Pre-Festival Programme (23.–25. 4.)

Flutist Nina Fajfar Baša began her musical journey at the Risto Savin Music School in Žalec and later continued at the Arts High School in Celje. She pursued further studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana under the guidance of Prof. Karolina Šantl Zupan. During her studies, she performed as a flutist and piccoloist with the Ljubljana Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. She later completed her postgraduate specialist studies in flute at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. Nina currently teaches flute at the Risto Savin Music School in Žalec and has also taught at the Arts High School in Celje. Her pupils have achieved top prizes in national and international competitions. Beyond music, she broadens her expertise into other fields. She is a certified Pilates instructor, accredited by the Gymnastics Federation of Slovenia and Careers in Fitness (UK), as well as a fitness instructor and personal trainer, certified by AFP and the National Council of Strength and Fitness (USA). As a lecturer, she contributes to AFP Slovenia’s fitness instructor training courses and the Gymnastics Federation of Slovenia’s training programs for amateur Pilates instructors. She regularly leads lectures and seminars on physical activity, musicians’ posture, and breathing technique development and is a frequent speaker at the Gymnastics Federation of Slovenia’s congresses. Additionally, she has been a guest lecturer at Grafts, the largest European sports congress in Greece.

Flutist Marta Sesar began playing the flute at the age of nine in Croatia. Her musical journey later took her to Slovenia, where she graduated from the Academy of Music at the University of Ljubljana under Prof. Matej Zupan. After earning her master’s degree, Marta pursued postgraduate studies at the renowned Universität der Künste in Berlin, where she is currently studying with Prof. Christina Fassbender. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has won numerous national and international competitions in Croatia and abroad. She has also attended masterclasses with esteemed flutists, including Christina Fassbender (Germany), Paolo Taballione (Italy), Hansgeorg Schmeiser (Austria), Andrea Oliva (Italy), Manuel Morales (Spain), and others. At the age of 16, she was first selected to join the European Music Campus Orchestra, organized by the European Union Youth Orchestra. In 2018, she participated in both the spring and summer tours of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Additionally, she had the honor of performing as a soloist with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2022, Marta has served as the principal flutist of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2024, she also began working as an assistant at the Academy of Music in the class of Matej Zupan.

Leon Firšt Leon Firšt is one of the most awarded and performed Slovenian composers of the younger generation. He graduated with honors in composition at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana with prof. Dušan Bavdak. Before that, he studied clarinet (prof. Bojan Logar) and percussion (prof. Damir Korošec) in Celje. He attended international courses with prof. Kurt Schwertzig, prof. Stephen McNeff, prof. Gyula Fekete, and others. Firšt has composed over 100 symphonic, chamber, and solo works, performed in Slovenia and worldwide. His pieces for young musicians are often selected as required works at competitions, while eminent Slovenian ensembles (Slovenian Philharmonic, RTV Orchestra, Slowind Quintet, RTV Big Band…) and soloists regularly perform his chamber and orchestral works. His oeuvre includes stage and film music, operettas, and musicals. He has received numerous awards, including abroad (Keuris composition contest, Prešeren Award of the Academy of Music, Prešeren Award of the University of Ljubljana, Crystal Coat of Arms of the Municipality of Celje, Celje Star Award for the musical Veronika Deseniška, main prize at the Banaue International Music Composition Competition in the Philippines for The Story of Ifugao…) He regularly composes music and serves as a musical director for state ceremonies and important anniversaries. He is also a sought-after jazz pianist and an arranger of wide range of jazz and popular musical styles.

An Černe (2002) is a young Slovenian flutist with a wide range of concert experience. He began his musical education at the Sežana Music School under Prof. Marija Maretić-Hiršter, continued at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana under Prof. Milena Lipovšek, and since 2021, he has been pursuing his undergraduate studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. His professors have included Benoît Fromanger and Renate Greiss-Armin, and he is currently refining his skills under Mathieu Dufour. He has attended numerous masterclasses across Europe with renowned musicians such as Philipp Bernold, Sébastian Jacot, Silvia Careddu, and Adriana Ferreira. His concert activities encompass classical, contemporary, and world music. Since 2016, he has been a member of the group Terrafolk, performing across Europe and collaborating with artists such as Vlatko Stefanovski, Kate Young, Marko Hatlak, and Jean-Christophe Gairard. He has achieved notable competition successes, winning first prizes and gold awards at the TEMSIG National Competition (2022) and the Città di Palmanova International Competition (2015 and 2016). He is also a scholarship recipient of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia. In addition to performing, he is dedicated to teaching. He leads ImprovizANcija workshops, introducing young musicians to improvisation, and teaches at the Freie Musikschule Tiergarten in Berlin.

Actress Barbara Cerar graduated from the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television (AGRFT) at the University of Ljubljana. During her studies, she appeared at the Slovenian Permanent Theatre in Trieste (SSG), and as a graduate, she was a guest actress at the Slovenian People’s Theatre in Celje (SLG), where she received the Žlahtna komedijantka award in 1997. She was a member of SSG Trieste for six years, during which time she received the Zlata paličica award and the Award of the Slovenian Association of Dramatic Artists (ZDUS). Since 2003, she has been a member of the ensemble at SNG Drama Ljubljana, and since 2010, she has held the title of prvakinja (leading actress). For her work at Slovenia’s premier theatre, she has received two Borštnik Awards (2006 and 2014) and, in 2010, the Prešeren Fund Award. For her leading role in the play Barčica za punčke (M. Marković), she won the Sterija Award for acting at the Sterijino Pozorje festival in Novi Sad. She has starred in numerous feature films, including Ekspres, ekspres, Triptych of Agata Schwarzkobler, Ljubljana the Beloved, Rustling, and Ode to Prešeren, as well as in several television films. In 2011, she received the Frane Milčinski-Ježek Award from RTV Slovenia. She is also actively involved in radio plays and cartoon dubbing. With films and theatre productions, she has taken part in major festivals across Europe, South America, and Asia. She is a professor at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television (AGRFT).

Rok Erjavec has been deeply involved with flutes for over 18 years, both in sales and servicing. His musical and professional journey began as a salesperson at the Lastra music store in Mengeš, where he took charge of the woodwind department. There, he quickly recognized the great potential of flutes, which led him to specialize in this field. In 2013, without hesitation, he embraced the idea of establishing a specialized service and sales salon for flutes, marking the beginning of his in-depth professional path. He has been officially servicing flutes for more than a decade, honing his skills primarily with Muramatsu masters and gaining additional experience in the workshops of Trevor James and Yamaha. His knowledge of flute materials and craftsmanship further expanded through hands-on experience in the production facilities of Muramatsu, Miyazawa, and Pearl, as well as through collaborations with top experts such as Lillian Burkart and Tobias Mancke. In March 2023, he became a certified Straubinger pad technician, further solidifying his expertise and dedication to his craft. In addition to his technical expertise, he has a strong academic background—he holds a university degree in philosophy and has completed music school in clarinet. With his passion for flutes and continuous pursuit of knowledge, he has established himself as one of the leading specialists in the field.

Anja Clift is a Slovenian flutist specializing in contemporary music. She co-founded the ensemble neuverBand in 2013 and, since 2022, has been a member of Ensemble Recherche in Freiburg, one of the leading ensembles for contemporary music. Anja also collaborates with ensemble Neofonía (Ljubljana) and was formerly a member of ensemble TaG (Winterthur). She has performed at prestigious venues such as the Vienna Konzerthaus, Elbphilharmonie, Pierre Boulez Saal, Tonhalle Zurich, and Cankarjev Dom Ljubljana, as well as at renowned festivals, including Acht Brücken, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, Festival Musica Strasbourg, Eclat, Milano Musica, Archipel, and World Music Days. Anja holds a Master’s degree in contemporary music from the Hochschule für Musik Basel, where she studied under Prof. Mike Svoboda, and a Master of Music Pedagogy from the Hochschule der Künste Bern with Prof. Martin Fahlenbock. Her musical education began in Ljubljana, where she studied at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana with Matej Grahek and at the Academy of Music under Karolina Šantl Zupan. She also earned a degree in musicology from the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. In 2024, Anja was appointed Lecturer in Flute, Chamber Music, and Contemporary Music Interpretation at the Bern University of the Arts. She also regularly leads masterclasses in contemporary and chamber music.

Ana Kavčič Pucihar, PhD, completed interdisciplinary doctoral studies in humanities and social sciences under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Branka Rotar Pance at the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, (2019). There, she earned an undergraduate flute degree (1999) and completed artistic flute specialization (2001) in the class of Prof. Emeritus Fedja Rupel. Under his mentorship and the co-mentorship of Prof. Dr. Branka Rotar Pance, she completed a scientific master’s degree (2011) focusing on “Holistic Flute Instruction for Seven-Year-Old Students”. In 2015, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Scholarship and received the prestigious Gerbič Award for outstanding achievements in music education, pedagogy, and performance. As a researcher, she focuses on instrumental pedagogy emphasizing motivation. Her publications include: Kavčič Pucihar, A., Habe, K., Rotar Pance, B., & Laure, M. (2024). The key reasons for dropout in Slovenian music schools – a qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychology. She regularly lectures on various flute didactics topics at seminars both in Slovenia and abroad. Currently, she is an assistant for Woodwind Pedagogy at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana and leads her Private Music School Glasbénium.