The mission of the school is to encourage students to find the beauty in music through performance, and thereby developing a keen sense for the aesthetic.
Staff
Headmaster: Daniel Eyer, B.A. [email protected]
Secretary: Andreja Kastelec, B.Arch. [email protected]
Heads of Departments
Piano: Mateja Valič Presetnik, B.A. [email protected]
Organ: Dalibor Miklavčič, M.A. [email protected]
String: Anja Skalar Blažič, B.A. [email protected]
Wind & brass: Kristina Martinc. B.A. [email protected]
Guitar: Sebastian Albreht, B.A. [email protected]
Voice: Barbara Tišler, B.A. [email protected]
Music Theory: Tine Bec, B.A. [email protected]
Curriculum
In addition to individual work with students the programme incorporates performance of chamber music and provides a broad musical background. The students learn about different style periods that demand various aesthetic approaches. Music is very important at an early age because it influences a child’s value system.
The curriculum of the music school includes piano, organ, guitar, accordion, diatonic button accordion, violin, cello, flute, recorder, trumpet, jazz piano, jazz combo, voice, jazz singing, music theory, arranging, sight singing, beginning musicianship, preschool music education and orchestras: chamber and large string orchestra and guitar ensemble. All instruments are taught by highly qualified teachers who devote special attention to students’ creativity.
The Music School is attended by the students of DCG, the pupils of the Alojzij Šuštar Primary School and also other beginning music students. To date the school has educated an array of young musicians who have continued their music studies at higher institutions in Slovenia and abroad.
Music events
Concerts are held mainly in the concert hall of St. Stanislav’s Institution. Students play at the openings of exhibitions, benefit concerts, on recordings and at annual concert in Cankarjev dom, which is the most prominent concert hall in Slovenia. They perform in their own hometowns, but have also been invited to other parts of Slovenia and abroad. Their performances enrich liturgical celebrations and embellish feasts, especially those in honour of St. Stanislav and for Christmas. Their music making conveys an important message that touches every heart due to the universality of music.
Students have also had the opportunity to attend concerts of renowned artists that perform in St. Stanislav’s Institution. The school regularly organizes seminars and masterclasses for its students. Instructors have included pianists Milena Kedra, Denys Masliuk, Nejc Lavrenčič, Konstantin Bogino, Sonja Pahor and Jure Rozman; violinists Anastazija Juvan, Piotr Marciak, Nadežda Tokareva, Petra Božič and Stefan Milenković; guitarists Joana Baran Nosiadek, Sanja Plohl and Tomaž Rajterič; cellist Ksenja Trotovšek-Brlek; singers Kristina Bitenc, Nejc Lavrenčič and Dunja Vejzović; organist Nathan Laube and Ulrich Walther; flautists Ewa Debska, Karolina Šantl Zupan and Matej Zupan; trumpeter Marco Bellini; on recorder Una Košir, Kristina Martinc and Urška Cvetko; music theorists Marcin Palka, Paul Harris and Lado Jakša on improvisation.
Every year the school organizes a series of chamber concerts which enrich not only the activities of the music school, but those of the entire Institution.
Competitions
Young musicians participate yearly at national and international competitions, where they achieve excellent results, which makes our school renown. These are some of the best results in the recent time:
- 1st International Piano Competition Janež Matičič (The Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana; 2018) Neža Sušnik, golden award, first prize
- International Competition Woodwind & Brass (Varaždin, Croatia; 2019) Andrea Brusini, golden award
- 1st International Piano Competition Jan Hoffman (Krakow, Poland; 2019) Neža Sušnik, golden award, first prize
- 50th National Competition for Young Musicians , 2021 Katarina Rupert, golden award, first prize
- 1st International Piano Competition Chopin Plus Online (Krakow, Poland; 2020) Leonard Kolonič, silver award, first prize (golden award was not presented)
- International Piano Competition La Nuzia (Spain; 2021) Neža Sušnik, silver award; Leonard Kolonič, silver award
- International Competition for Young Voice Musicians (2nd International festival Aegis carminis, Koper, Slovenia; 2021) Andraž Fink, silver award
- International Music Competition Musica Goritiensis 2021 Andraž Fink, golden award, first prize
- 51st National Competition for Young Musicians, 2022 Ela Volovšek, golden award, first prize; Ela also received a special mention for the best performance of a composition by a Slovene composer
- International Piano Competition of Franz Liszt Center (La Nuzia, Spain; 2022) Iris Ana Blažič, golden award
- 13th World Open Online Music Competition Metka Penič, golden award, first prize
- International Music Competition Musica Goritiensis 2022 Neža Močnik, silver award
High Achievers in Music
Kristina Bitenc
Kristina (9th generation alumni DCG) sang in St. Stanislav’s Girls’ Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium and attended solosinging classes in The Music School of St. Stanislav’s Insitution. She completed her undergraduate studies at The Royal Conservatoire in The Haague (The Netherlands) and continued her studies at The Duch National Opera Academy in Amsterdam. She is a winner of several international singing competitions. Presently she is a solo singer at the Opera national du Rhin in Strassbourg (France).
Domen Križaj
Domen sang in St. Stanislav’s Youth Choir of The Diocasan Classical Gymnasium and attended solo singing classes in The Music School of St. Stanislav’s Institution. In 2018 he graduated at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitiy of Ljubjana, Slovenia and completed at the same time singing studies at The Academy of Ljubljana, obtaining his master’s degree. Since 2017 he has been a member of the Opera Studio at Theater Basel (Switzerland). He has won several international prizes. In 2012 he was a laureate of the International Summer Academy in Salzburg, which enabled him to perform at the final concert of laureates in the Salzburg Summer Festival. In 2013 he presented himself as a soloist in the Young singers project (YSP) at the Salzburg Summer Festival, namely in Verdi’s Don Carlo and in opera Jeanne d’Arc by W. Braunfels. In 2015 Domen won the 2nd prize at the International Otto Edelmann Singing Competition (Austria), in 2017 he was the winner of Ada-Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition (Poland). His this year’s music engagements include roles in Kaiser von Atlantis (V. Ullmann) and Madame Butterfly (G. Puccini), both in Theater Basel, Switzerland. Domen has sung among others with the Wienna Philcharmonic Orchestra, ORF Radio-Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg and the best orchestras in Slovenia.