“Ljubljana Festival is vital for the culture, for the city, and for the next generations”
Darko Brlek, musician and the General and Artistic Director of the Ljubljana Festival
Interview by Vanja Kavcic in coop. with Milena Pantovic
Darko Brlek – a highly influential figure in Ljubljana’s music sphere. In this interview, he looks back on his exciting professional journey, the evolution of the Ljubljana Festival and the cultural scene in Ljubljana as well as the importance of engaging younger audiences in culture and art.
How do you evaluate the 72nd Ljubljana Festival?
We started on June 20th and by the first of September, 2024 we organized 105 events. I’m really satisfied with how the events turned out – both the events themselves and most importantly, their quality.
What is the main goal of Ljubljana Festival?
The main goal is to maintain high quality of concerts, performances and other events. This summer, we invited 6,300 artists from 55 countries. And we had more than 55,000 visitors, including those attending free events without tickets. Since we have a website that enables online ticket sales, we know that visitors came from 57 countries. I think this was the best summer edition so far. We are also happy that after the COVID, the audience came back to the festival. We also organized the Festival during COVID pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, but of course, then we had restrictions regarding audiences, stage, and things like that. Thankfully, that’s behind us now.
“The main goal is to maintain high quality of concerts, performances and other events.”
Behind the festival, there is of course huge logistics, because you have to somehow gather 6,300 artists, some of whom need accommodation for multiple days. For example, artists like Madame Musica Florentino needed 4 days to preparing stage for the performance of Il Travatore at Cankarjev dom’s Gallus Hall. We also hosted big names like Zubin Mehta, Martha Argerich, Antonio Pappano, Riccardo Chailly, and many others, which adds a certain level of prestige to the festival.
The festival went through enormous growth in last 10 years. Let’s say, from around 2007 we started trying to come up with solutions regarding ways to make this festival bigger. Thanks to the cooperation and help of the city, its major, Zoran Janković, and others who contributed to the success of the festival along with a very strong sponsorship policy, we greatly improved the festival. Emphasizing the role of the audience is also one of the key factors in this model.
You mentioned, in one of your interviews, that this meeting between you and the mayor was crucial as you “persuaded” him that investments in culture and not only in sports and other events could enhance the quality of the city just like you mentioned. How did you succeed in that?
I didn’t have to persuade him because he already knew the economic importance of investment in the culture. But, of course, we then had to demonstrate that also to the other stakeholders. The idea is that if we organize high-quality performances, then we can attract audience from other cities and countries. They come to Ljubljana, stay in hotels, dine out, enjoy themselves, shop, and things like that, which all contribute to the local economy.
Is this the “Salzburg model”?
Partly, but there are differences. Salzburg has a major draw with Mozart, and they started over 100 years ago. Ljubljana looked to Salzburg as a very good example when we started 72 years ago, and it remains a fantastic example, although our models differ.
How so?
Ticket pricing, for example. We can’t charge what Salzburg does, which is great for the audience but limits our revenue. Our tickets can be four or five times cheaper, so while our audience benefits, the festival doesn’t profit as much. Still, we’ve grown to rank alongside festivals like Salzburg and Verona. When I first joined, cooperation between the city and the festival was minimal. Now, we work closely, which has driven significant growth, especially over the past 10 years. Festivals need to respond to social changes—economically, intellectually, and demographically. We’re mindful of these factors when designing our programs, which blend our vision with society’s needs and tastes.
I read somewhere that the city is dedicating 3% of the budget to the culture – is that right?
It’s actually 11%, not including infrastructure investments. For a city of 300,000 people, that’s substantial. In recent years, Ljubljana completed major cultural projects like Cukrarna and the Rog Center, which were additional investments beyond that 11%. It’s one of the strongest examples of cultural funding in Europe.
What are the percentages in other cities that are role models when it comes to this?
It’s not only the percentage. It’s also the total amount. For such a small city as Ljubljana with three hundred thousand people, this is a big number. This 11 percent is really important. But 11% as I said, without investments. Culture played a key role in our independence and remains essential for preserving language and tradition, which is why we’re so committed to supporting it.
“Culture played a key role in our independence and remains essential for preserving language and tradition, which is why we’re so committed to supporting it.”
You mentioned that the novelty of the post-COVID period is an increase in the number of younger audiences. Tell us more about this phenomenon.
It’s a great change and I think that cultural institutions like Festival Ljubljana need to cherish their audience. And of course, we must help them also. It’s not only about offering them cheaper tickets and such things. We also have to show them how we operate and what’s behind the scenes. We organize for example workshops for children and master classes for students which enables us to achieve a broader circle of audiences. Therefore, we have to make sure that we offer something interesting for young people without sacrificing the artistic quality. Once we attract their interest in events held at Križanke or in Gallus Hall, they are likely to become regular guests. Additionally, bringing children to workshops also enables parents to see the variety of things that Festival Ljubljana offers. We also have a fine arts colony, which will celebrate its 28th year next summer.
If we want to attract young people, we need to meet them where they are and that includes using digital tools like smartphones and social media. We are active on all platforms, including TikTok and we also have our own application. Social media helps us bring content to them, and when they engage with it, they often discover things they didn’t know existed.
“We organize for example workshops for children and master classes for students which enables us to achieve a broader circle of audiences. Therefore, we have to make sure that we offer something interesting for young people without sacrificing the artistic quality.”
Speaking of the future, do you think live performances in city squares and open spaces will continue, especially with the younger generation’s digital engagement? Is there a risk that art in open space might be jeopardized?
I’m not worried. The pandemic pushed us to digitize, recording and streaming performances, which was beneficial. We even have a great recording team in Ljubljana for high-quality broadcasts with companies like Mezzo. But as soon as it was safe, people were eager to experience live performances again. People want to meet, discuss, and share what they’ve experienced. All in all, I am not afraid. I think that art cannot be jeopardized by the digitalization and AI, and that these events will continue to live on the streets, in concert halls and in special venues. One more thing regarding AI is that although it can produce music, it still depends on a human being who has to set the input and program it.
“I think that art cannot be jeopardized by digitalization and AI and that these events will continue to live on the streets, in concert halls, and special venues.”
Now, moving from the future to the relative past, could you tell us something about your professional journey? For the readers who might not be familiar – who is Darko Brlek professionally, as a musician, and how you became the general and artistic director of Festival Ljubljana?
I’m a clarinettist, and though I’ve been busy with festival duties, I still play it. I will resume performing soon, from November, with concerts planned all over the world.
People like yourself travel a lot and engage in lots of activities. Considering you’ve been artistic director for 32 years you must have a lot of interesting experiences. Could you share a memory or two with artists from different countries that you’ll remember forever?
Of course. I remember when Yehudi Menuhin visited. We put him up in Hotel Lev, which was still under restoration, but he didn’t complain. Afterwards, I apologized, and he wrote me such a nice letter, which is to this day on the wall in my office. And then, of course, I will remember Slava Master College because they were the first two artists, who I brough to Ljubljana immediately when I started working for the Festival in 1992. In 1993 we already brought Messiah, conducted by Yehudi Menuhin, in Cankarjev dom. Ten years prior to that, I was listening to him as a young boy in, in the garden of my parents, with my German shepherd. We were listening to Medellin, and Rostropovich, on a Melodia Russian LPs on the gramophone. Therefore, these top-class artists influenced my professional journey. I became a solo clarinettist at the Ljubljana Opera House when I was just 21. I was practicing a lot, but the opera orchestra back then wasn’t as advanced as it is now. But one might say accidentally, I became the general director of Opera House when I was 26 years old. But I stayed there only 2 years because there were so many programs, such a lot of work that, I did “touch” my clarinet for 2 years which is horrible thing for an artist.
My friend, the conductor Loris Voltolini, who had come to Ljubljana during the war from Split, encouraged me to make time for music again. But that never materialized, and when I received the invitation to join the Festival Ljubljana, I accepted it. My passion for music was ultimately what led me to embrace a leadership role in art.
Could you tell us something about the plans for the next summer Festival Ljubljana?
Of course, we already have some concrete plans. The Festival will start on the 20th of June and finish a bit later, on 12th of September, closing with the Vienna Philharmonic. We will have some other big events as well. For example, there is going to be cooperation between foreign top artists and our ensembles, which we are doing all the time, like with Charles Dutoit, Daniel Harding, Martha Argerich, Maxim Vengerov, Anna Netrebko and others. Most importantly we are focusing on expanding the master classes, which will include for example master class for conducted by Charles Dutoit. We’re also introducing the 8th Winter festival Ljubljana that starts on 20th of February 2025. with War Requiem – a Composition by Benjamin Britten. This will feature the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kaunas choir from Lithuania, the der Wiener Sängerknaben, and an incredible lineup of soloists, all led by Charles Dutoit in the Gallus Hall. We’ll wrap up on the first of March with a piano recital by Grigory Sokolov.
The Festival Ljubljana is a “mastodont” of an event and many people wonder how do you “manage to manage” so many concerts, events, and the people in your team during 32 years? What’s your secret when it comes to maintaining energy and health that enable you to pursue your ambitions?
Of course. Playing the clarinet keeps me physically active—it’s like a form of yoga for me. Staying in good shape is essential, but so is staying informed. Besides, I love what I do, I draw energy from my work. The adrenaline is what drives me.