Romeo and Juliet, an immortal tragedy about a couple of lovers in Verona written by William Shakespeare in 1593, is one of the most famous love stories ever written. Its ballet adaptation, set to music by Sergei Prokofiev seventy years ago, is characterised by such depth that the music defines even the mental worlds of its dramatis personae. ja and Lukas Zuschlag (Austria).

In the foreground of the current Slovenian production of the ballet, choreographed by the famous Youri Vàmos (Hungary), are the motives of the two young lovers, who consistently and regardless of consequences follow their emotions.

Coreography: Yourij Vàmos
Performance by: The Slovenian National Theatre - the Opera and Ballet of Ljubljana and soloists Rita Klašnja and Lukas Zuschlag (Austria).

Romeo and Juliet, an immortal tragedy about a couple of lovers in Verona written by William Shakespeare in 1593, is one of the most famous love stories ever written. Its ballet adaptation, set to music by Sergei Prokofiev seventy years ago, is characterised by such depth that the music defines even the mental worlds of its dramatis personae. ja and Lukas Zuschlag (Austria).

In the foreground of the current Slovenian production of the ballet, choreographed by the famous Youri Vàmos (Hungary), are the motives of the two young lovers, who consistently and regardless of consequences follow their emotions.

Coreography: Yourij Vàmos
Performance by: The Slovenian National Theatre - the Opera and Ballet of Ljubljana and soloists Rita Klašnja and Lukas Zuschlag (Austria).

Coreography: Rosana Hribar, Filibert Tologo
Dancer: Maša Kagao Knez

Josipa Lisac is a renowned singer whose unique interpretations and stage presence have left a strong mark on the Croatian musical scene. Her unique singing style, adopted over more than 40 years of her career, continues to gain in its distinctive originality.

This extensive exhibition of over 800 artefacts shows the ever more endangered way of life of the Hiwi, Hoti, Panare and other Indian peoples who have lived in the rainforest of the Orinoco River region of southern Venezuela for thousands of years.

Set up in an original way to present the sonic and visual aspects of the rainforest, the exhibition follows the Indians' life in the forest, on the river, and in communal houses. Exhibits include hammocks, poisoned arrows, bat necklaces and many other original objects from the extensive collection held by the Venezuelan-based Fundación Cisneros foundation.

The collection, comprised of over 800 objects used by the Indians in everyday and ritual life, was amassed from fieldwork in the second half of the 20th century. Apart from the already mentioned objects, it includes masks, carvings, ritual shamanic objects, stools, ritual sticks and weapons, funerary mortars, jewellery, beautifully coloured aprons, garments, musical instruments, boats, earthenware, baskets, textiles and more.

Coreography: Tanja Pezdir
Performance by: The Slovenian National Theatre - the Opera and Ballet of Ljubljana

The parents of little Miss Mouse are looking for a prospective husband for their daughter. As he is supposed to be the most powerful creature in the world, they turn down Prince Mouse, with whom Miss Mouse is in love, and offer their daugh­ter\\\'s hand to the Sun.

After a while, a Cloud emerges, casts a shadow over the Sun and the Sun is obliged to retreat. Then the Wind turns up and blows away the Cloud. Standing in the Wind\\\'s way is a Wall. It blocks the Wind and little Miss Mouse\\\'s parents decide to wed their daughter to the Wall. But mice gnaw under the Wall and make it collapse. Eventually, in spite of everything, little Miss Mouse\\\'s parents must give their daughter\\\'s hand in marriage to Prince Mouse.

Coreography: Tanja Pezdir
Performance by: The Slovenian National Theatre - the Opera and Ballet of Ljubljana

The parents of little Miss Mouse are looking for a prospective husband for their daughter. As he is supposed to be the most powerful creature in the world, they turn down Prince Mouse, with whom Miss Mouse is in love, and offer their daugh­ter\\\'s hand to the Sun.

After a while, a Cloud emerges, casts a shadow over the Sun and the Sun is obliged to retreat. Then the Wind turns up and blows away the Cloud. Standing in the Wind\\\'s way is a Wall. It blocks the Wind and little Miss Mouse\\\'s parents decide to wed their daughter to the Wall. But mice gnaw under the Wall and make it collapse. Eventually, in spite of everything, little Miss Mouse\\\'s parents must give their daughter\\\'s hand in marriage to Prince Mouse.

Poetry and music: Svetlana Makarovič
Line-up: Janja Majzelj (vocals), Joži Šalej (piano, accordeon), Jelena Ždrale (violin, mandolin), Blaž Celarec (percussion, clarinet), Nino de Gleria (double bass)

Every Sunday at 2 pm we organize a free guided tour through Radovljica's medieval town.
We will visit:

• Medieval moat, the only one remaining in Slovenia
• Gothic church of St. Peter
• Chapel of Edith Stein
• Gothic Tavern
• Gingerbread workshop
• Beautifully renovated baroque mansion

In the end you will be able to visit the famous Beekeeping museum with a unique collection of painter panels. Entrance to the museum is 3,00 EUR per adult and 2,00 EUR per child. 

Nightwish, currently one of the most successful metal bands worldwide, combine goth and metal music with operatic singing by Anette Olzon who replaced their popular former singer Tarja Turunen.

The show, performed by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, is intended for children above the age of 12, young people and adults.

The puppet show Doctor Faust is based on a famous 1938 production of Goethe's Faust conceived by Milan Klemenčič, the founding father of Slovenian puppetry.

The 1938 production, performed in front of an audience made up only of Klemenčič's family and friends, is considered to be a treasure of Slovenian puppetry history. In 1982, a modernized version of the show was staged by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre. Since then, Doctor Faust has been performed to great acclaim by ever new generations of master puppeteers.

The puppet show is held in Slovene with English subtittles.

This historical exhibition shows the life of Slovenian women in four important periods of history from the revolutionary year of 1848 to the end of the Second World War.

Visitors to the exhibition learn about the ways of thinking and acting of some of the most recognized Slovenian women of the time, the ideology of the women's movement, and the social life of Slovenian women in the areas of charity work, politics, education, science, culture, art, fashion and sports.

The exhibition features original shaving boards from Cameroon, Senegal and the Central African Republic and photographs documenting barbershop and hair-saloon signs in Togo, Benin and Ghana, dating from the 1970s to the present day. 

Ljubljana hosts a large retrospective on Niko Kralj, the founding father of Slovenian industrial design and a towering figure among 20th century industrial designers. 

Over his long career, Kralj has come up with innovative, socially-conscious designs for countless pieces of furniture and contributed to the development of the quality of living in Slovenia and international recognition of the country's furniture industry. The item that earned him a place among the world's top industrial designers is his famous foldable Rex chair, which is included in the collection of MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York.

The monks from the famous Shaolin temple in the Henan Province of China have for centuries been using meditation and physical exercises to enhance their physical capabilities to an outstandingly high level, which historically led to the development of martial arts such as kung fu.

The Shaolin technique, practiced for over fifteen hundred years, is based on harnessing the body's vital energy known as Qi.

The Shaolin show is comprised of extreme physical stunts performed by a group of monks and masters led by a 75-year-old Shaolin temple master and a group of young monks. The show includes interaction with the audience.

God Is an Astronaut play innovative instrumental rock music marked by an epic feel and an extraordinary atmospheric sound.

God is an Astronaut's music is based partly on space-rock patterns used by Pink Floyd and partly on elements characteristic of contemporary post-rock music. The band, active since 2002, have so far released five albums, all critically acclaimed.

David and Shane of the Umbilical Brothers are well known for their unbridled imagination and what they refer to as 'structured childishness'. They are currently Australia's most renowned stand-up comedians, touring to great acclaim across the world.

They will perform in English, without translation.

David and Shane of the Umbilical Brothers are well known for their unbridled imagination and what they refer to as 'structured childishness'. They are currently Australia's most renowned stand-up comedians, touring to great acclaim across the world.

They will perform in English, without translation.

For the last two decades, dEUS have been regarded as one of the best rock bands in Belgium and Europe.

From the 1990s to the present day, the band's excellent and distinctive musical expression has undergone a development from experiments with jazz elements to a more conventional, romantically infused sound of the band's present line-up.

tUnE-yArDs is an experimental indie-folk project of Merril Garbus.

tUnE-yArDs' debut album, BiRd-BrAiNs, was recorded using a dictaphone. When it was released in 2009, it was received with surprising acclaim. The Guardian newspaper named it 'the discovery of the year'. The band's second album, w h o k i l l, released in April 2011, has been hailed for its musical innovation and tUnE-yArDs' music has been used in several TV serials and advertisements.

Artistic director: Živa Ploj Peršut
Programme: A. Webern, K. A. Hartmann, L. van Beethoven

Programme: M. M. Ponce, T. Takemitsu, J. Rodrigo, G. Regondi, A. Tansman

The Shrovetide carnival traditionally held in Ljubljana consists of a large carnival parade through the city's streets and a programme of entertainment held in the centrally located Kongresni trg square. The carnival parade includes, among others, a number of typical Slovenian carnival figures rooted in pagan tradition, such as 'kurent', 'laufar', 'morostar' and several others.

Shrovetide tradition

The tradition of celebrating Shrovetide with masks and carnival processions dates back to ancient pagan times. After 1300, Central Europe saw the merging of pagan and Christian traditions and masked celebrations began to be held over the days preceding the 40-day fasting period of Lent.

Slovenian carnival figures are very colourful and Slovenian Shrovetide traditions, reflecting the distinctive local features of the rural environments of the past, unique in many ways.

The country's best known carnival figures are 'kurent', originating from the town of Ptuj, 'laufar' from the village of Cerkno, and 'škoromat' from the village of Hrušica. In Ljubljana's surrounding area the best known carnival figures are 'mačkara' and 'petelin' from the village of Dobrepolje.

The British pop-rock band Smokie rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit songs such as Living Next Door to Alice, Mexican Girl, Oh Carol and Needles and Pins.

Today, so many years later, the Smokie's albums, which have sold over 30 million copies to date, are still among the best-selling albums in the world and their live concerts are still extremely well attended and recognized not only for the band's accomplished performances, but also for their amazing sound system and lighting setup.

The Ljubljana concert by Wishbone Ash will be part of the band's tour promoting their new album Elegant Stealth.

Throughout their career of many years, Wishbone Ash have defied precise genre classification. Since their early beginnings, their sound has combined, in a unique way, recognizable elements of different British rock music styles, including progressive rock in the vein of Pink Floyd and Yes, hard rock in the vein of Led Zeppelin, and boogie in the vein of Ten Years After.

In his series of photographs entitled Album – Neue Slowenische Kunst, the Slovenian photojournalist Jože Suhadolnik offers his own personal view of the Neue Slowenische Kunst artistic movement.

In depicting the members of this controversial movement, captured in 59 large-format black and white photographs, Suhadolnik does not pass judgement on their creative stance and philosophy, but rather portrays them in a simple way, as a circle of people brought together by the necessities of (artistic) existence and reminiscent of a tight-knit family.
Back in the 1980s in Slovenia, the members of the Neue Slowenische Kunst collective began to create what has turned out to be one of the most interesting and provocative oeuvres in contemporary art worldwide. What earned them the most prominent place in the history of art are the fine art works by the art group Irwin and music by the cult alternative band Laibach.

The dance production Gardenia, which deals, in a very straightforward manner, with life stories of transsexuals and transvestites, became a huge theatrical box office hit across Europe after being performed at the Avignon Festival last year.

The production, inspired by a film about the closure of a cabaret in Barcelona, tells an intimate story woven from the turbulent lives of nine interesting characters: seven elderly actors steering between female and male identity, a young man and a 'real' woman, each on their own path of searching for life's meaning.

Directed by: Frank Van Laecke
Choreographed by: Alain Platel

The dance production Gardenia, which deals, in a very straightforward manner, with life stories of transsexuals and transvestites, became a huge theatrical box office hit across Europe after being performed at the Avignon Festival last year.

The production, inspired by a film about the closure of a cabaret in Barcelona, tells an intimate story woven from the turbulent lives of nine interesting characters: seven elderly actors steering between female and male identity, a young man and a 'real' woman, each on their own path of searching for life's meaning.

Directed by: Frank Van Laecke
Choreographed by: Alain Platel

Herring Feasts, which have been held at the Union Hall (Unionska dvorana) annually since 1908 with a break only during the two World Wars, traditionally feature culinary exhibitions of various seafood dishes.

The forthcoming Herring Feast will include a culinary masterpiece exhibition and a tasting session of freshwater and sea fish specialities complemented by an extensive range of wines and desserts.

More information are available on: www.gh-union.si/slanikova

The concert will feature performances by: Mateja Preprotnik Blumauer (soprano), Nuška Drašček (mezzo-soprano), Martin Logar (tenor), Peter Martinčič (basso).

Choirmaster: Krištof Hrastnik
Directed by: Magdalena Hrastnik
Performed by: Lilija Children's Vocal Group, Teja Ulaga (piano).

Conductor: Lojze Krajnčan
Guest vocalist: Alenka Godec
Moderator: Hugo Šekoranja

Conductor: Lojze Krajnčan
Guest vocalist: Alenka Godec
Moderator: Hugo Šekoranja

Directed by: Detlef Soelter
Performed by: Soloists, choir and Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre - Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
Conductor: Eddi De Nadai / Igor Švara

The opera Nabucco, one of Verdi's most successful works, is based on a biblical story about Nebuchadnezzar and his campaign against the Israelites from the Old Testament.

The story is convoluted by the rivalry between Nebuchadnezzar's daughter Fenena and her sister Abigaillo, who plots against Fenena to win the love of the Israelite prince Ismaele.

Nabucco was first staged at the Slovenian National Opera and Theatre of Ljubljana in 1959 and for the second time in the season of 2000-2001, on the centenary of the composer's death.

Directed by: Detlef Sölter
Performed by: Soloists, choir and Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre - Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
Conductor: Eddi De Nadai / Igor Švara

The opera Nabucco, one of Verdi's most successful works, is based on a biblical story about Nebuchadnezzar and his campaign against the Israelites from the Old Testament.

The story is convoluted by the rivalry between Nebuchadnezzar's daughter Fenena and her sister Abigaillo, who plots against Fenena to win the love of the Israelite prince Ismaele.

Nabucco was first staged at the Slovenian National Opera and Theatre of Ljubljana in 1959 and for the second time in the season of 2000-2001, on the centenary of the composer's death.

Directed by: Detlef Sölter
Performed by: Soloists, choir and Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre - Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
Conductor: Eddi De Nadai / Igor Švara

The opera Nabucco, one of Verdi's most successful works, is based on a biblical story about Nebuchadnezzar and his campaign against the Israelites from the Old Testament.

The story is convoluted by the rivalry between Nebuchadnezzar's daughter Fenena and her sister Abigaillo, who plots against Fenena to win the love of the Israelite prince Ismaele.

Nabucco was first staged at the Slovenian National Opera and Theatre of Ljubljana in 1959 and for the second time in the season of 2000-2001, on the centenary of the composer's death.

Directed by: Detlef Sölter
Performed by: Soloists, choir and Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre - Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
Conductor: Eddi De Nadai / Igor Švara

The opera Nabucco, one of Verdi's most successful works, is based on a biblical story about Nebuchadnezzar and his campaign against the Israelites from the Old Testament.

The story is convoluted by the rivalry between Nebuchadnezzar's daughter Fenena and her sister Abigaillo, who plots against Fenena to win the love of the Israelite prince Ismaele.

Nabucco was first staged at the Slovenian National Opera and Theatre of Ljubljana in 1959 and for the second time in the season of 2000-2001, on the centenary of the composer's death.

Directed by: Detlef Sölter
Performed by: Soloists, choir and Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre - Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
Conductor: Eddi De Nadai / Igor Švara

The opera Nabucco, one of Verdi's most successful works, is based on a biblical story about Nebuchadnezzar and his campaign against the Israelites from the Old Testament.

The story is convoluted by the rivalry between Nebuchadnezzar's daughter Fenena and her sister Abigaillo, who plots against Fenena to win the love of the Israelite prince Ismaele.

Nabucco was first staged at the Slovenian National Opera and Theatre of Ljubljana in 1959 and for the second time in the season of 2000-2001, on the centenary of the composer's death.

Directed by: Detlef Sölter
Performed by: Soloists, choir and Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre - Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
Conductor: Eddi De Nadai / Igor Švara

The opera Nabucco, one of Verdi's most successful works, is based on a biblical story about Nebuchadnezzar and his campaign against the Israelites from the Old Testament.

The story is convoluted by the rivalry between Nebuchadnezzar's daughter Fenena and her sister Abigaillo, who plots against Fenena to win the love of the Israelite prince Ismaele.

Nabucco was first staged at the Slovenian National Opera and Theatre of Ljubljana in 1959 and for the second time in the season of 2000-2001, on the centenary of the composer's death.

Directed by: Detlef Sölter
Performed by: Soloists, choir and Orchestra of Slovenian National Theatre - Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
Conductor: Eddi De Nadai / Igor Švara

Over the first week of February, Ljubljana will host a series of open-air concerts by singing choirs and vocal groups. The latter will perform at locations where Prešeren lived, spent his time and met people.

The 1,850-metre long running route will start from the village of Tacen at the foot of the Šmarna gora hill and continue along the classical walking route Across the Roots (Čez korenine) and across the Sedlo hill to the top of Šmarna gora. 

Full application details are available from the website at http://www.smarnagora.com. The race will take place regardless of weather conditions.

This exhibition offers an insight into the work of Metka Krašovec, one of the most important and unique painters of the last decades.

Metka Krašovec celebrated her 70th birthday last year. The retrospective of her work brings together a selection of her paintings and drawings of the last 40 years. The major works included in the exhibition reflect her artistic development and show how she explored various drawing and acrylic painting techniques to perfect her creative expression and achieve the highest artistic standards.

Ana Nuša Dragan (1943-2011) is considered to be one of most important Slovenian conceptual film and video artists of here era. 

Support DJs: LXS, Daniel GreenX

The Fable (Fabula) festival will host a string of literary events of high calibre featuring big names in literature from Slovenia and abroad.

For more information on the Fabula 2012 festival and a detailed programme of events, please visit the festival's official website.

Each year, Ljubljana's International Documentary Film Festival offers an insight into contemporary documentary film production. 

The festival has made it its mission to strive valiantly to reach into the core of the greatest social and political problems. It brings together political and portrait documentaries and films on myths, icons, the media and other themes.

The festival includes a competition section. In collaboration with Amnesty International Slovenia, a prize will be awarded to the best film on the theme of human rights.

Detailed information on the festival will be available at its official website.

The show, performed by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, is intended for children above the age of 12, young people and adults.

The puppet show Doctor Faust is based on a famous 1938 production of Goethe's Faust conceived by Milan Klemenčič, the founding father of Slovenian puppetry.

The 1938 production, performed in front of an audience made up only of Klemenčič's family and friends, is considered to be a treasure of Slovenian puppetry history. In 1982, a modernized version of the show was staged by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre. Since then, Doctor Faust has been performed to great acclaim by ever new generations of master puppeteers.

The puppet show is held in Slovene with English subtittles.

The show, performed by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, is intended for children above the age of 12, young people and adults.

The puppet show Doctor Faust is based on a famous 1938 production of Goethe's Faust conceived by Milan Klemenčič, the founding father of Slovenian puppetry.

The 1938 production, performed in front of an audience made up only of Klemenčič's family and friends, is considered to be a treasure of Slovenian puppetry history. In 1982, a modernized version of the show was staged by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre. Since then, Doctor Faust has been performed to great acclaim by ever new generations of master puppeteers.

The puppet show is held in Slovene with English subtittles.

Stories Today (Pravljice danes), a storytelling festival whose thirteenth edition is held this year, offers a wide and varied spectrum of carefully selected stories for listeners of all ages.

Performers include professional storytellers from all over the world, actors, writers, illustrators, musicians, researchers of the storytelling tradition and librarians.

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Soloist: Adam Neiman, piano
Programme: Tadeja Vulc, O. Messiaen, C. Debussy, G. Fauré, G. Bizet

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Soloist: Adam Neiman, piano
Programme: Tadeja Vulc, O. Messiaen, C. Debussy, G. Fauré, G. Bizet

Exhibition illustrates works of Europe-wide artist’s book competition:  Artists’ Books whose aim was to gain an overview of Europe-wide creative work in the artist’s book.  

Conductor: Ivan Repušić
Soloist: Allen Vizzutti, trumpet
Programme: O. Respighi, H. Tomasi, N. Rimsky-Korsakoff

Conductor: Ivan Repušić
Soloist: Allen Vizzutti, trumpet
Programme: O. Respighi, H. Tomasi, N. Rimsky-Korsakoff

The exhibition features works by Slovenian painters living and working in Trieste between 1945 and 1960. 

Choreographer: Kjara Starič

Choreographer: Kjara Starič

Conductor: Sir Neville Marriner
Programme: J. Haydn, A. Webern, G. Holst

Conductor: Sir Neville Marriner
Programme: J. Haydn, A. Webern, G. Holst

Conductor: Žare Prinčič 

Conductor: Lorenzo Castriota
Soloist: Andraž Poljanec, percussion
Programme: O. Respighi, P. Šavli, E. Chausson

Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin 
Programme: C. Debussy, M. Ravel

Programme: F. Schubert, A. Schnittke, L. van Beethoven. 

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Soloist: Sarah Chang, violin
Programme: M. Šijanec, F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, L. van Beethoven

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Soloist: Sarah Chang, violin
Programme: M. Šijanec, F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, L. van Beethoven

Megadeth, formed in 1983 by Dave Mustaine, the former guitarist for Metallica, are one of the all time most successful metal bands. 

Next to Metallica, Megadeth were one of the 1990s' bands who most successfully adapted the thrash metal sound of the time to the taste of mainstream audiences. Over the recent years, which have seen a revival of the original hard and sharp sound of metal music, Megadeth have returned to their roots.

Their latest album, TH1RT3EN (2011)  debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart and received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Programme: D. Žgur, J. Gregorc, N. de Gleria, V. Atanasovski

Programme: PH. Glass: Piano Pieces

More information: http://motorsport-salon.si/?page_id=294

The Congolese band Konono No 1. create original mixture of the traditional and the modern sounds which transcends musical genres and is  reminiscent of contemporary electronic music.

The group is by Mingiedi Mawangu, a virtuoso on likembe (traditional thumb piano). They stared their career in 1960s but acchieved international fame much later, in 2005, with the album Congotronics.

Their music, created by electronically amplified likembes was compared by critics to various revolutionary musicians such as Can and their krautrock sound, Jimi Hendrix, Lee Perry or the pioneers of early techno.

Vino is an international wine fair that has focus on wine tasting under guidance and gives experts the opportunity to taste new and established wines. 

Over the last decade, Marcus Füreder, performing under the name of Parov Stelar, has made a name for himself for his trademark eclectic style of music, in which he combines jazz, swing and electronic music styles.

Parov Stelar is credited with sparking a renaissance of the 1920s' swing music and inspiring pop stars such as Robbie Williams and Christina Aguilera to use elements of swing in their music. 

Neisha is a versatile musician working as a composer, arranger, pianist, vocalist and studio musician. Her music is a mixture of pop and soul.

Line-up: Tomislav Bralić & Klapa Intrade, Klapa Maslina, Klapa Cambi, Klapa Kumpanji, Klapa Sv. Juraj HRM, Klapa Kontrada, Klapa Srdela, Klapa Subrenum, Slavko Ivančič & Klapa Solinar
Special guest performers: Pop singers Danijela and Petar Grašo (Croatia)

The term "klapa" refers to five to ten-piece, mainly male vocal groups performing traditional folk and popular songs typical of the Croatian coastal region of Dalmatia. Klapas first began to appear in the second half of the 19th century. They usually performed songs for three or four voice parts sung a cappella. Today, piano, mandolin or even accordion accompaniment is becoming common.

Programme: J.-M. Leclair, J.-B. Forqueray, J. Morel, M. Blavet

Programme: J. S. Bach, G. Ph. Telemann

Programme: G. Gabrieli, C. Merulo, G. B. Fontana, J. Rosenmüller, G. Legrenzi

Programme: J. Strauss, A. Dvořák, A. Schoenberg

Programme: J. Golob, N. Firtšt, U. Krek, J. Pucihar, K. Szimanovsky

The exhibition Finnish Glass Art, 2005-2010 showcases the latest developments in Finnish glass design, which is rooted, among other things, in the work of famous Finnish designers such as Tapio Wirkkala, Kaj Franck and Alvar Aalto.

The exhibition brings together both functional and decorative objects, many of them remarkable for their innovative design and textures.

The exhibition was set up by the Finnish Glass Museum (Suomen lasimuseo) in Riihimäki.

The current production of the famous Slovenian avant-garde opera Black Masks has been staged as part of the Maribor – European Capital of Culture 2012 programme of events.

The composer Marij Kogoj worked on this eccentric modern opera, based on a story by the Russian writer Leonid Andreyev, between the years 1924 and 1927.
The opera about Lorenzo, who is haunted by demons until his eventual mental break down, has for long been considered to be born under an unlucky star. Its previous stagings – some of them infamous, others doomed to never see the light of day – have been surrounded by dark rumours, including some linking the opera with the composer's personal destiny.

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic
Director: Janez Burger
Costume designer: Alan Hranitelj
Choreographer: Edward Clug
Main soloists: Marina Zadro, Urška Arlič Gololičič, Jože Vidic, Andrej Debevec, Saša Čano, Peter Martinčič, Ivan Andres Arnšek, Juan Vasle, Dejan Vrbančič, Marko Kobal, Darko Vidic, Zoran Potočan.

Coproduced by the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ljubljana, the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Maribor, and the City of Maribor, the European Capital of Culture 2012.
 

The current production of the famous Slovenian avant-garde opera Black Masks has been staged as part of the Maribor – European Capital of Culture 2012 programme of events.

The composer Marij Kogoj worked on this eccentric modern opera, based on a story by the Russian writer Leonid Andreyev, between the years 1924 and 1927.
The opera about Lorenzo, who is haunted by demons until his eventual mental break down, has for long been considered to be born under an unlucky star. Its previous stagings – some of them infamous, others doomed to never see the light of day – have been surrounded by dark rumours, including some linking the opera with the composer's personal destiny.

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic
Director: Janez Burger
Costume designer: Alan Hranitelj
Choreographer: Edward Clug
Main soloists: Marina Zadro, Urška Arlič Gololičič, Jože Vidic, Andrej Debevec, Saša Čano, Peter Martinčič, Ivan Andres Arnšek, Juan Vasle, Dejan Vrbančič, Marko Kobal, Darko Vidic, Zoran Potočan.

Coproduced by the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ljubljana, the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Maribor, and the City of Maribor, the European Capital of Culture 2012.
 

The current production of the famous Slovenian avant-garde opera Black Masks has been staged as part of the Maribor – European Capital of Culture 2012 programme of events.

The composer Marij Kogoj worked on this eccentric modern opera, based on a story by the Russian writer Leonid Andreyev, between the years 1924 and 1927.
The opera about Lorenzo, who is haunted by demons until his eventual mental break down, has for long been considered to be born under an unlucky star. Its previous stagings – some of them infamous, others doomed to never see the light of day – have been surrounded by dark rumours, including some linking the opera with the composer's personal destiny.

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic
Director: Janez Burger
Costume designer: Alan Hranitelj
Choreographer: Edward Clug
Main soloists: Marina Zadro, Urška Arlič Gololičič, Jože Vidic, Andrej Debevec, Saša Čano, Peter Martinčič, Ivan Andres Arnšek, Juan Vasle, Dejan Vrbančič, Marko Kobal, Darko Vidic, Zoran Potočan.

Coproduced by the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ljubljana, the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Maribor, and the City of Maribor, the European Capital of Culture 2012.
 

The current production of the famous Slovenian avant-garde opera Black Masks has been staged as part of the Maribor – European Capital of Culture 2012 programme of events.

The composer Marij Kogoj worked on this eccentric modern opera, based on a story by the Russian writer Leonid Andreyev, between the years 1924 and 1927.
The opera about Lorenzo, who is haunted by demons until his eventual mental break down, has for long been considered to be born under an unlucky star. Its previous stagings – some of them infamous, others doomed to never see the light of day – have been surrounded by dark rumours, including some linking the opera with the composer's personal destiny.

Conductor: Uroš Lajovic
Director: Janez Burger
Costume designer: Alan Hranitelj
Choreographer: Edward Clug
Main soloists: Marina Zadro, Urška Arlič Gololičič, Jože Vidic, Andrej Debevec, Saša Čano, Peter Martinčič, Ivan Andres Arnšek, Juan Vasle, Dejan Vrbančič, Marko Kobal, Darko Vidic, Zoran Potočan.

Coproduced by the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ljubljana, the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Maribor, and the City of Maribor, the European Capital of Culture 2012.
 

Performing artists: Milán Újvári (Hungary), Howool Baek (Corea/ Germany), BLOOM! (Hungary/Spain/Italy)

This exhibition of European Mannerist printmaking brings together a selection of supreme prints from the late 16th to the early 17th century.

Mannerism, an unusual period of art between the Late Renaissance and High Baroque, changed order and harmony for distortion of perspective and anatomy. The artists of the time rejected the exterior world of visually perceivable forms and drew inspiration from decadent views of beauty.

The Print Section of the National Museum of Slovenia holds an extensive collection of prints from some of the leading centres of Mannerist art, including Rome, Venice, Antwerp, Haarlem, Prague and Munich, among others.

The Slovenian Cultural Holiday will be marked by an official state ceremony including the presentation of Prešeren Prizes, the country's most prestigious cultural awards, and many other cultural events held over a period of a few days before 8 February. On Prešeren Day, there will be free admission to Ljubljana's museums and galleries, several concerts, theatre performances and film screenings, and a number of other events.

The Slovenian Cultural Holiday is dedicated to honouring France Prešeren (1800-1849), the most important Slovenian poet, who is remembered not only for his Romantic poetry but also for his efforts to modernize the Slovenian language. Particularly well known are his sonnets and the poem A Toast, adopted as Slovenia's national anthem.

Over the first week of February, Ljubljana will host a series of open-air concerts by singing choirs and vocal groups. The latter will perform at locations where Prešeren lived, spent his time and met people.

Audiences across the world have been thrilled by the Dulsori music ensemble's spectacular concerts, remarkable for excellent performances by drummers and percussionists, ritual singing and colourful choreography.

The ensemble, whose name means 'the heartbeat of the land' in Korean, aims at reviving ancient Korean celebrations and combining them with a contemporary feel. The percussion instruments used by the ensemble include kkwaenggwari (a small hand-held gong), buk (a cylindrical drum), jing (a large gong struck by a hammer) and many others.

Audiences across the world have been thrilled by the Dulsori music ensemble's spectacular concerts, remarkable for excellent performances by drummers and percussionists, ritual singing and colourful choreography.

The ensemble, whose name means 'the heartbeat of the land' in Korean, aims at reviving ancient Korean celebrations and combining them with a contemporary feel. The percussion instruments used by the ensemble include kkwaenggwari (a small hand-held gong), buk (a cylindrical drum), jing (a large gong struck by a hammer) and many others.

The European Shrovetide carnival tradition, whose origins date back to pagan times, has taken several unique paths of development in Slovenia, well documented in a series of large-format Shrovetide-themed photographs by the photographer and essayist Primož Hieng.

'Slovenia is Europe in miniature," says the Slovenian ethnologist Niko Kuret in his famous book Masks of Slovene Regions, and the photographer Primož Hieng could not have agreed more once he began to research and photographically document Shrovetide traditions across Slovenia.

Hieng chose to photograph most of the carnival masks and scenes depicting the wealth of traditions related to Shrovetide in their original and authentic environment. Some of his images, however, also show typical scenes from Shrovetide parades and carnivals held annually in various Slovenian cities and towns to 'chase away the winter'.

• concerts of classical, jazz, pop and ethno music,
• cant author evenings and evenings of chansons,
• theatrical and dance performances,
• drama performances and puppet shows,
• sports events,
• creative workshops for children – from now on also in the City Park,
• Stand up comedy,
• Folkart, folklore festival,
• Jazzlent festival,
• Street Theatre Festival
• SladoLent.