Conductor Daniela Candillari continues to garner praise for her dynamic and compelling performances at opera houses and concert stages throughout North America and Europe. Recognized for her “confidence and apparently inexhaustible verve” (New York Times) and “powerful and breathtaking performances” (Review STL), Candillari enters her second season as both Principal Conductor at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Principal Opera Conductor at Music Academy. She holds a Doctorate from the Universität für Musik in Vienna, a MM from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and a MM and Bachelor’s degree from the Universität für Musik in Graz.

Since 2009 Darko Babič has made his name as a singer-songwriter under the pseudonym Dare Acoustic . He performs his songs in Slovenian and English.

Darja is a photographer with a deep passion for capturing the essence of performing arts, particularly stage, opera, and ballet. Her love for photography is intertwined with her lifelong connection to music. As a photographer, she specializes in performing arts and collaborate with prestigious institutions such as the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, Slovenian Philharmonic, Cankarjev dom, Slovenian Chamber Music Theatre, Ljubljana Festival, and Ulysses Theatre, among others.

Darla Smoking is a band that translates field-sourced traditional music into dub bass beats. Their sound is a solid dub-based music entity that fuses contemporaneity and folk heritage with tradition. In addition, Darla Smoking represents the voice of the myriads from around the globe – alternatively dark and cool dancey blend of dub, electronica, ethno and world music.

Slovenian tenor David Jagodic, based in Vienna, is a versatile and exciting young talent. He completed his Bachelor with Prof. Claudia Visca (2015) and Masters in Song and Oratorium with Prof. KS Robert Holl (2018) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Since his operatic debut in 2012, he has performed main roles in European opera houses, including Don Jose (Carmen), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Lensky (Yevgény Onégin), Fenton (Falstaff), and many others. He has sung in prestigious venues like Musikverein Wien, Berliner Philharmonie, and Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, with concert performances of works by Bach, Händel, Mozart, Verdi, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven. His mentors include Piotr Beczala, Michael Schade, and Irina Gavrilovici.

David Morgan is a Slovenian drummer, musician, and event manager. He studied at Klagenfurt Landeskonservatorium and has worked with many artists, including Binho Carvalho, Rok Golob, Jan Plestenjak, and RTV Big Band. Currently, he plays with Avtomobili, Jure Lesar, Nas 3, HeaveniX, and Lovro Ravbar. Morgan has led studio recordings, TV projects, seminars, and is a music event organizer in Slovenia’s Primorska region.

David Mozetič is a Slovenian saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He began his musical education at the Šempeter Branch Music School and graduated in saxophone from the Carinthian Conservatory of Music in Klagenfurt under Michael Erian. Mozetič collaborates with various ensembles, from small jazz groups to big bands like Big Band Nova, Big Band Gverillaz, and Big Band Cerknica. He leads the David Mozetič 5tet, releasing their debut album Towards New Horizons in 2021, followed by a second album in spring 2023. Since 2018, he has been teaching saxophone at the Nova Gorica School of Music.  

Defonija is a concert cycle that supports and offers the best of the world of freely improvised music. Does not defend experiment, productive electronics, questions history, is interested in old and new chamber music, likes to mix with kindred spirits (noise, hardcore, post- and avant-rock, hip-hop ...).

Delavski dom Trbovlje (Workers’ Home Culture Institute) was built in 1956. Known for its facade mosaic by sculptor Marij Pregelj, the building features a large theatre hall, a cinema and some small-sized spaces. In addition to hosting theatre performances and film screenings, Delavski dom Cultural Centre provides the venue for numerous exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events throughout the season. Recently, Delavski dom Trbovlje has achieved worldwide recognition as a setting for new media art. Location: Trbovlje

The idea to build Delavski dom (Workers’ Home Culture Institute) was proposed in 1951 by the Cultural Society Vesna. The following year, architect Emil Navinšek drew up the plans for the building that opened in 1960. Delavski dom, a historic building whose original architectural design has remained intact, provides the conditions for the house of culture to accomplish its mission of a major cultural and social institution. Location: Zagorje ob Savi