29.05.2012

Vito Žuraj's piece »Warm Up« wins second place at the International Rostrum of Composers (IRC)

The 59th International Rostrum of Composers took place in the building of the Swedish Radio in Stockholm and was concluded on Friday 25th May. The International Composers's Tribune is one of the most important forums for contemporary composers. Thus ROSTRUM features presentations and evaluations of recordings of contemporary music works. The Tribune has been active since 1954 at the initiative of the International Council and has this year brought immense success and recognition to Slovene contemporary music.

Delegates from radio houses of 24 countries accross the world have among 50 compositions in the general category placed Vito Žuraj's composition Warm Up second. The first place winner is Argentinian composer Pedro Ochoe with his work Tierra viva. Žuraj's composition for horn and percussion is dedicated to his former mentor - composer Wolfgang Rihm, and was created in collaboration with Berger, lead hornist of the Ensemble Modern Saar. In the recording from the Slovene Music Days Festival, the composition is performed by the author and two Slovene percussionists Franci Krevh and Matevž Bajde and conducted by Steven Loy. The classification of Žuraj's composition among the works recommended by the Rostrum Tribune can in the context of contemporary Slovene music be qualified as a historical success. A similar success was in the past decades achieved only by Primož Ramovš, Lojze Lebič, Uroš Rojko and Neville Hall, but never with such a high placement.


Vito Žuraj (photo: Tomo Brejc)

In addition to Žuraj's piece, Radio Slovenia also presented Obsession by Petra Strahovnik and Lux Aeterna by Tadeja Vulc, two works which were well received. In the category of young composers under 30 years of age, Bulgarian composer Peter Kerkelov was awarded the most points for his chamber piece An attempt at screaming.