Alojz Ajdič - Composer

Composer Alojz Ajdič was born in small Bosnian town Fojnica. Already in his early years he was very interested in music. He got his first music lessons by the nuns in Koprivnica (Croatia). He attended music school in Maribor where he learned playing clarinet and later he graduated in the class of Mihael Gunzek in Academy of Music in Ljubljana. After he graduaded in clarinet he began to study the composition in the class of Professor Uroš Krek.

He wrote his first compositions in the fifties of the 20th century. His song Forgive me was awarded a Third prize of the Jury of experts in 1966. Encouraged by the success he began to write compositions for different instruments, chamber music, orchestral music, concertos, symphonies an later operas. In his creative works prevails his emotonal expression. His works show him as a specific artist who ardently and sincerely creates.

Alojz Ajdič never regarded himself as an avant-garde composer. He said: "I try to inspire modernity in the music but actually I am a traditionalist." He has formed his own style of expression which is individual and recognizable in our music culture. He has achieved something that the composers all over the world strive for, that is to follow and express the inner voice.

Alojz Ajdič has written many compositions and touched all types of music. In the field of solo music he has mostly written for clarinet. The most important compositions are: Solo de concours, Among stalactites, The Shepherd’s Song, Slavko's solo and others.

The Rhapsody was written for trumpet solo and orchestra. This piece of music experienced a remarkable success on the Japan tour performed by The Slovenian Philharmonics in Tokio and Osaka. The work was enthusiastically received in United Kingdom, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia. His frequently performed music works are also Feelings No. 2, Memory of Paris and Concerto for trumpet.

He wrote some music for flute and some pieces are very popular among the flutist, such as Sounding Landscape for flute solo, The Night - A Look into the Sky for flute and percussion and Unfinished Song for flute and harp. Chamber music written by Ajdič reveals his momentary emotional responses to events around him and are favoured among the performers. His orchestral works are distinguished for their unusual contents, such as his Second symphony titled The Soul Window, Vision of Colours, Fata Morgana (Mirage), Expectations and Awakening.

In his Third symphony he used many percussion instruments with solo performance. The piece is dedicaded to the memory of Anton Bruckner. Cantata The Ravensbrück Concentration Camp is undoubtedly one of his most important music works. It is written on the grounds of the wording of the women who survived the camp.

He received many awards and prizes for cantata, and the Župančič Prize for his Second symphony, Award of the Prešeren Foundation for Third Symphony and Kozina award.

His Concerto for violin and orchestra (1995) was warmly accepted and reaped acclaim at its very premiere. The Slovene Philharmonics performed the concerto on their tour in Moscow. His piano concerto under Uroš Lajovic's direction and performed by the pianist player Rita Kink was also well received.

With his opera the Two Brothers describing the life of the mother with her two sons and a daughter in the turbulent period of the second world war in Ljubljana and in Dolenjsko region (Lower Carniola) he reaches the peak of his music creativity.

In music works of Alojz Ajdič prevail contents with deep insights touching the performer and listener, therefore his music is warmly received on concerts at home and abroad.

• Third prize of the Jury of experts, for the song Oprosti mi (Forgive me), 1966
• The Prešeren Award for Gorenjska region, for cantata Taborišče Ravensbrück (The Ravensbrück Concentration Camp), Kranj 1983
• Award of the Slovenian national uprising, for cantata Taborišče Ravensbrück (The Ravensbrück Concentration Camp), Ljubljana 1983
• The Fourth of July Prize, for cantata Taborišče Ravensbrück (The Ravensbrück Concentration Camp), Beograd 1984
• Award and Recognition of the DZS for his contribution to the development of the publishing house during 20 years, Ljubljana 1984
• The Župančič Award, for Second symphony titled Okno duše (The soul window), Ljubljana 1994
• Prešeren Fund Award, for Third symphony titled Symphony for percussion and symphony orchestra, Ljubljana 1997
• Award for exceptional achievements in the field of culture of the Slovenian educational society Edinost in Pliberk, Klagenfurt 1998
• Recognition and gratitude for 10 years of educational work and management of the Music School of Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1998
• The Kozina Award for completed symphonic opus, Ljubljana 2009
• Recognition on the occassion of the 100th anniversary of the Kranj Music School for successful school management, 2009
• Award of the Municipality of Kranj, 2020