Imago Sloveniae and Summer in Old Ljubljana festivals open

Under the title Slavic Rhapsody, the concert will present Slavic folk music and its echoes in music by featuring segments of operas, symphonic and choir music by composers such as Antonin Dvorak, Bedrich Smetana, Marjan Kozina, Stevan Mokranjac, Jakov Gotovac and Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin.

Music will be performed by the Symphonic Orchestra of the SNG Maribor theatre, the choirs of the Serbian and Croatian public broadcasters. Soprano Alina Yarovaya, tenor Aljaž Farasin and violinist Nikola Pajanović will perform solos.

The pieces played at the concert reflect a unique duality, originating in folklore but at the same time being far removed from its origins by way of composers' upgrading of the music. It shows how regional folklore is transformed into music representing a nation, Imago Sloveniae has said.

It is no coincidence that a lot of the music...