The RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra was established in 1955 and in its sixty years of creative activities has made an important mark on musical life in Slovenia. In terms of the scope and diversity of the musical works performed, the orchestra occupies the first place amongst all Slovenian music ensembles. Since its foundation, the orchestra’s primary activity has been making studio and concert recordings for the national music archive, which is available to radio and television programmes.

Singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician Rudi Bučar is dedicated to nurturing Istria’s rich musical heritage. He embarked on his music career as member of Spirits. Inspired by Luciano Kleva, Rudi developed an interest in Istrian musical tradition and started collecting old Istrian folk songs. This material is featured on his solo albums “Kapot” (2004) and “Kambiament” (2007). He was backing vocalist for Slovenian contestant Alenka Gotar at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki. The following year, he took part in the Sounds of Slovenia project (Sozvočja Slovenije). In 2009, Rudi formed his own rock band, Rudi & The Cool Vibes. That same year marked the first in a string of Rudi’s successes at Slovenian music festivals. In a duet with Alya, Rudi appeared at EMA – the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest – with the song “Zadnji dan.” His composition “Samo ti” performed by Anika Horvat was the winning song of the Slovenian Song Festival. Two years later he appeared at the Slovenian Song Festival with a self-penned song, “Naj traja,” which received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Overall Composition. In 2011, Rudi started a music project – Istrabend – with Janez Dovč and Goran Krmac. In 2012, the band took part in the revived Melodies of the Sea and Sun Festival with the song “Slon” and released an album, “Rudi in Istrabend”. That same year Rudi again played at the Slovenian Song Festival, performing his song “Še malo”. In 2013, Rudi wrote the music for “The Servant of Two Masters,” a theatre performance directed by Kokan Mladenović and co-produced by Koper Theatre. In 2014, he took part in all three major Slovenian music festivals and carried the day at two of them: he performed with Elevators (“Tja”) at EMA, took the prize at the Melodies of the Sea and Sun Festival with Frčafele (“Sen znala jes”) and his song “Ti” was selected as Best Overall Composition – and Rudi presented with Best Performance Award – at the Slovenian Song Festival. The album “Kantajmo” by vocal quartet 7 plus, to which Rudi contributed as songwriter and arranger, came out in May 2014.

Rush to Relax is a solo project that developed after a bunch of failed bands. Damjan Manevski music, deeply rooted in a DIY mindset and under heavy influence of the global rock’n’roll heritage, brings the warmth and intimacy of home-recorded music. The project’s debut cassette was released in early September 2019 by Ljubljana’s very own Look Back And Laugh label and was followed by two regional mini-tours. His stripped-down and energetic performances that include only an electric guitar, vocals and some pre-recorded material, are a beautiful example of DIY creativity. There’s no point if you only rush to relax.

Location: Ruše

Ružno pače (Žan Pasarić) is a Slovenian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist from Celje, releasing pop punk and hyperpop music.

Over the past several years, soprano Sabina Cvilak has achieved distinction as a highly accomplished opera singer, appearing in principal roles in opera houses and concert halls around the world. On the concert platform, Sabina Cvilak often accompanies tenor Andrea Bocelli, and has sung soprano roles in Mahler’s symphonies under the baton of maestro Gergiev.

The Military Band of the Slovenian Armed Forces (The SAF Military Band) was formed in 1996 with the aim of performing military protocol-related tasks. It forms an intrinsic part of all Slovenian Armed Forces ceremonies, from events marking military unit anniversaries and oaths of enlistment to Slovenian state commemorations and transnational meetings. The Military Band carries out its mission also by holding concerts and taking part in charity shows and local community events. It has enriched Slovenian musical life with its diversified repertoire, as well as superb musicianship and interpretive artistry.

Currently one of the most promising and ambitious Slovenian talents, rapper, singer, dancer and actress of Syrian-Croatian origins is here to make a statement. Her musical expression, the fruit of collaboration with her brother, producer and MC SunnySun, is a highly explosive cocktail of contemporary hip-hop, trap, R&B and footwork tropes, and bouncy club rhythms from the UK and beyond sprinkled with some Arab influences. Her infectious feel-good hit “Otherside” made us all jump on the Sahareya hype train. But the hype is real, and we are now all waiting for her debut LP “Improvised Colors” to drop. Pure girl power in the tradition of icons like M.I.A. and Little Simz.

The Sajeta Creative Camp was launched in 1998 as the first festival organised in Tolmin’s Sotočje, a venue at the confluence of two rivers. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in early July 2019, the festival provides a platform for interaction among diverse creative practices and experiences of music as its main focus. The Sajeta’s programme thus features a variety of music genres, including electronica, jazz, rock, ethno and classical music, whose common link is experimentation and creativity.