We find ourselves in various environments, situations, and relationships. How do we respond to those who seek attention? To those who act in ways that don’t meet our expectations? To those who may not be as skilled as we are? And how does someone who is singled out feel in such moments?

In each group, one dancer slowly withdraws—she retreats into herself, no longer wishing to socialize, speak, or even dance. But when the ballerinas appear on stage in all their grace and grandeur, dancing on the tips of their toes, the younger girls are captivated by their beauty. They forget the incident and choose once again to engage, connect, and stay committed to their ballet journey.

The older dancers, meanwhile, begin to lean toward a different style—contemporary dance. Yet when the younger ones hand them a ballet tutu and invite them to dance in it, they rediscover their passion for classical ballet, their joy in being together, and the beauty that ballet as an art form brings into our lives.

Jani Kutin, vocals, texts, flute, goat's horn; Marjan Stanić, percussion, drums; Matej Magajne, el. guitar, bass guitar; Andrea Pandolfo, trumpet, fluegelhorn, piano; Dejan Lapanja, drums, acoustic guitar, bass guitar; Samo Kutin, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, balafon, tambura basprim, hurdy gurdy, bass harp, n’goni, sound objects

First there was Bakalina, a duo of self-taught musicians – the singer songwriter and loquacious peasant poet Jani Kutin and the accordionist Renata Lapanja. Delivering contemporary melodies and socially critical lyrics in the Čadrg dialect of the Tolmin region, Bakalina has been captivating audiences for nearly a decade, from prominent concert venues to the most secluded rural villages. With each concert and album, Bakalina grew and became Bakalina Velika, comprising members of Jani's former collective Salamandra Salamandra (Samo Kutin, Dejan Lapanja, Matej Magajne), as well as percussionist Marjan Stanić and Rome-born Trieste-based trumpeter Andrea Pandolfo. They have released two albums so far, Prvi krajec came out in the spring of 2021, followed by Zviezdna srebruo (2022). The concert at Cankarjev dom is dedicated to their forthcoming new album, featuring brand-new songs and a new lineup of instruments, a lyre, a flute and a drum made from more than 6500-year-old fir tree found in Čadrg, a village in the Tolmin area.

The concert lasts approx. 90 minutes.

Vita Mavrič performing a concert with guests Mia Žnidarič, Alenka Godec and Jure Ivanušič, under the musical direction of Jaka Pucihar, accompanied by members of the RTV Slovenija Symphony Orchestra.

Vita Mavrič is making her ninth album, scheduled for release in 2026. The brand-new material will be premiered at a retrospective concert organised in celebration of her sixtieth birthday. 

During a career spanning nearly four decades, Vita Mavrič has refined her interpretation, deepening her engagement with the songs and broadening her stylistic range. Vita’s teasing coquetry from her first chansonniere days has gradually evolved into a daring, finely honed delivery of carefully selected and extremely varied repertoire.

The retrospective concert is dedicated to a representative selection to Vita’s lifework, complemented by the long-awaited collaboration with her brother Vinko Möderndorfer, a sprinkling of Vinko’s songs arranged by Jaka Pucihar. In addition, the programme will include works by some of the greatest local and international chanson composers, most notably Jani Kovačič, Jacques Brel, Leo Ferré, Borut Lesjak and Arsen Dedić.

Expect a hefty dose of the nostalgia of chansons with stellar guests – Mia Žnidarič, Alenka Godec and Jure Ivanušič – and a fresh batch of tunes imbued with a mature, bittersweet acceptance of transience. "Stage curtain – fall in the middle of a bow!", reads a line from one of Möderndorfer's songs. Vita Mavrič's retrospective concert is far from being a coincidence; it is a carefully considered stage of Vita’s journey and a celebration of two jubilees: Vita’s sixtieth birthday and the thirtieth anniversary of the artistic partnership with the pianist and arranger Jaka Pucihar, who has written all the arrangements on Vita's recent albums and co-authored the "La vie en rose" events. As well as a pianist, "La Vita e bella" features Jaka Pucihar in the roles of composer, arranger and conductor.

Teja Klobčar, music editor 

Bojan Emeršič’s first-ever solo standup performance!
Plus the latest finest offerings from comedians Vid Valič, Tin Vodopivec and Sašo Stare.  

A grand show featuring two hours of life’s profoundest truths.
 

In Slovenian without translation.

aja monet is a multidisciplinary artist in the finest sense of the word – a poet, writer, spoken-word virtuosa, cultural worker and activist based in Brooklyn. Her writings address the themes of injustice, persecution, resistance and systemic violence from East New York to Palestine, but also belonging, motherhood and notions of community. At age 19, she was the youngest ever Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam champion.

Her debut album, when the poems do what they do, (recorded in collaboration with a roster of esteemed musicians, most notably Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, and also Samora Pinderhughes, Marcus Gilmore ...) is a mind-altering spoken-word cry, encapsulating the vibrant essence of jazz. “These aren’t poems for poets, but poems for everyone.” Last year, it was nominated for a Grammy Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.
 

An exclusive coming together between a doyen of avant-garde jazz, saxophonist David Murray, and one of our era’s foremost post-bop trios, Tarbaby. 

When it comes to the sheer breath of this man’s creative output and his longevity on the jazz scene, Murray is practically without equal. A brilliant composer and a totally unique improviser, Murray is also a founding member of the groundbreaking World Saxophone Quartet, and has released over 160 albums in his own right over the last five decades. His most recent – Francesca (2024) – was chosen as No. 2 Best Jazz Album of 2024 by The New York Times. It was Tarbaby who topped this chart with You Think This America, an album of impeccable delivery and unrelenting creativity.
 

Directed by: Tugo Štiglic 
Written by: Vitan Mal, Tugo Štiglic
Cinematography: Rado Likon 
Music: Jani Golob 
Editing: Jaka Judnič 
Cast: David Sluga (Tomaž), Kaja Štiglic (Milena), Boris Kralj (Luka), Marjana Karner (Mother), Dare Valič (Father), Majda Potokar (Doctor)
Production: Filmski studio Viba film, Kulturna skupnost Slovenije 

A 1980s Slovenian blockbuster and a groundbreaking youth film thatreinvigorated the national cinema, with the seaside towns of Piran, Portorož and the local salt marshes providing a beautiful setting for this coming-of-age story.

It is the summer when the main protagonist, Tomaž, bids farewell to his boyhood. Playing on the seashore, he forgets the quarrels between his parents who are separated and, as it is usual with many parents, have no time to notice that their son is growing up. Apart from elderly Luka, a former mariner, there is no one in the world of adults who understands Tomaž’s problems. Luka gives him a shell that will help Tomaž keep his memories of the summer: his first love, first romantic touch, and his summertime friends will come back to him whenever he listens to the murmur of the sea in the shell. It is a summer of coming-of-age, of taking important decisions and shouldering responsibilities.

The film won the Audience Award at the 1986 Celje National Film Week and the Grand Prix for Best Film at the 16th Giffoni Film Festival.

The versatile Palestinian musician Ahmed Eid blends traditional Arabic rhythms with global musical influences, underscoring a strong social commitment through his lyrics. 

A classically trained musician, Ahmed Eid’s education included jazz at the Cologne Conservatory of Music alongside classical music at the Lübeck Conservatory of Music. As a founding member of the internationally acclaimed band Bukahara, Eid seamlessly transcends roles as bassist, guitarist, percussionist and singer-songwriter, having evolved a signature style grounded in Arabic melodies but also incorporating other music genres. 

With ten albums under his belt, he now embarks on a solo journey with his latest release, Aghani Akhira أغاني اخيرة(Last Songs), reaching deeper into pressing personal and global issues such as patriarchal violence, colonialism and the refugee experience. Born to parents in political exile, Ahmed Eid grew up in Ramallah and moved to Berlin at the age of 27. Since then, he has divided his life and work between the two cities. This division also informs his genre-varied music, which creates a new, “in-between” space. At Cankarjev dom, Ahmed will present his latest album, Aghani Akhira, accompanied by a Berlin-based band, ILYF. 

Beyond the spotlight, the artist shows unwavering commitment to nurturing emerging talent and alternative music scenes, reflected in the launch of the “Palestine Music Space” Foundation and Centre in Ramallah. Providing free music education and recording space, the initiative stands as a beacon of hope for young musicians in Palestine. Ahmed Eid is one of its principal financial benefactors.

ILYF is a Berlin-based band consisting of the founding members of Bukahara, violinist Daniel Avi Schneider and bassist Ahmed Eid, drummer Kuba, aka Badkuzu, and keyboardist Allysa Grace Martinez. Their concerts constitute an eclectic mixture of psychedelic groove, traditionally infused Arabic songs as well as improvised adventures, organic funk, soft progressions and sounds sourced from Berlin’s contemporary scene.

We regret to inform you that due to the escalating military conflict in Gaza, Palestinian singer Terez Sliman has been prevented from visiting Ljubljana and performing within the context of the Music of the World Season Series. The Terez Sliman concert scheduled for 26 June has been cancelled. Standing in for Terez Sliman is Palestinian musician Ahmed Eid who will perform on 14 June. No ticket exchange is required for the substitute concert, and the same allocated seating applies.
Terez Sliman will be one of our featured artists in next year’s Music of the World Season Series (June 2026).

Ticketholders unable to attend the concert on the new date are entitled to a refund (a proportionate part of the subscription fee) or credit note.
Furter info: vstopnice@cd-cc.si 

Primož Grašič, guitar; Vid Jamnik, vibraphone; Mario Mavrin, bass guitar; David Gazarov, piano; Emil Spanyi, klavir; Christophe Bras, drums

Boško Petrović (1935–2011), a Croatian jazz legend and a world-renowned vibraphonist, was closely connected with Slovenia, spending part of his youth here, attending and graduating from the Poljane Grammar School – and playing football for Ljubljana’s Odred club (today's NK Olimpija).

Jazz Continuo and Two Pianos – Music for Boško Petrović received its widely-heralded premiere on 15 January 2025 at the Vatroslav Lisinski Cultural Centre in Zagreb. Given than Boško, a regular guest on Slovenian stages and a mentor to our musicians, played his last concert in Slovenia with the RTV Slovenija Big Band on 18 December 2010, it is only fitting that – on the 90th anniversary of his birth – Boško's music be again heard in our country, in Cankarjev dom’s Linhart Hall. 

Jazz Continuo was formed in 2012 with the idea of keeping Boško Petrović's music alive and performed even after his passing. The project was initiated by Boško's closest collaborators and friends – Mario Mavrin, Primož Grašič, and Vid Jamnik, who organize an annual concert in his honour, performing in the original format of his trio: vibraphone, guitar, and bass.
 
For this special occasion, celebrating the 90th anniversary of Boško Petrović's birth, Jamnik, Mavrin and Grašič will be joined on stage by additional friends and collaborators: brilliant pianists David Gazarov and Emil Spanyi, as well as drummer Christophe Bras. Together, they will present Boško's original compositions and jazz standards he loved to play with his many line-ups. 

The concert will also present the album Shut Up!...Thank You! (Croatia Records, 2025), a compilation of carefully selected tracks from Boško's rich discography. 

The programme is a double bill consisting of two dance and music performances, created in collaboration between the music duo Silence and the dance duo MN Dance.

MN Dance Company: DE-SET

DE-SET is a performance celebrating the 10th anniversary of the creative journey of dancers Nastja Bremec Rynia and Michal Rynia. The interlacing of dance, live music and captivating visuals integrates various motifs from the artistic couple’s body of work, which, in addition to a lively interest in humankind’s intimate and social essence, thematise archetypal questions defining the relationship between her and him, and the energy that feeds that relationship. This energy is love, it is art, it is the electricity flowing between them. In their signature dance style, marked by exceptional consistency, perfection of movement and powerful expression, they have combined their memories and past stories into a new conceptual form, co-created with duo Silence, vocalist Boris Benko and pianist Primož Hladnik, who celebrated an anniversary of their own in 2019 – 20 years of making music together. 

duo Silence: PROCES{i}

The public is invited to attend a public trial.
K. is a composer who finds herself in the dock.
She’s become a defendant after being found guilty.
Don't ask when or why. Nobody, including K., remembers that anymore.
All that matters is that her guilty verdict brings her the highest punishment: a lifelong trial. 
A lifelong dissection of her actions. A lifelong criminalisation of her goals. 
Without the possibility of pardon.
The tribunal that is prosecuting K. strictly sanctions all forms of innocence. 
Luckily, it approves of music and dance performances.

We are thrilled to announce Procesi, Duo Silence's playwriting and directorial debut. A rather unique theatrical event based on Silence’s original script and inspired by Franz Kafka’s novel The Trial, this cocktail of live music and monodrama marks the centenary of the death of Franz Kafka, the most famous insect among writers. The duo will be joined on stage by actress Katarina Stegnar.