About the speaker

Barja Drnovšek, Violin

Barja Drnovšek graduated at the Carinthian State Conservatorium with Professor Helfried Fister and obtained her Master’s degree from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana with Professor Gorjan Košuta. While pursuing her studies, she found folk music intriguing, which led her to attend various workshops and folk camps. In addition to classical orchestras, she has been increasingly engaged in a number of ensembles that play folk music (Terrafolk, Symbolic Orchestra, Ida&Other Bears, Grad gori!, a duet with Bojan Cvetrežnik, Kate Young quintett, Hiraeth, etc.). Soon, however, this activity became a profession and she quit her job at a public school and became a freelance musician and a music teacher. She teaches violin and other instruments and holds workshops as part of the educational programmes of the ONE Music Society. In addition, she takes part in theater and puppet performances and works as a session musician recording music for films, cartoons and pop musicians.

Bojan Cvetrežnik, Violin and Viola

After viola study in Ljubljana, Klagenfurt and Berlin, I initiated many projects that reflect equality of different musical styles. ‘Society for ONE music’, the education platform ‘Godalkanje’, the Symbolic Orchestra… With a BBC award-winning group Terrafolk I have toured in most European countries. I worked as a principal viola player in the Slovenian National Opera, as a solo violinist in ‘Cirque du Soleil’, a teacher at the Conservatory of Music in Maribor, a mentor for jazz improvisation at the Music Academy in Ljubljana but mostly as a free-lance musician and teacher. I used to lead projects with the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra and the Slovenian National Radio Symphony Orchestra and composed original music for those orchestras, and for smaller line-ups. In the last decade, my focus has been deeply into education. I was a leader of courses in many countries. Since 2018 regularly presenting Balkan violin at Fiddlers on the Move in Belgium, 2017 and 2021 ESTA UK Summer School for teachers.

My recent work includes performing with Barja Drnovšek (SLO), crossover piano recital with David Gordon (UK), international group Hiraeth with Wouter Vandenabeele (B), String Islands ’70 Disco violins project and leadership of Erasmus+ education project Fiddle Gateway that connects influent folk violin teachers from all over the Europe.