot inštrument prepleta z različnimi inter- in transdisciplinarnimi strukturami, ki zaznavajo načine, kako so povezana naša življenja. Strukture slednjega se nanašajo tako nanju kot na širše grajenje notranje mreže s prisotnimi v prostoru, pri tem pa se sklicujejo na strukturno logiko narave, ki vznika iz zavedanja o globoki povezanosti po-sameznika z okoljem. V predstavi se iz ozadja zrcali tudi misel o družbenem vrednotenju človekove odvisnosti od narave. Negovanje vrta je metafora, ki za umetnika pomeni kulturno vrednoto ter ju kot posameznika nenehno povezuje z vsem živim in jima ponuja odločitev o bolj izostreni izkušnji prisotnosti v svetu.

Predstava Tam, v vrtu je plod koreografske raziskave vzporednosti giba in zvočnosti, izvedene s pomočjo delovne štipendije Ministrstva za kulturo RS za področje glasbenih umetnosti, ki jo je Urška Centa v sodelovanju z Domnom Novakom predstavila oktobra 2023 v miniaturi Miniatura no. 9 (del 4 miniature, Atrij ZRC, NEST) ter novembra 2023 v zvočni koreografiji The Garden, ki je bila izbrana za predstavitev na mednarodnem festivalu sodobne umetnosti FIAC v Leónu v Mehiki.

Premiera predstave Tam, v vrtu bo potekala v sklopu cikla Noches de tablao, ki predstavlja umetnost na področju sodobnega flamenka. Oblikujejo ga interdisciplinarni umetniški dogodki, osnovani predvsem na živi povezavi glasbe in plesa, ter spremljevalni program izobraževalnih in teoretskih vsebin. Program gradi medkulturni lok med tujimi in domačimi ustvarjalci, ki vzpostavljajo dialog med umetniško prakso flamenka in drugimi glasbenimi žanri in predstavljajo nove ustvarjalne pristope h glasbeni, plesni in performativni umetnosti. Od svojega nastanka leta 2017 daje prostor najnovejšim umetniškim projektom, ki temeljijo na žanrski presečnosti in ponuja širok spekter sodobnih izraznih form. V njem se nizajo koncerti in plesne uprizoritve, v katerih tradicija vstopa v navdušujoča zavezništva z novitetami.

Cikel Noches de tablao podpirata Ministrstvo za kulturo in Mestna občina Ljubljana.

Hatis Noit (JP/GB), a name taken from Japanese folklore meaning ‘stem of the lotus flower’, is a Japanese vocal artist and performer from Hokkaido currently resident in London. Her range of interests and influences is wide indeed, from Japanese classical music (Gagaku) and opera to Bulgarian and Gregorian chanting, to avant-garde and contemporary pop. What’s perhaps more astonishing than her stunning vocal technique and stage presence is the fact that she is entirely self-taught.

Legendary label Erased Tapes have a happy knack of picking winners, and Hatis Noit is the latest in a distinguished line. The list of artists lining up to work with her is pretty much any self-respecting avant-gardist’s record collection: Kevin Richard Martin (The Bug), Lubomyr Melnyk, The London Contemporary Orchestra, Rick Rubin and William Basinski, to name a few. The buzz is building, so you’d best be there.

The audiences will be thrilled by the world-renowned format Theatresports, created by the father of theatrical improvisation, Keith Johnston. It involves an offbeat fusion of sports and theatre with teams of experienced improvisers confronting various challenges, while taking cues from the audience. The contest is supervised by professional referees who award points and penalties. The audience is invited to loudly criticize the referees in the classic sports style and even award points instead of them during the show. 
At the grand final awards are presented for the season's best achievements in the art of improvisation.

Experience the inimitable authenticity of improvised performance and watch a crazy story evolve from your prompts on stage. All the options are open, all the plots are possible, all endings are either happy or unhappy, all the scenes are a one-time thing, unfolding at that very moment, before that very audience, and never to occur again.

 

Slovenia’s main programme of improvisational theatre, Impro liga was established in 1993. A meeting point for Slovenian improvisers, most of the programme usually takes place as a national competition of impro theatre groups.

After a hiatus of almost four decades, Marko Pogačnik Workshop again brings into focus the City of Ljubljana. No longer as a meditation on notable architect Jože Plečnik’s and Prešeren's Ljubljana, but as an examination of the impact of the ongoing radical change in the Earth's being upon the city’s subtle fabric. How do these same shifts find expression within humans and the processes of our transformation? 

The annual Marko Pogačnik workshop has been held at Cankarjev dom every winter since 1983 with the aim of repeatedly inquiring into the meaning of human existence on Earth, the present-day transformation of space and the attitude of humanity towards natural beings and the universe. 

Marko Pogačnik, born in Kranj in 1944, an academy-trained sculptor based in Šempas na Primorskem. For his artistic achievements, Pogačnik received the Prešeren Fund Award, the Bevk Prize (both in 1990) and the 2008 Jakopič Award. In 2016, he was designated as UNESCO Artist for Peace/UN Goodwill Ambassador.
 

The male approach to our planet, based on rational thinking and logical action, pushed the Earth to the brink of an abyss called "climate change." What is urgently needed to counter the current crisis is the gentle strength of a woman's touch. The female principle complements and interconnects every partaker in the dance of life – including the male principle. It is time female sensitivity were introduced into the male world, and the ability to guide humanity towards a new balance took the reins in the female universe.

The annual Marko Pogačnik workshop has been held at Cankarjev dom every winter since 1983 with the aim of repeatedly inquiring into the meaning of human existence on Earth, the present-day transformation of space and the attitude of humanity towards natural beings and the universe. 

Marko Pogačnik, born in Kranj in 1944, an academy-trained sculptor based in Šempas na Primorskem. For his artistic achievements, Pogačnik received the Prešeren Fund Award, the Bevk Prize (both in 1990) and the 2008 Jakopič Award. In 2016, he was designated as UNESCO Artist for Peace/UN Goodwill Ambassador.