Anton Foerster - Gorenjski slavček (Marko Hribernik)

Information

Composer: Anton Foerster

• Gorenjski slavček

Mareike Jankowski; Sieglinde Feldhofer; Roman Pichler

Neven Crnić; Ekaterina Solunya; Wilfried Zelinka

Martin Fournier; Ivan Oreščanin; Daeho Kim

Chor der Oper Graz

Grazer Philharmoniker

Marko Hribernik, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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Educated in Prague like his older brother Joseph, Anton Foerster (1837–1926) was a composer and cathedral music director who spent much of his career in Ljubljana. Though primarily engaged in ecclesiastical roles, Foerster secured his legacy in 1872 by composing the operetta Gorenjski slavček, which he expanded into a three-act opera in 1896. Now regarded as Slovenia's national opera, the work follows Minka, a gifted singer who rejects an international career with a French impresario to remain in her homeland. Blending dramatic twists with beloved, folk-like melodies, Foerster's opera remains a cornerstone of Slovenian musical heritage.

Slovenian conductor and pianist Marko Hribernik, born into a musical family, trained at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana and the University of Music in Vienna, earning the Student Prešeren Award and graduating with honors in 2014. He has conducted major Slovenian orchestras, both national opera theaters, and international European productions. In addition to serving as an Assistant Professor at the Ljubljana Academy of Music, Hribernik’s leadership at SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana expanded significantly when he was named Artistic Director of Opera in 2021, followed by his appointment as Director General in 2025.