Slovenian Philharmonic
Neo-Renaissance concert house on Congress Square, home of Slovenia's national orchestra and choir.
The Slovenian Philharmonic traces its lineage to the Academia Philharmonicorum, founded in Ljubljana in 1701 and among the oldest musical societies in Europe. Its successor, the Philharmonic Society, counted Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms among its honorary members, and Gustav Mahler conducted the orchestra during the 1881-82 season. The present institution, with a symphony orchestra and a chamber choir, was re-established in 1947 and performs a subscription season of symphonic, choral, baroque and contemporary programmes.
The concert house stands on Congress Square, on the foundations of the Estates Theatre of 1763, which burned down in 1887. The neo-Renaissance building that replaced it was completed in 1891 to designs by Adolf Wagner, and in 1937 Jože Plečnik added an annexe and reworked the rear facade. The main auditorium is named after the composer Marjan Kozina, and a smaller hall after Slavko Osterc. Both are used for concerts and for visiting ensembles and festivals.
Highlights
- Home of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Choir
- Society founded in 1701; Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms were honorary members
- Neo-Renaissance hall of 1891 on the site of the Estates Theatre
- Rear annexe and facade reworked by Jože Plečnik in 1937
