Chamber Choir Orfej Ljutomer

Ljutomer, Slovenia

Romana Rek conductor

Andraž Hauptman conductor




Compositions


Title Composer Lyrics
COMPETITION
Zefiro torna (Return O Zephyr) Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)
O lux beata Trinitas (O light, eternal Trinity) Andrej Makor (b. 1987) Saint Ambrose (ar. 340-397)
Vester, Camenae (I Am Yours, Camenae) Uroš Krek (1922-2008)
Rum, dum, dum Dragan Šuplevski (1933-2001) Traditional Macedonian
FOLK
Petelinček je zapieu (As the Little Rooster Sang) arr. Hilarij Lavrenčič (b. 1962) Folk lyrics
Šürka je Tisa (Wide is the River Tisa) arr. Mojca Prus (b. 1982) Folk lyrics
Knez Marko (Prince Marko) Katarina Pustinek Rakar (b. 1979) Folk lyrics

About


Komorni zbor Orfej / Chamber choir Orfej was formed in 1989. Since 1994 they established cooperation with the renown Slovenian conductor professor Janez Bole and performed under the names "Slovenski madrigalisti" and "Gallus Singers". As part of tours, competitions and festivals Orfej held numerous concerts in Slovenia and abroad: in Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Czech Republic, France, Italy and many more. It is known as one of the most renowned choirs in Slovenia. Orfej proved this to be true at Slovenia’s most famous choral competition Naša pesem (Our Song) in Maribor in 2010, where the choir was awarded a golden plaque and second place in the category of mixed choirs and in the latest Naša pesem in 2016 where the choir was awarded a golden plaque, a third place in absolute competition and two special awards.

The choir’s permanent artistic director is Romana Rek. She studied at the music pedagogy and piano departments of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. Studying conducting under the mentorship of professor Janez Bole awakened her enthusiasm for choral music. Romana teaches at Music School Ljutomer (cello, piano) and has led Chamber choir Orfej ever since its formation. Under Romana’s guidance, they have recently participated in a festival in Spain and held a concert in Paris. Since 1996, Romana Rek has also led the Youth choir of Music school Slavko Osterc Ljutomer. Rek is endowed with an incredible sense of how to educate young people. She has managed to preserve the high quality of choral culture in Ljutomer and has done a lot for the promotion of Ljutomer internationally.

After completing his secondary music education in Ljubljana (where he specialized in piano, flute, and solo singing), Andraž Hauptman majored in conducting and piano performance at the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana. With Chamber Choir Ave, which he founded in 1984, he was awarded top prizes at international festivals. For his artistic work with Chamber Choir Ave, he received the Ljubljana Capital City Award and the Gallus Award. He frequently collaborated with world-renowned conductors, such as Eric Ericson, Gary Graden, Charlene Archibeque, and others. Andraž Hauptman lectures at choral conducting seminars in Slovenia and abroad, and is a frequent jury member at national and international choir competitions. He is senior associate expert at the solo singing department of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.

Ljutomer is the heart of the Prlekija region in Slovenia. The church of St. John the Baptist, the General Museum collection, the hippodrome and training school for horse-racers, the potter and the Wine Cellar Ljutomerčan, which produces top quality wines from the harvest of the nearby vineyards of Jeruzalem Hills are all worth seeing. Today, Ljutomer is a cultural, contemporary European and tourist-friendly town.