With the concert cycle Classical Music Today? Tomorrow?, held between 2018 and 2022, we already explored the place of classical music in contemporary time and space. We successfully outlined the direction of the programme and laid the foundations for what we hope will become a long-term presence in the local concert landscape. Although there was a pause in the meantime, the idea never truly disappeared. We continued to receive initiatives from audiences, proposals from musicians, and, not least, questions from the media. For this reason, in 2026 we are reviving the cycle with the desire to build upon and further develop it. To this end, we have expanded the organisational team, which now consists of four active musicians and music enthusiasts who always place a broader social understanding of music at the forefront of their work.

For 2026, we have prepared a programme of five concerts. Rooted in classical music, each concert offers an interesting departure point. Piazzolleky Tango Orquesta brings together the folk character and primal energy of Argentine tango with the European tradition of classical music. Maribor Music Society evokes the childlike joy of music-making and musical exploration, which is, due to rigid concert formats, all too often overlooked. Tilen Lebar and his project Elucidations to Self-Estrangement expand the temporal, structural and technical boundaries of our current understanding of art music. Trio Tacet reaffirms Baroque music as one of the foundations of Western musical culture — a concept that, despite its apparent self-evidence, or perhaps precisely because of it, is meaningful and necessary to revisit again and again. Trio Firšt gives music additional meaning through spoken commentary, delivered in an intelligent and humorous manner, while always maintaining uncompromising and due respect for the music being performed.

The concerts will take place at Vetrinjc – BarCoda. In doing so, we follow the concept of presenting classical music in venues that emphasise broader cultural engagement and social life. In this way, we wish to introduce classical music also to audiences who may feel somewhat distant from this type of concert experience.

Concerts:

Piazzolleky Tango Orquesta + milonga
Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 19:00
Admission: €18 regular / €15 presale / €10 pensioners, secondary-school students, students and unemployed persons

Maribor Music Society (MMS)
Saturday, 29 August 2026 at 20:00
Admission: voluntary contributions

Elucidations to Self-Estrangement – Tilen Lebar
Tuesday, 22 September 2026 at 20:00
Admission: €10 / €8 / €5

Trio Tacet
Friday, 23 October 2026 at 20:00
Admission: €10 / €8 / €5

Trio Firšt
Saturday, 21 November 2026 at 20:00
Admission: €10 / €8 / €5

Where does classical music belong today? Only in concert halls? Churches? Weddings? Festivals? Clubs? Elevators? Shops? Does it belong anywhere at all? And in what form? Strictly as an evening event, refined and elegant, accompanied by carefully chosen words and excellent wine? Should it be performed authentically, as it once was, or is modernisation allowed? Is it even desirable? Does it make sense?

In the rapid whirlwind of modern times, classical music has found itself in a crisis of what was once an unshakeably strong identity. It seems to have drifted into a mixture of elitism, conservatism and time-consuming meticulousness. The “instant” age, overwhelmed by an excess of information, appears to find it difficult to process an art form that requires a little more attention, time and reflection.

And yet classical music is, after all, still music. At its core, one of the functions of art is also entertainment. A large part of the classical repertoire was, and still is, created precisely with this purpose in mind. Technical refinement, virtuosity of performance, and aesthetic and expressive depth are the added qualities that only strengthen this basic purpose.

The concert cycle Classical Music Today? Tomorrow? is conceived as proof that curiosity alone is more than enough to enjoy classical music. It presents bold performers in less conventional ensembles, bringing freshness and innovation to the classical scene, while never neglecting the importance of high-quality performance and thoughtful programme selection.

In the past, we have hosted artists and ensembles known beyond the local environment, including Oberton String Octet, Franziskus Ensemble, Trio Tempestoso, Rudi Katholnig and Hans-Peter Steiner, KUG Sax Sippia, Lumi, Simon Širec, Spectrum Saxophone Quartet, guitarist Jaka Klun, Quartet ChAt and others.

In the future, we wish to continue following the guidelines established in previous years by inviting musicians who seek something more through their work. Most of them are young musicians exploring new ways of connecting with audiences — through a fresh stage presence, unconventional ensembles, repertoire selection or new arrangements of established musical classics. They strive to present classical music in a new way, one that is as closely aligned as possible with the spirit of the times.

Sašo Fekonja, Artistic Director of the concert cycle Classical Music Today? Tomorrow?

Melanija Adamič, Tomaž Adamič and Matjaž Balažic – members of the organisational team

The project is financially supported by the Municipality of Maribor. The implementation of the project is supported by KUD Coda, which hosts the concert cycle at Vetrinjc – BarCoda, Narodni dom Maribor and Loli Luludi.