Gorizia, 11 February 2025 – The Lojze Bratuž Cultural Centre and the Forum of Slavic Cultures (FSK), within the framework of the Ljubka’s Trail project, held a press conference at the Gorizia Trade Centre to announce the upcoming children’s choir concert, The Echo of Ljubka’s Trail. The concert will take place on 19 February at the Lojze Bratuž Cultural Centre in Gorizia and will be dedicated to the birthday of the Primorska poet Ljubka Šorli.
The press conference featured speeches by Franka Žgavec, President of the Lojze Bratuž Cultural Centre, Patrizia Artico, representative of the Municipality of Gorizia and coordinator of activities for EPK GO! 2025, and Dr. Andreja Rihter, Director of FSK.
Patrizia Artico expressed her gratitude to the Slovenian minority community for their contribution to the European Capital of Culture project and emphasized the importance of cross-border initiatives such as Ljubka’s Trail, which transcend historical divisions. She highlighted the life story of Ljubka Šorli and her husband Lojze Bratuž, both of significant symbolic value to the Slovenian community.
Dr. Andreja Rihter shared her honor in FSK’s participation in such a major international project as the European Capital of Culture. She announced that every year FSK and the Lojze Bratuž Cultural Centre will commemorate Ljubka Šorli’s birthday with special events. As part of the project, tour guide certificates will be awarded on 7 March, followed by the first public walks on 8 March, marking International Women’s Day. In April, an international conference on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe will take place.
Franka Žgavec provided details of the concert The Echo of Ljubka’s Trail. Children’s and youth choirs from Slovenia and Italy will perform, accompanied by instrumentalists, singing settings of Ljubka Šorli’s poems composed especially for the occasion by Patrick Quaggiato. The selection of poems for children was curated by David Bandelj. More than 200 young singers from the choirs of Emil Komel in Gorizia, France Bevk Primary School in Tolmin, Danilo Lokar Primary School in Ajdovščina, Most na Soči Primary School, Šempas Primary School, Ljubka Šorli Primary School in Romjan, and the Emil Komel Youth Choir will take the stage.
Before the concert, all participating singers will visit Tolmin, the birthplace of Ljubka Šorli, where they will take part in a joint singing session.
The press conference concluded with a warm invitation to this special concert, which promises to be an extraordinary cultural experience.