19:00 Jani Moder Solo – Traces and Places
Jani Moder: guitar, effects
World-class guitarist Jani Moder enjoys international renown and has long been considered one of Slovenia’s foremost music artists. He has contributed his musical ideas to more than 60 international releases of jazz, pop, and rock projects. The current solo project is his seventh album as a bandleader and composer of most of the songs. He recorded his debut songwriting album, Momentum, in 2008, followed five years later by Sky High Low Down and Jani Moder's Brain Blender: Abacus, both of which are inspired by mathematical patterns in music. He has released two albums with his regular band, Ecliptic, which regularly plays local and international stages, as well as another one with Ground Rituals. His latest release of original compositions, however, is a solo outing, Traces and Places, to be launched at the CD Club. It is an album of unique sonic postcards, an exploration of nylon-string solo guitar, underpinned by a meticulously selected palette of electronic effects. It combines traditional guitar skills with innovative sonic approaches and techniques.

Moder thus comments on his first solo album: "Playing solo guitar is always a challenge. You have to attend to the melody, harmony, rhythm, and hundreds of other factors. This album reflects my musical influences, from classical music, which was my first love at the age of seven, to jazz and experimental music. All the music and soundscapes were created in real time, with no overdubs, no loops, and no synthesizers, just straightforward guitar playing."

Jani Moder graduated with distinction from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and completed his master’s degree at the Academy of Music in Graz, Austria. He now teaches jazz guitar at the Academy of Music and the Conservatoire of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana. He has thus shared his thoughts on sincerity in music, which is most strongly expressed in solo performances: "When playing, you always have to be deeply involved and completely honest. No matter how you feel, you have to be ready to give everything you’ve got at a given moment. There are many factors that can make things go wrong. Before I go on stage, I tend to ask myself two simple questions: what the music means to me and how I want to deliver it to the audience. Then it all goes smoothly."

www.janimoder.com
Running time: The performance lasts approximately 45 minutes
 

20:00 Mind Tree
Matic Štemberger, piano; Peter Smrdel, bass; Žiga Smrdel, drums
When the young pianist Matic Štemberger had to form a trio for his graduation concert at the Conservatoire of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana, he opted for a rhythm section, which was the logical choice. He solicited the help of his bass professor, Peter Smrdel, and his brother, the renowned drummer Žiga Smrdel, both members of various bands (WCKD Nation, Vazz, Okustični, Smrdel Brothers Collective, etc.). All of them based in Ilirska Bistrica, the three musicians suddenly clicked on a musical, emotional and spiritual level and followed up their collaboration with a debut album, Catharsis (2023). The title track earned Štemberger the Jazzon Jury Prize for best Slovenian jazz composition, presented by the Jazzinty Festival. In their musical interplay, the artists seek to underline the power of community, assigning it priority over individualism, and their jazz compositions draw on the structures of classical music, reflecting the influence of genres close to their heart, from hip-hop and rock to metal. 

At the CD Club, Mind Tree will play their latest original material, which is to be released on a new album. Just a few days after the premiere of their new songs at the CD Club, the album will be recorded in concert at Vienna’s celebrated Porgy & Bess. 

Running time: The performance lasts approximately 50 minutes

Guests: Dr. Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik, Muanis Sinanović and the winners of the literary competition

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, the literary competition Srebrenica and the Unheard Stories of the Future highlights the importance of memory and creativity. Reflecting on the theme The Same Human: Words against Silence, young authors have explored human identity and universal issues such as violence, compassion and the search for justice.

After the awards ceremony – acknowledging works that best reflect human responsibility and solidarity, Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik will host a talk with Muanis Sinanović and the award winners. The event includes a public reading of the winning literary work, a young generation’s way of preserving the memory of Srebrenica.


The literary contest and event form part of the commemorative programme "8372 Living Memories" marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. The programme is implemented by the MKC Cultural and Educational Institute in cooperation with and through the support of partners. The semi-annual commemoration includes various activities aimed at preserving the memory of the victims and raising public awareness. For more information on the programme activities and the Srebrenica genocide please visit www.srebrenica.si.

 

Guest: Dr. Vasilka Sancin, acknowledged expert in international law

Hosted by the journalist Dr. Ali Žerdin

A discussion dedicated to the role of international law in identifying and preventing a genocide takes place within the context of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and the exhibition A Failure of Humanity. Our guest is Vasilka Sancin, a renowned expert in international law, who will shed light on the legal processes following the Srebrenica genocide and the broader context of international response to such crimes. The event provides an opportunity to reflect on justice for the victims and efforts to prevent similar tragedies in future.


The discussion forms part of the commemorative programme "8372 Living Memories" marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. The programme is implemented by the MKC Cultural and Educational Institute in cooperation with and through the support of partners. The semi-annual commemoration includes various activities aimed at preserving the memory of the victims and raising public awareness. For more information on the programme activities and the Srebrenica genocide please visit www.srebrenica.si.
 

Guests: Dr. Mujo Begić, Fikret Alić and Nada Kronja-Stanič

The discussion is hosted by the journalist Dr. Ali Žerdin. 

Guests Fikret Alić, a survivor of the Trnopolje camp and the face on the displayed cover of the Time magazine, Dr Mujo Begić, a researcher credited with discovering the Tomašica mass grave, and Nada Kronja-Stanič, a witness to the press coverage of the crimes in Prijedor, will shed light on the beginnings of the Bosnian War and the alerts of the international community that went unheeded. The 1992 events in Prijedor foreshadowed the genocide that took place three years later in Srebrenica.


The discussion forms part of the commemorative programme "8372 Living Memories" marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. The programme is implemented by the MKC Cultural and Educational Institute in cooperation with and through the support of partners. The semi-annual commemoration includes various activities aimed at preserving the memory of the victims and raising public awareness. For more information on the programme activities and the Srebrenica genocide please visit www.srebrenica.si.
 

19.00: Gordan line-up: Svetlana Spajić, vocals; Guido Möbius, bass guitar and electronics; Andi Stecher, drums
20.15: El Khat line-up: Eyal el Wahab, vocals, strings; Lotan Yaish, vocals and percussion, Galor Yefet, vocals, synthesizer, percussion

Each concert runs for 60 minutes, with an interval between the shows.

Gordan
Gordan mirror the mysticism of legends and stories of the Balkan region, creating a music that stretches between expressiveness and abstraction, tradition and the avant-garde. The visceral vocals of Svetlana Spajić (Marina Abramovic, Robert Wilson, Antony and the Johnsons, Lenhart Tapes) are deeply interpretive. In turn, drummer Andi Stecher (STECHER, Billy Bultheel, Orchestre Les Mangelepa) and Guido Möbius on bass, electronics and other sound objects, employ sonic strategies that steer the songs in inspired directions, not limited by rigid formal structures. Tapping into minimalism, noise and the rich singing tradition of the Balkans, the band create something radical, almost dystopian, and entirely their own. Is this what Swans would sound like if Michael Gira had decided to explore Balkan music?
Presentation of the album Gordan (Glitterbeat, May 2024).
 

El Khat
Never has discarded waste sounded so exciting and hypnotic as when repurposed by El Khat, a band led by multi-instrumentalist Eyal El Wahab. Starting in 2019, El Khat began to hone their sound in garages and warehouses. Experimenting with scrapyard instruments has led to creating an endless collection of Arabic tunes of Yemeni origin.
The incessant violence and warfare in the Middle East forced them to leave their native Jaffa and move to Berlin, where they have recently launched their third album mute (Glitterbeat Records). Several tracks feature DIY instruments made from recycled junk objects, which the band members occasionally combine with more conventional instruments, all the while revelling in their unique blend of beguiling Arabic melodies and psychedelia. 
“These songs are about emigrating, leaving someone or somewhere. I don’t think I’ve stayed in any one place for more than a year. For us Arab Jews whose families were forced to leave Yemen, it really began with that big move and our families’ arrival in Israel, a land with a constant muting of the ‘other’.”
Presentation of the album mute (Glitterbeat, September 2024).
 

Chris Eckman, guitar; Žiga Golob, contrabass; Alastair McNeill, electric guitar; Jana Beltran, vocals, acoustic-electric guitar; Andraž Mazi, pedal steel; Blaž Celarec, drums

Chris Eckman is one of those songwriters with the alchemist’s touch. He’s proved it over the years as the songwriter of the Seattle rock-folk band The Walkabouts, as well as across a lauded six album solo career. His songs have been recorded by Townes Van Zandt, Steve Wynn, Willard Grant Conspiracy (and others), and his last album, the spare, haunted Where the Spirit Rests, won the prestigious German Record Critics Award (Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik) in 2021. Three and a half years later he’s back with The Land We Knew the Best, and new stories to tell, for the first time in Cankarjev dom, where he will be accompanied by an extended lineup. 
 

The Noches de tablao series' final event features a project by Juanfe Pérez, a flamenco bassist, guitarist, composer, and producer nominated for a 2023 Latin Grammy. On his debut album, Pérez pushes the classical vocal and guitar tradition into new dimensions, anchoring it in the old flamenco rhythms but with a vital, contemporary signature. Prohibido el toque unveils stunning soundscapes that take listeners from subtle, gentle melodies to the ecstasy of avant-garde contemporary flamenco. Juanfe Pérez combines heartfelt creation with deliberate craftsmanship – his music leaves nothing to chance. He respects tradition while passionately advancing into modernity, seeking authenticity and natural artistry through masterful improvisation. At Cankarjev dom, his stellar team, including vocalist Alicia Morales and percussionist Kike Terrón, will be joined by Karen Lugo, one of the world’s most renowned contemporary flamenco dancers. 

Juanfe Pérez studied classical and flamenco guitar at the Huelva Javier Perianes Conservatory, flamenco guitar at the Superior Rafael Orozco Conservatory in Córdoba, as well as world music at Codarts DMWC in Rotterdam. He honed his flamenco skills as a bassist-guitarist with stars such as Farruquito, Duquende, Montse Cortés, Rosario La Tremendita, Javier Ruibal, and Turkish guitarist Çenk Erdogan, as well as in the jazz-flamenco bands of Alfonso Aroca, Sergio de Lope, Antonio Lizano, and Raúl Rodríguez. He has developed his own guitar language and technique, a signature flamenco idiom reflected on his energetic debut album Prohibido el Toque (Playing Forbidden), for which he wrote the music and arrangements and produced all the tracks. In addition, he is also the producer and musical arranger of the award-winning albums Mar de Cobre by singer Cristina Soler and Ser de Luz by flautist Sergio de Lope. As a composer and guitarist he collaborates with the dance companies of Olga Pericet, Rafaela Carrasco, Sara Calero and Ana Pastrana.

His artistic journey unfolds on stages worldwide with renowned performers such as Farruquito, Diego Amador, Duquende, Rosario la Tremendita, Jorge Pardo, Montse Cortés, Olga Pericet, Belén López, José Manuel León, Raul Rodríguez, Çenc Erdogan, Jose Antonio Rodríguez, Javier Ruibal, Antílopez, Diego Guerrero, Canteca de Macao, Antonio Mesa, Juan Pérez, Sergio de Lope, Alfonso Aroca, Antonio Lizana, Karen Lugo, Robertinho Silva, Daniel Navarro, El Junco, Eduardo Trassierra, Mario Díaz, Manuel Malou, and others.

Karen Lugo is a Mexican dancer known for her creative restlessness and innovation. She has performed as a soloist at the Festival de Jerez, the Sangre Nueva Jóvenes Flamencos Festival at Teatro Espanol in Madrid, the Flamencos y Mestizos series by the SGAE Foundation, the Flamenco Ibérica Contemporánea Festival, the Concierta Independencia series at Lunario del Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, the Flamenco Festival in Vancouver, the Flamenco Festival in Montreal, the Flamenco Festival Ciudad de Jaén, the Flamenco Madrid Festival, and the Flamenco de Saintes Festival, among many others. In collaboration with the Casa Patas Flamenco Foundation, she premiered three performances: Flamencura, Flamenco Territorio DeMente and Flamenco Frequencies, with tours in the Middle East and the United States. As a choreographer, she has received several awards, including Best Choreography at the Spring Film Festival in Barcelona, First Prize for Flamenco Dance at the International Festival in Almería, First Prize for Choreography at the Contemporary Flamenco Festival in Finland, and Third Prize for Choreography at the XVII Certamen de Danza Espanola y Flamenco in Madrid. Under the direction of Javier Latorre, she participated in Carlos Saura’s film Flamenco Flamenco and in the performances FLAMENCONAUTAS and Lorca x Bach. Her latest performance, titled Golpe de Tierra, was nominated for the Premis de la Crítica d’Arts Esceniques award for Best Solo Performance. She is currently collaborating as a choreographer and performer in the productions Caminos by Juana Gómez Chicuela, Cant Espiritual by Carlos Denia, CAYANA by Anna Colom, El Amir Ensemble by Amir Haddad, and Por Bach (GEMA 2020 Innovation Award) with the Hippocampus group featuring Jorge Pardo.

The Noches de tablao series presents fresh artistic initiatives in the field of contemporary flamenco that intertwine the disciplines of live music and dance, with an educational and theoretical accompanying programme. The series builds an intercultural arc between foreign and local creators, who establish a dialogue between flamenco and other artistic genres, and tap into new creative approaches to music, dance and performance art. Since its launch in 2017, Noches de tablao has served as a platform for new artistic projects based on genre intersectionality, running through a wide gamut of contemporary forms of expression. It features a series of concerts and dance performances that marry tradition with innovation in fascinating new ways. 

19:30 
Pre-concert introduction (Sara Zupančič on music by Pavle Merkú)

Programme: 
Farzia Fallah, Lalayi, ein Schlaflied für Sohrab
Michael Pelzel, As time goes by
Enno Poppe, Tier
Béla Bartók, Melodia
György Ligeti, Hora lunga
Pavle Merku, Quartetto Nr. 2 
György Kurtág, Hommage a Mihaly András, 12 Mikroludien

Performed by members of the New Music Forum Ensemble. 

»String music from Bartók to the present day« will focus on instrument(s) - a different usage of strings and string ensembles, as seen in the Hungarian classics of the 20th century (Bartók, Ligeti, Kurtág), the Iranian composer (Farzia Fallah) and the great Slovenian composer Pavle Merkú.

18.30 
Accompanying concert - AFORM.duo (Sara Lešnik - concept, vocals, movement; Ivana Tripković - piano, laptop)

Programme: 

Bernhard Lang: The Cold Trip 
Part 2 for piano, computer and voice, based on Schubert's cycle Winterreise, Monadologie XXXII

In the centre of their interpretive reflections, the two performers (Lešnik and Tripković) place the research of traumas and psychological illusions that characterise the protagonist from Lang's cycle. Their concept does not offer definitive answers, but rather creates space for one's own interpretation and opens up questions for further thinking.

Entry to accompanying event with ticket for "Independent and original" concert.
* 
With the fourth concert of this year's festival, we are moving from a collective to a distinctly original one - the compositions and composers of the "Independent and original" concert are chosen in such a way that they highlight characteristic features, a completely unique stamp and an original compositional language.

19.30 
Pre-concert talk with Bojana Šaljić Podešva (Moderator: Gregor Pompe)

Programme: 
Ferruccio Busoni, Sonatina Seconda
Gabriel Iranyi, Quartett
Michael Finnissy, new work [world premiere]
Marco Stroppa, Gla-dya [world premiere of a new version]
Bojana Šaljić Podešva, Highway to Dadaab

Performed by the members of New Music Forum Ensemble.

19:30
Pre-concert talk with Uroš Rojko (moderation: Gregor Pompe)  

Artist: Sae Lee, piano; Miha Rogina, saxophone; Simon Klavžar, percussion; Janez Podlesek, violin; Eldar Saparayev, cello

Programme 
Vinko Globokar, Terres brulées, ensuite
Uroš Rojko, In memoriam Tomaž Lorenz
Bor Turel, Jesenska pripoved
*
Lojze Lebič, Expressions 
 

New Music Forum, Society of Slovene Composers and Cankarjev dom celebrate jubilees of four respectable Slovenian composers Lojze Lebič (1934), Vinko Globokar (1934), Bor Turel (1954) and Uroš Rojko (1954).