Uroš Rojko

Was born in 1954 in Ljubljana. He studied clarinet at the city1s Academy of Music (1972­1975). From 1977 till 1981 r. he took lessons in composition from Uro” Krek. In 1980­82 he continued his compositional studies with Klaus Huber in the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg and in 1986­89 ­ with György Ligeti in Hamburg (thanks to the daad scholarship).
His compositional honours include First Prizes at the OAlpe Adria1 Competition in Linz (Music for Orchestra, 1983), and the Alban Berg Competition in Vienna (String Quartet, 1985), as well as the Premio Europa in Rome (Tongenesis, 1985) and the Gaudeamus Prize at the 1986 International Music Week in Amsterdam (for Tongen II) .

Selected works: Vier Novellen for violin and piano (1978), Fünf Portraits for clarinet, cello and piano (1979), Invenzione pastorale for violin and orchestra (1979), Studio per percussioni for five percussions (1980), Sieben Seufzer for clarinet and piano (1981), Melancholie for cello and piano (1983), Piano Concerto (1983), Uleomina for mixed choir (1983), Passing Away on Two Strings for guitar (1984), Musik für Orchester (1984), String Quartet No. 1 (1985), ...für eine Piccolospielerin (1986), Tongen for violin, Ohalf-clarinet1 and piano (1986), Tongen II for two double-basses (1987), Tongenesis for large orchestra (1987), Music for Twelve for 12 instruments (1987), Der Atem der verletzten Zeit for large orchestra (1988), Sympathie for clarinet (or oboe) and piano (1989), Tongarten for nine instruments (1989), Atonkanon for any instruments (1989), Atemaj for flute (including piccolo/ alto flutes) and oboe (1989), Vier Rätsel und drei richtige Lösungen for four clarinets (1989), Glass Voices for flute and piano (1990), Aussagen des Lichtes for organ (1990), Ottoki, a cycle of pieces for brass quintet (1991), Inner Voices for flute (including piccolo/ alto flutes) and chamber orchestra (1991), Tati for voice (1991), Otrok je pesem (Das Kind is das Gedicht), a cycle of pieces for mixed choir (1991), Whose Song for accordion (1992), Godba for alto saxophone and piano (1992), Et puis plus rien le reve, song cycle for baritone, cello and accordion (1992), Elegija per Hugo for flute and guitar (1993), Symphony Concertante for flute (including piccolo/ alto flutes), oboe (including oboe d1amore / English horn), piano and large orchestra (1994), Bagatellen for accordion and piano (1994), Music of Strings for guitar and 18 string instruments (1994), Prayer for viola and accordion (1994), Capriccios for trombone quartet (1994/95), Tangos for accordion and piano (1995), Ritualities for tape (1996), Calm Down for two recorders (1996/97), Mo/Tention for large orchestra and spatially-placed instrumental groups (1997), Stone Wind for flute and clarinet (1997), Try to Fly for Osho1 and accordion (1997), Tangos for two pianos (1998), Secret Message for cello and piano (1998), Secret Message II (Brahms in Buenos Aires) for clarinet, cello and tape (1998), Evocation for cello and accordion (1998), Miru for clarinet and mixed choir (1998), Evocation for orchestra and groups of instruments places spatially behind the orchestra (1998/99), Luna, Aqua e Chiara for guitar (1999), In Wellen verwoben for six percussions (1999), Ironica for flute, double-bass and piano; 2nd version for violin (viola), bassoon (double-bass bassoon) and piano (1999), ...Dove amor si mistra for a cappella mixed choir set to poems by Milan Jesih (2000), Pressure for big band (2000), Lamento for alto saxophone (2000), Skin of Wind, ballet music to Perfect Step (2001), La bella donna dove amor si mostra for a cappella mixed choir set to poems by Milan Jesia (2001), Splin for accordion (2001), Pressure for big band, violin and guitar (2001).

Godba
The old-Slovenian word Ogodba1 has many various meanings: it can stand for music for brass instruments, folk music and even funeral music. Especially the second movement of Godba, where the repeated bell sounds in piano create an accompaniment to microtonal glissandos in the saxophone part, suggests the last meaning.
Through the Owandering cluster1 of the first movement, painful bell sounds of the second, vibrating microtones of the third and ­ finally ­ through the enormous interval jumps and aggressive pizzicati, the composer brings us into the heart of his inner silence. And maybe this is just the highest goal of music and the deepest meaning of Ogodba1?
John-Edward Kelly