The legendary pianist Ivo Pogorelić has left an indelible mark on the classical music scene of our time, earning a unique and revered place within it. His artistic and personal charisma, extraordinary gift, and innovative approach to musical works place him among the brightest musical figures of our era. His spirit of exploration, which opens new horizons of musical expression, is embodied in the highest level of pianism, rich virtuosity, and technical mastery. Through his compelling interpretations—shaped by an exceptionally refined musical taste, rare in today’s world—he has broadened the understanding and interpretation of the classical repertoire, setting new standards in piano performance.

In Pogorelić’s unique performances, the works of composers from past eras transcend the status of mere museum pieces; they become singular voices of the future of piano art, brought to life through his visionary power and the complex artistic processes accessible only to the greatest artists. He draws upon his unwavering musical intuition, profound knowledge, and miraculous pianistic skill.

Thanks to his uncompromising artistic standards and tireless pursuit of the ideal interpretation, Pogorelić has, over more than four decades of performing and recording, created authentic and extraordinary artistic achievements, deeply valued by audiences and critics alike. His concerts around the world are eagerly anticipated cultural events.

This time, maestro Pogorelić will present his unique vision of piano masterworks—brilliant pieces by classical composers—at Cankarjev dom. It will be a meeting with the art of one of the greatest pianists of our time, an experience that enlightens, enriches, and takes us on an exciting journey into the unknown, while making us better, spiritually fuller, and happier human beings.

Programme to be announced soon.

Based on a dramatic reinterpretation by playwright Urša Majcen and a musical score by composer Saša Vollmaier, the poetic spectacular Orpheus and Eurydice by director Jan Krmelj and choreographer Iztok Kovač explores the format of musical theatre. At the intersection of different media and artistic processes, the artistic team address the themes of death and life after death, exploring the possibilities of their artistic representation. How do we see, hear, think and feel death and the afterlife in art? How to understand "not looking back" in the context of the stage? What are the connections between the underworld as the abode of the dead and the theatrical stage as a canvas for fleeting and transient images?

Jan Krmelj (1995) is one of the most accomplished Slovenian theatre directors of the younger generation, as well as a poet and audiovisual artist. He graduated in directing from the Academy of Theatre, Radion, Film and Television Ljubljana in 2018 with a production of Schimmelpfennig's Idomeneo, and already during his studies published his first poetry book, Relikvije dihanja (2014). Known for his prominent theatre work that blends poetry, philosophy and visual art, Krmelj has directed numerous plays, including Žabe (MGL, 2022), The Arsonists (SNT Drama Ljubljana, 2021), Proslava (SNT Maribor, 2020) and Razpoka (MGL, 2023), for which he received the Borštnik Award for Best Director. His productions often include multi-media elements and explore contemporary themes through experimental forms.

An die Hoffnung, Spirituality in Late Romantic Songs for Female Voice and Organ

Organ: Tomaž Sevšek Šramel
Mezzosoprano: Barbara Kozelj

Programme: 
Johann Sebatian Bach / arr. F. Liszt, Introduction and fugue from cantata "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis", BWV 21 
Hugo Wolf / prir. arr. M. Reger, Eduard Mörike songs (*) and Sacred songs from Spanisches Liederbuch (**)
                        Gebet * 
                        Nun wandre Maria ** 
                        Die ihr schwebet **      
Stanko Premrl, Lamento 
Hugo Wolf / arr. M. Reger, Führ' mich, Kind, nach Bethlehem! ** 
Hugo Wolf / arr. M. Reger, Schlafendes Jesuskind *                                                
Hugo Reger, Chorale Fantasia "Wie schön leucht’t uns der Morgenstern" Op. 40, no. 1 
*
Richard Wagner / arr.Tomaž Sevšek Šramel, Wesendonck Lieder         
Im Treibhaus (Study to Tristan and Isolde)
                        Schmerzen
                        Stehe still!                                            
Max Reger, Romanze in A-minor 
Max Reger / arr. Tomaž Sevšek Šramel, An die Hoffnung Op. 124 (set to the poem by F. Hölderlin) 

In Japanese, the word “Kodo” holds a double meaning. It can be translated as "heartbeat," but also “breathe life into”. Kodo is also a world-famous Japanese drumming ensemble comprising over 20 members, founded in 1981. Its members hone their drumming skills for several years on Sado Island, located off the coast of the Nigata Prefecture, north of Tokyo. They whip their bodies into shape with pre-dawn runs along the island’s hilly roads, then get down on their hands and knees to ritually clean the building in which they board, a repurposed schoolhouse with no central heating. They grow much of their own food, carve their chopsticks and drumsticks, and are schooled in tea ceremonies. Discipline and rigorous practice are part of the physical training and routine needed to master the art of drumming – the tradition of taiko drumming dates back to the 6th century.

But Kodo drummers are not stuck in the past. With elaborate choreography and theatrical dramaturgy, the ensemble adds an urban aspect and contemporary aesthetic to traditional folk art. 

For more than four decades, the drummers have been delighting audiences with their extraordinary energy, precision and spiritual depth. Their performances are more than just concerts – they are comprehensive artistic experiences blending traditional Japanese taiko drumming, dance, and voice with contemporary theatrical aesthetics. With their powerful rhythms and hypnotic movements, Kodo drummers transcend cultural boundaries and connect people around the world.

Every time we hear it live, their explosive show and the thundering sound of twenty drums provide a truly unforgettable sensory experience.
 

Static Shot

Premiered in December 2020 at the Opéra national de Lorraine in Nancy, Maud Le Pladec’s Static Shot is a dynamic choreographic creation conceived as a continuous flow of movement without beginning, middle or end. Inspired by cinematic techniques such as the static shot, the piece creates a sense of unceasing motion and visual intensity. On stage, the 24 dancers of the CCN Ballet de Lorraine move in unison, exploring themes of tension, ecstasy and shared euphoria, while bodies and sounds merge into a constant state of climax. Driven by the 130 beats per minute of music composed by DJ Chloé Thévenin and Pete Harden, the group continually reshapes itself in an entrancing, hypnotic choreography. The costumes designed by fashion designer Christelle Kocher (KOCHÉ) inject the fashion world’s sense of chic into the show. The creation blends elements of contemporary dance, fashion and electronic music to create a unique experience that blurs the boundaries between various art disciplines.

Maud Le Pladec is a French choreographer, born in 1976 in Lorient. After studying at National Choreographic Centre of Montpellier, she worked with renowned choreographers such as Georges Appaix, Mathilde Monnier and Boris Charmatz. In 2010, her first piece Professor, the first section of a diptych revolving around the music of Fausto Romitelli, won the Choreographic Revelation Award from the French Union of Theatre, Music and Dance Critics. Her work often combines contemporary dance with live music and explores the roles of women in the arts. Since 2017, she has been director of the National Choreographic Centre in Orléans, and in January 2025 she was appointed general and artistic director of CCN – Ballet Lorraine.

A Folia

Created in 2024 for CCN - Ballet de Lorraine, A Folia by Portuguese choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira delves into a collective trance, drawing inspiration from the “folia”, a rural folk dance that once offered 15th-century shepherds an escape from societal norms. This folk dance, associated with fertility rites and group revelries, was known for its rapid, chaotic movement and cross-dressing. Against this historical backdrop, Ferreira’s contemporary choreographic work combines elements of street dance, rave culture and the club scene to create an intense collective experience immersed in ecstatic trance and the spirit of rebellion. This dance inspired a musical theme that has echoed through history, reimagined in the Baroque era by composer Arcangelo Corelli and now revisited by Luis Pestana. Ferreira explores whether the impetus for societal change lies at the centre or at the periphery, emphasising the power of diversity as a driving force behind democratic expression. A contemporary choreographic masterpiece, A Folia explores history, identity and collective power through dance, inviting us to reflect on our role in society.

Marco da Silva Ferreira is a Portuguese dance choreographer known for his experimental, cutting-edge approach to dance. His body of work focuses on the exploration of identity, community and physicality through movement, combining elements of urban and contemporary dance with traditional forms. His pieces often highlight the dynamics of group movement, rhythm and physical expression, blurring the boundaries between dance and everyday life. Marco da Silva Ferreira has gained recognition with pieces such as HU(R)MANO, BROTHER and Carcaça, which have toured numerous European festivals, including Ljubljana in 2024 (Carcaça). His innovative style has influenced the development of contemporary dance both in Portugal and the wider European region.

Maksim is a global crossover music star, with over 5 million albums sold and multiple gold and platinum releases in countries around the world. His electrifying performances are followed by millions of fans, and he has played on the stages of some of the world’s most prestigious venues – from London’s Hammersmith Apollo and New York’s United Palace Theatre to the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

This autumn, Maksim brings his Segmenti World Tour to Ljubljana, as part of a major international tour celebrating the release of his twelfth studio album, Segmenti. The concert offers a powerful fusion of classical masterpieces and global pop hits, where the works of Chopin, Prokofiev, and Tchaikovsky meet music legends like ABBA and Queen – all delivered in Maksim’s signature bold and dynamic style.

In addition to his new repertoire, the audience will also be treated to some of the most beloved pieces from his career – including timeless renditions of Exodus, Game of Thrones, and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Marianne Croux soprano; Shizuyo Oka, basset horn; Céline Steiner, viola d’amore

Programme:
Luigi Dallapiccola, Three questions with two answers (1962)
Brice Pauset, Portraits of Marilyn Monroe (2022–2025)
Vito Žuraj,  Automatones (2023)
Niccolo Castiglioni, Caracteres (1964)

It was in 2023 that we had an opportunity to watch the first live online performance of Vita Žuraj’s dynamic and virtuoso work for symphony orchestra Automatones. In this attractive composition, the composer draws on Greek mythology, especially the animated metal sculptures of animals, people and monsters made by the divine blacksmith Hephaestus and the Athenian craftsman Daedalus. In terms of its time of creation and content, Portraits of Marilyn Monroe by French composer Brice Pauset is equally fresh.
Panic! Has the NOW subscription series been infiltrated by pop and artificial intelligence?!

Accompanying events:
SIM 4
16 May 2026 at 11.00 am
Marjan Kozina Hall
Slovenian Philharmonic 
Presentation of compositions from the programme of NOW 4

20 May 2026
Lili Novy Glass Hall
Cankarjev dom
Post-concert gathering of the audience with composers and performers, with a selection of top-quality Slovenian wines.
Minister of Health warning: Alcohol consumption can be harmful to health!

Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Slovenian Philharmonic Choir

Programme:
Márton Illés, Víz-szín-tér (2019)
Alex Hren, new work (2026)
Isabel Mundry, Panorama ciego (2001)
Béla Bartók, The Miraculous Mandarin, ballet, Sz. 73, BB 82 (1918/19, 1924)

In this season’s NOW subscription series, the youngest generation of Slovenian composers will be represented by Alex Hren, who has already drawn attention to himself with a series of excellent instrumental compositions for a wide variety of ensembles. It was his composition Runoff for string ensemble that convinced the curator of the concert programme to commission a new piece from the young composer, who is currently studying composition with one of the most respected composers of our time, Miroslav Srnka, and about whom we will undoubtedly hear a great deal more at the Slovenian Philharmonic in the future.
 

Accompanying events:
SIM 3
11 April 2026 at 11.00 am
Marjan Kozina Hall
Slovenian Philharmonic 
Presentation of compositions from the programme of NOW 3

15 April 2026
Lili Novy Glass Hall
Cankarjev dom
Post-concert gathering of the audience with composers and performers, with a selection of top-quality Slovenian wines.
Minister of Health warning: Alcohol consumption can be harmful to health!

Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Nina Prešiček Laznik, piano; Lovorka Nemeš Dular, piano

Programme:
Charles Ives, Central Park in the Dark (1906)
Uroš Rojko, Odtekanje časa VII –  Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (2023)
John Adams, Harmonielehre (1985)

Lovorka Nemeš Dular and Nina Prešiček Laznik, two pianists committed to performing new music, premiered Uroš Rojko’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, entitled Odtekanje časa VII (Running Out of Time VII), together with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Davorin Mori at the 38th Slovenian Music Days in the Marjan Kozina Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic in 2024. In this work, the composer warns that the time we have before our actions finally destroy our own living space is “running out”. The performance in 2024 was superb, but the small size of the Marjan Kozina Hall meant that the rich sonority of the composition was not realised in its full splendour. This will undoubtedly be rectified with the performance in the large Gallus Hall of Cankarjev dom, which for many listeners – and probably for the composer as well – will be the work’s real premiere.


Accompanying events:
SIM 2
14 February 2026 at 11.00 am
Marjan Kozina Hall
Slovenian Philharmonic 
Presentation of compositions from the programme of NOW 2

17 February 2026
Lili Novy Glass Hall
Cankarjev dom
Post-concert gathering of the audience with composers and performers, with a selection of top-quality Slovenian wines.
Minister of Health warning: Alcohol consumption can be harmful to health!

Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme:
Kaija Saariaho, Ciel d’Hiver (2013)
Igor Stravinsky, Chant du Rossignol (1917)
Nina Šenk, Concerto for Orchestra (2019)

Five years will have passed since the first performance of the extensive Concerto for Orchestra by Slovenia’s internationally renowned composer Nina Šenk in the famous Musica Viva concert series of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. With this work, the composer questions the traditional hierarchical structures of the symphony orchestra, reconstituting it based on individuals and smaller chamber groups. After repeat performances in Amsterdam, Turin, Essen and Vienna, the first live performance of the entire composition will finally be heard in Slovenia.

Accompanying events:
SIM 1
27 September 2025 at 11.00 am
Marjan Kozina Hall
Slovenian Philharmonic 
Presentation of compositions from the programme of NOW 1

1 October 2025
Lili Novy Glass Hall
Cankarjev dom
Post-concert gathering of the audience with composers and performers, with a selection of top-quality Slovenian wines.
Minister of Health warning: Alcohol consumption can be harmful to health!