We support young musicians
Through the purchase in 2013 of a superlative violin made in 1850 by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, Banka Slovenije set in motion the project of lending an exquisite instrument to young musical talents. In this way we are providing an opportunity for gifted young musicians to make a name for themselves at international level. As they pursue their studies, young talented individuals need above all mentor support and guidance, but they also need to be able to perform, so they can gain experience in solo recitals, chamber ensembles or orchestras. Playing concerts on superlative instruments enables young, talented musicians to gain validation both at home and abroad, and in this way on their musical path to gain access to important teachers and schools and to internationally established musicians or orchestras.
Our contribution is a solid investment, not just in financial terms, but also in the future of young musical talents and in the satisfaction over their success. In this way we are helping to create the promotion of top Slovenian musical creativity, at home and around the world.
Since 2013, internationally renowned violinist Tanja Sonc has been playing Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume's superb violin. Sonc is an internationally renowned violinist, acclaimed for her outstanding achievements at both national and international competitions, including her victory at the prestigious Brahms Competition in Austria.
As a soloist, she has performed with orchestras such as the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Croatian HRT Orchestra, and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. She regularly records for the WDR, SRF, and RTV archives.
In 2016, she founded the Sonc Festival, a chamber music festival in Slovenia, where she serves as its artistic director.
Since 2017, Tanja has been a regular member of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. She actively performs as a chamber musician and concertmaster across Europe.
In 2021, she represented Slovenia in the television series Europe@Home on Arte, alongside the star violinist Daniel Hope.
The highlights of her 2024/2025 season included performances at the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, the chamber music series at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, and a solo concert with the Hope Orchestra at the Wunderino Arena in Kiel, where she captivated an audience of 13,000 at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.
Banka Slovenije released a CD with music by Slovenian composers
As part of our Music of Slovenian Composers project, marking the 30th anniversary of Banka Slovenije, we hosted the talented young musician Tanja Sonc, who performed various pieces by Slovenian composers together with a team of young musicians. The CD's aim is to promote Slovenian music and culture abroad, while providing a premium music experience.
The musician selected and performed, with the accompaniment of other musicians, compositions by Lucijan Marija Škerjanc, Alojz Srebotnjak, Marijan Lipovšek, Nenad Firšt, Hugo Wolf, Slavko Osterc and Matija Krečič. At its 30th anniversary Banka Slovenije thus paid tribute to important Slovenian composers and musicians, who, alongside numerous other artists, form one of the strongest pillars of Slovenian identity.
You can listen to the works on all popular digital music platforms.
