A Full House for the Opening of Seviqc 2026

Dear lovers of early music and friends of the Seviqc festival,

The Seviqc 2026 festival began last night just as we could have wished: with an outstanding concert and a full house at Narodni dom Celje. The international ensemble The Pleasure Garden, founded by Maruša Brezavšček, opened our fifteen-day festival journey with a programme of English music from John Dowland to Henry Purcell.

The joy of seeing a full house is all the greater because it shows that early music has found its audience in Celje. This is also confirmed by ticket-order data for this year's festival: 42.2% of ticket orders come from the Celje region, with 27.3% coming from the city of Celje itself. Many visitors joined us an hour before the concert for the Chat with the artists, before Narodni dom filled with an audience that followed the first concert of this year's festival with remarkable attentiveness.

Last night was also a wonderful demonstration of what we want to develop with Seviqc in Celje: a city where outstanding Slovenian and international artists, historically informed performance practice, research into Europe's musical heritage and a curious audience come together. With its exceptional historical and artistic heritage, Celje is far more than simply a festival venue. The legacy of the Counts of Celje and Barbara of Celje, together with the artistic achievements of centuries past, form part of the environment in which Seviqc operates. Seviqc seeks to connect this heritage with artistic creation today and to pass it on to the future. The festival is therefore not merely a series of concerts, but a place where new programmes, new artistic collaborations and new connections between Celje, Slovenia and the wider European cultural landscape are created.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the artists for a wonderful start to the festival, to all our partners and collaborators who made it possible, and above all to you, our dear visitors, who filled Narodni dom and gave it something that no organisation can create on its own: a vibrant festival atmosphere.

Seviqc 2026 has begun. Two more weeks of music, encounters and discoveries lie ahead.

We invite you to our upcoming concerts:

Concert: Qvinta Essençia (ES)
Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at 19:30
Celje, Cathedral of St Daniel
Chat with the artists at 18:30, Oaza Café

Concert: Bach Collegium Barcelona (ES)
Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 19:30
Celje, Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Chat with the artists at 18:30, Oaza Café

Concert: Duo Stegmann - Jiménez (GB)
Sunday, 16 August 2026 at 19:30
Celje, Princely Palace
Chat with the artists at 18:30, Oaza Café

Concert: Tiago Matias (PT): vihuela, Baroque guitar
Monday, 17 August 2026 at 19:30
Soteska, Devil's Tower
Chat with the artist at 18:30, KKC Dolenjske Toplice 

Concert: Musica Antiqua Neoplantensis (RS)
Thursday, 20 August 2026 at 19:30
Celje, Princely Palace
Chat with the artists at 18:30, City Café Celje

Concert: Savaria Baroque Orchestra (HU)
Friday, 21 August 2026 at 19:30
Celje, Narodni dom
Chat with the artists at 18:30, City Café Celje