13th Guitar Week in Postojna: International Guitar Festival

Programme

Mak Grgić (SI/USA) & Mateusz Kowalski (PL)
Sunday, 12 July 2026, 8:30 PM
St. Stephen's Parish Church

Since beginning their collaboration in 2025, Mak Grgić and Mateusz Kowalski have developed a unique artistic partnership rooted in the rich musical traditions of Central and Eastern Europe. Their duo project, Slavic Sessions, explores the meeting point between classical refinement and folk vitality, combining Romantic-era masterpieces with contemporary music and traditional Slavic melodies.

Bringing together two distinctive artistic voices and internationally acclaimed careers, Grgić and Kowalski deliver performances defined by virtuosity, spontaneity, and profound musical dialogue. Their programme seamlessly blends the poetic world of Frédéric Chopin, the expressive intensity of Balkan rhythms, and newly discovered guitar repertoire.

Both artists are internationally recognised soloists and Grammy-nominated musicians whose performances have taken them to leading concert halls across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. United by a shared passion for expanding the guitar repertoire and redefining the instrument's possibilities, they present concerts that bridge cultures, traditions, and generations.

Daniyah Guitar Duo (PT/SI)
Monday, 13 July 2026, 8:00 PM
St. Stephen's Parish Church

The Daniyah Guitar Duo was founded in 2022 by Alice Brandão and Maja Kralj during their master's studies at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, where they studied under the internationally renowned guitarist and professor Judicaël Perroy.

Alice and Maja quickly formed a close friendship, discovering a shared artistic sensitivity and musical vision. Only a few months after establishing the duo, they were invited to participate in a tribute project dedicated to composers associated with the city of Geneva, organised by the Les Jeudis de la Guitare concert series. Their successful performance led to an invitation to present a full recital in the following season of this prestigious concert cycle.

Today, the duo performs regularly on international stages, competes in international competitions, and develops new artistic projects. In 2024, Alice and Maja became official Knobloch Strings Artists, beginning a partnership with the renowned guitar string manufacturer.

Klara Tomljanovič (SI/DE) & AdArt Guitar Duo (SI)
Tuesday, 14 July 2026, 8:00 PM
St. Stephen's Parish Church

Born in Slovenia, Klara Tomljanovič completed her studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana before continuing her education at the Freiburg University of Music under Professor Sonja Prunnbauer and later at the Basel Academy of Music with Professor Oscar Ghiglia.

As both a soloist and a member of Ensemble Experimental, as well as a soloist with Germany's SWR Radio, she has performed at leading international contemporary music festivals and prestigious concert venues, including Musik Eclat (Stuttgart), MaerzMusik (Berlin), Musikprotokoll (Graz), Musica Viva (Munich), Internationale Weingarten Tage für Neue Musik, Hamburger Klangwerktage, Warsaw Autumn, Archipel (Geneva), PAN Festival (Seoul), Villa Massimo (Rome), Münchner Residenz, Teatro Metropol (Tarragona), Bullard Museo (Mallorca), the Arezzo Festival, and Theaterhaus Stuttgart.

Alongside the classical guitar repertoire, which she interprets with exceptional emotional and intellectual commitment, years of intensive study of contemporary music and exploration of extended guitar techniques have established her as one of today's outstanding interpreters of contemporary guitar music. She collaborates with internationally acclaimed composers at the forefront of contemporary music, and thanks to her artistic initiative, the guitar repertoire has been significantly enriched with numerous solo, chamber, and concerto works.

Cristina Galietto (IT)
Wednesday, 15 July 2026, 8:00 PM
St. Stephen's Parish Church

Charm, meticulous attention to detail, elegance, technical mastery, and an extraordinary range of tone colours and dynamics define Cristina Galietto's performances and captivate audiences wherever she appears.

Her artistry shines through an extensive repertoire spanning from the sixteenth century to the present day. The versatility of the classical guitar enables her to interpret a remarkable variety of musical styles and composers from different periods and cultures. Her instrument can evoke the passion of Spanish music, reveal the delicate intricacies of Baroque harpsichord sonatas, or embrace the expressive language of twenty-first-century contemporary music with equal conviction.

Leon Ravnikar (SI)
Thursday, 16 July 2026, 8:00 PM
Alojz Srebotnjak Hall, Postojna Music School

Leon Ravnikar, a gifted classical guitarist from Škofja Loka, is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most promising young talents on the international guitar scene. He began studying guitar at the age of seven with Professor Denis Kokalj at the Škofja Loka Music School.

After completing his primary music education, he continued his studies at the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music and Ballet under Professor Eva Hren, where he further developed his artistic voice and technical mastery. He is currently studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under the guidance of the distinguished guitarist and composer Professor Nejc Kuhar. Having already earned his degree in guitar pedagogy, he is now pursuing postgraduate studies.

Nejc Kuhar describes him as a musician of intellectual maturity, remarkable musical insight, and exceptional discipline. Ravnikar continues to refine his artistry through masterclasses and festivals, studying with some of the world's leading guitarists, including Paolo Pegoraro, Judicaël Perroy, Álvaro Pierri, Hubert Käppel, Gabriel Bianco, and many others.

Joaquín Clerch (Cuba/Germany)
Friday, 17 July 2026, 8:00 PM
Alojz Srebotnjak Hall, Postojna Music School

Cuban guitarist Joaquín Clerch was born in Havana in 1965. He later received one of Cuba's highest artistic honours, the Order for National Culture (La Orden por la Cultura Nacional). He studied guitar and composition in Cuba, graduating from the University of the Arts in 1989.

In 1990, he continued his studies at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, where he studied guitar with Eliot Fisk and early music with Anthony Spiri and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He graduated with distinction and received the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement.

That same year, he began his international teaching career as Eliot Fisk's assistant at the Mozarteum before joining the Munich Academy of Music as a lecturer. Since 1999, he has served as Professor of Guitar at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf.

Final Concert of the Summer School Participants
Saturday, 18 July 2026, 5:30 PM
Alojz Srebotnjak Hall, Postojna Music School