Academic Choir Tone Tomšič, University of Ljubljana

In 1926 France Marolt established a male choir of students from the University of Ljubljana called APZ. Between 1938 and 1940 Marolt also led an equivalent of female line-up. The male choir was banned in 1941 due to the cultural blackout during Italian fascist occupation of the Province of Ljubljana, but resumed its operations in 1946 as a mixed choir under the new name Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič.

The choir is made up of students from the University of Ljubljana, with more than 1,600 singers having performed in the choir since its foundation. The list of its conductors consists of many acclaimed names of Slovene music, eg Radovan Gobec, Lojze Lebič, Marko Munih, Jože Fürst, Jernej Habjanič and Stojan Kuret. Since 2002 Urša Lah has been conductor.

The repertoire of the choir includes compositions of all historical periods, but focuses on contemporary music. Many of the compositions were acquired via international open calls for new choral compositions. The choir performs all over Slovenia, participates in vocal-instrumental projects (Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem), records pieces for Radio Slovenia and collaborates with Danish conductor Peter Hanke on seminars, concerts and festivals.

The choir has performed in almost all European countries, in North and South America and Africa. The Academic Choir Tone Tomšič has been awarded a Golden Honorary Sign of the Republic of Slovenia and a Grand Prix de la Ville de Tours three times; in 2002 it was also awarded a prize at the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Tolosa. Under the leadership of Urša Lah, the choir has achieved the following successes: First Prize at the International Choral Festival in Tampere, Finland in 2003; two First Prizes in the category of Mixed and Female Coirs in Cantonigros, Spain in July 2004; the Golden Award and First Place at in the Naša pesem Choir Competition in 2005; and First Place in Polifonia/Programma Monografico category at the International Choral Competition C A Seghizzi in Italy, also in 2005.

In May 2006 the Academic Choir Tone Tomšic staged a concert in the Cankarjev dom Culture and Congress Centre concert hall to mark its 80th anniversary. The choir sang works by contemporary Slovene composers Ambrož Čopi, Pavel Dolenc, Nana Forte, Rok Golob, Vito Žuraj and Jakob Jež. It also performed a musical show written especially for the occasion by composer Peter Šavli called 'Presence', with the lyrics written by poet Maja Vidmar. An exhibition on the choir was on display at the National and University Library (NUK) and later at Cankarjev dom.

The Academic Choir Tone Tomšič frequently commissions new works by Slovene composers. It has made several recordings and boasts quite a prolific discography.

Academic Choir Tone Tomšič, University of Ljubljana

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