Page 288 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2020. Konservatoriji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela ▪︎ The conservatories: professionalisation and specialisation of musical activity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 4
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konservator iji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela
long career as a violin teacher he trained numerous successful violinists,
among them four future concertmasters of Slovenian orchestras.64
Another of Šlais’s pupils was a violinist described as having “the best
tone of all Slovenian violinists,” Albert Dermelj.65 He finished his violin
studies with Jan Šlais in 1936 and continued at the Academy of Music in Za-
greb with Václav Huml. After his studies, he became concertmaster of the
Operetta Orchestra of the National Theater in Zagreb, and then for thirty
years served as the concertmaster of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
in Ljubljana. He performed in over 210 solo concerts and over 215 chamber
concerts. He later admitted that he was able to stay active for so long thanks
to Huml, who had given him much encouragement. Still, he did not want to
teach with as firm a hand as Huml. His pupils became orchestra members
all over Yugoslavia, concertmasters, chamber musicians, and pedagogues.
They included Alenka Maier Popov, longtime assistant concertmaster of
the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Dermelj also wrote curricula for
viola, and trained two of the best Slovenian violists, Mile Kosi and Frenk
Avsenek (1946). From 1965, Kosi was a soloist and the principal violist of
the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. He was succeeded by Avsenek in
1980.66
In contrast to pupils that had ambitions of becoming virtuosos, Šlais
also had students with other ambitions, and one of whom was Uroš Pre-
voršek. Apart from violin, he also studied composition (Slavko Osterc) and
conducting (Lucijan Marija Škerjanc) at the Ljubljana Conservatory, and
furthered his violin studies with Alberto Poltronieri (1892–1983). Between
1941 and 1945 he was the concertmaster of the Radio Orchestra in Belgrade,
thereafter returning to his homeland. Until 1981 he taught music theory and
chamber music and led the orchestra of the Academy of Music in Ljublja-
na. He was also the first chief conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony
Orchestra between 1955 and 1965, published extensive music criticism, and
composed several violin pieces.
An early member of the Ljubljana Quartet was Fran Stanič, another
of Šlais’s pupils. Later he would make important contributions to the entry
levels of musical education. For many years he was a violin teacher at the
64 Among his pupils were: Miran Kolbl, Vita Gregorc, Petra Arlati, Karel Žužek, Emil
Kopše, Marina Kopše, and many others.
65 Personal communication with Rok Klopčič in Ljubljana in 2006.
66 Miran Satter, “Znanec iz sosednje ulice: Ali Dermelj,” Dnevnik, December 8th,
1986, 5; Janko Grilc, “Albert Dermelj,” in Muzička enciklopedija, vol. 1, ed. Krešimir
Kovačević (Zagreb: Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, 1971), 435.
286
long career as a violin teacher he trained numerous successful violinists,
among them four future concertmasters of Slovenian orchestras.64
Another of Šlais’s pupils was a violinist described as having “the best
tone of all Slovenian violinists,” Albert Dermelj.65 He finished his violin
studies with Jan Šlais in 1936 and continued at the Academy of Music in Za-
greb with Václav Huml. After his studies, he became concertmaster of the
Operetta Orchestra of the National Theater in Zagreb, and then for thirty
years served as the concertmaster of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
in Ljubljana. He performed in over 210 solo concerts and over 215 chamber
concerts. He later admitted that he was able to stay active for so long thanks
to Huml, who had given him much encouragement. Still, he did not want to
teach with as firm a hand as Huml. His pupils became orchestra members
all over Yugoslavia, concertmasters, chamber musicians, and pedagogues.
They included Alenka Maier Popov, longtime assistant concertmaster of
the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Dermelj also wrote curricula for
viola, and trained two of the best Slovenian violists, Mile Kosi and Frenk
Avsenek (1946). From 1965, Kosi was a soloist and the principal violist of
the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. He was succeeded by Avsenek in
1980.66
In contrast to pupils that had ambitions of becoming virtuosos, Šlais
also had students with other ambitions, and one of whom was Uroš Pre-
voršek. Apart from violin, he also studied composition (Slavko Osterc) and
conducting (Lucijan Marija Škerjanc) at the Ljubljana Conservatory, and
furthered his violin studies with Alberto Poltronieri (1892–1983). Between
1941 and 1945 he was the concertmaster of the Radio Orchestra in Belgrade,
thereafter returning to his homeland. Until 1981 he taught music theory and
chamber music and led the orchestra of the Academy of Music in Ljublja-
na. He was also the first chief conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony
Orchestra between 1955 and 1965, published extensive music criticism, and
composed several violin pieces.
An early member of the Ljubljana Quartet was Fran Stanič, another
of Šlais’s pupils. Later he would make important contributions to the entry
levels of musical education. For many years he was a violin teacher at the
64 Among his pupils were: Miran Kolbl, Vita Gregorc, Petra Arlati, Karel Žužek, Emil
Kopše, Marina Kopše, and many others.
65 Personal communication with Rok Klopčič in Ljubljana in 2006.
66 Miran Satter, “Znanec iz sosednje ulice: Ali Dermelj,” Dnevnik, December 8th,
1986, 5; Janko Grilc, “Albert Dermelj,” in Muzička enciklopedija, vol. 1, ed. Krešimir
Kovačević (Zagreb: Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, 1971), 435.
286
