Page 9 - Glasbenopedagoški zbornik Akademije za glasbo v Ljubljani / The Journal of Music Education of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, leto 10, zvezek 21 / Year 10, Issue 21, 2014
P. 9
ja Koter, SAMO VREMŠAK: ARTIST AND PEDAGOGUE
(1963–1965). During this time he conducted the APZ Tone Tomšiè (Academic Choir
Tone Tomšiè) for two months, was a member of “Lira” in his hometown and of the
Komorni zbor RTV Ljubljana (Radio and Television Slovenia Chamber choir), and was
also active as a composer and concert singer. As a performing artist, he recorded for the
Radio Ljubljana Archive. Among a number of solo-songs that he recorded for this
institution, the most remarkable were the world premiere performances of Marij Kogoj’s
compositions. He claimed that this period of his life was fulfilling and successful. After he
remarried in 1965, he accepted a teaching post at the Fran Albreht Elementary School
where he worked as a music teacher for eight years, conducting children and youth choirs
at the school, writing compositions for respective choirs and publishing them in Grlica.
Despite his manifold capabilities and numerous accomplishments in all aspects of his
career, he did not feel completely satisfied. As he said, he was constantly searching for
new challenges and waiting for the fulfilment of his dream: a post at the Academy of
Music.14 Being a proficient musician, in 1973 he was offered the post of music consultant
by Zveza kulturno-prosvetnih organizacij Slovenije (the Association of Cultural and
Educational Organizations in Slovenia), which he accepted. This part of his life, however,
he never commented upon in public.
The records of Vremšak’s conductorship of the “Lira” choir in Kamnik are much more
eloquent. Under his leadership, the choir developed to the level of the most prominent
choirs in Slovenia and gained an international following. Accordingly, in 1975, he was
invited to take over the conductorship of the Philharmonic choir. In the same year Marijan
Gabrijelèiè became the artistic director of the institution and announced certain
modifications in programme and organization - first of all, exposing the orchestra to an
international audience. At the very beginning of his new employment, Vremšak most
probably had no inkling that the Philharmonic choir would exist for only one more season.
It should be emphasized that in previous articles about Vremšak, it was stated that he
worked as a conductor of the Philharmonic choir between 1975 and 1978, whereas the
latest research has indicated that this information is incorrect. As is evident from the
printed concert programmes and from other documentation, the choir were still
performing during the 1975/76 season, although none of these appearances was of
particular significance, and then the choir disbanded.15 Among their most significant
independent concerts of the last season was the 6th concert of the Red Series in May 1976,
conducted by Vremšak, in which the ensemble presented rarely performed works of
Renaissance authors, such as Lasso, Gallus, Palestrina and works of some lesser-known
Polish composers of the time. For the most part, Vremšak had selected polyphonic works,
which seemed to indicate a distinct inclination toward the compositional technique that he
was utilizing. The second part of the concert was dedicated to the most prominent
Slovenian composers of choir music: Vremšak had selected some of the most significant
or rarely performed works of Emil Adamiè, Marij Kogoj, Janko Ravnik, Karol Pahor,
Lucijan Marija Škerjanc, Sreèko Koporc and Vilko Ukmar. At the concert, the choir also
gave the first performance of Vremšak’s work Rdeèe nebo based upon the text by Branko
14 Matic Romšak recorded some personal memories of Samo Vremšak at his 60th anniversary. Cp. M.
Romšak, »60 let ivljenja z glasbo«, Kamniški obèan, June 25 1990, p. 5.
15 Cp. archival material of the Slovenska filharmonija (Slovenian Philharmonic). However, there is no folder
entitled “Samo Vremšak” there. I would like to thank the archivist Mateja Kralj for her help in locating
resource materials.
9
(1963–1965). During this time he conducted the APZ Tone Tomšiè (Academic Choir
Tone Tomšiè) for two months, was a member of “Lira” in his hometown and of the
Komorni zbor RTV Ljubljana (Radio and Television Slovenia Chamber choir), and was
also active as a composer and concert singer. As a performing artist, he recorded for the
Radio Ljubljana Archive. Among a number of solo-songs that he recorded for this
institution, the most remarkable were the world premiere performances of Marij Kogoj’s
compositions. He claimed that this period of his life was fulfilling and successful. After he
remarried in 1965, he accepted a teaching post at the Fran Albreht Elementary School
where he worked as a music teacher for eight years, conducting children and youth choirs
at the school, writing compositions for respective choirs and publishing them in Grlica.
Despite his manifold capabilities and numerous accomplishments in all aspects of his
career, he did not feel completely satisfied. As he said, he was constantly searching for
new challenges and waiting for the fulfilment of his dream: a post at the Academy of
Music.14 Being a proficient musician, in 1973 he was offered the post of music consultant
by Zveza kulturno-prosvetnih organizacij Slovenije (the Association of Cultural and
Educational Organizations in Slovenia), which he accepted. This part of his life, however,
he never commented upon in public.
The records of Vremšak’s conductorship of the “Lira” choir in Kamnik are much more
eloquent. Under his leadership, the choir developed to the level of the most prominent
choirs in Slovenia and gained an international following. Accordingly, in 1975, he was
invited to take over the conductorship of the Philharmonic choir. In the same year Marijan
Gabrijelèiè became the artistic director of the institution and announced certain
modifications in programme and organization - first of all, exposing the orchestra to an
international audience. At the very beginning of his new employment, Vremšak most
probably had no inkling that the Philharmonic choir would exist for only one more season.
It should be emphasized that in previous articles about Vremšak, it was stated that he
worked as a conductor of the Philharmonic choir between 1975 and 1978, whereas the
latest research has indicated that this information is incorrect. As is evident from the
printed concert programmes and from other documentation, the choir were still
performing during the 1975/76 season, although none of these appearances was of
particular significance, and then the choir disbanded.15 Among their most significant
independent concerts of the last season was the 6th concert of the Red Series in May 1976,
conducted by Vremšak, in which the ensemble presented rarely performed works of
Renaissance authors, such as Lasso, Gallus, Palestrina and works of some lesser-known
Polish composers of the time. For the most part, Vremšak had selected polyphonic works,
which seemed to indicate a distinct inclination toward the compositional technique that he
was utilizing. The second part of the concert was dedicated to the most prominent
Slovenian composers of choir music: Vremšak had selected some of the most significant
or rarely performed works of Emil Adamiè, Marij Kogoj, Janko Ravnik, Karol Pahor,
Lucijan Marija Škerjanc, Sreèko Koporc and Vilko Ukmar. At the concert, the choir also
gave the first performance of Vremšak’s work Rdeèe nebo based upon the text by Branko
14 Matic Romšak recorded some personal memories of Samo Vremšak at his 60th anniversary. Cp. M.
Romšak, »60 let ivljenja z glasbo«, Kamniški obèan, June 25 1990, p. 5.
15 Cp. archival material of the Slovenska filharmonija (Slovenian Philharmonic). However, there is no folder
entitled “Samo Vremšak” there. I would like to thank the archivist Mateja Kralj for her help in locating
resource materials.
9
