Photo by Adrijan Pregelj
SOS is a youth saxophone orchestra which consists of approximately 30 members, its young saxophonists coming from from ten lower and three secondary Slovenian music schools. The primary goal is educating young players in orchestral performance and providing a creative environment which additionally motivates young musicians to engage in creating and performing music. One of our pedagogical goals is also identifying exceptional musical talents in time, so that they can be properly and professionally instructed and oriented on their musical journey.
Alongside our pedagogic and socialising goals, we at the Sekvoja Cultural Association wish to enable the young to gain as much artistic experience as possible, which is why we often perform with the SOS orchestra.
The SOS Orchestra is led jointly by professor Lev Pupis and professor Domen Koren. The orchestra is intended for young people from the age of 13 or those who attend at least the 5th class of saxophone. The orchestra is always open to new members. They can actively experience its work at the ALPSAX SUMMER summer festival in Kranjska Gora, where the orchestra designs and rehearses a new program for the upcoming school year. There are no special conditions for membership. We are happy to welcome saxophonists between the ages of 10 and 13 who have basic knowledge of playing the saxophone and want to socialize with other peers from all over Slovenia. Newcomers, members up to the age of 13, usually first try out in the SOS junior, led by professor Metka Pupis, assisted by Lan Meden, a graduate of the Academy of the City of Vienna.
Here are some of our more noticeable performances:
- Concert at the 100th anniversary of the birth of prof. Daniel Deffayet, Paris, March 25, 2023 - more...
- 30th st.Nicholas charity concert 2022
- "Young virtuosi" show, broadcast in September 2022, RTV Slovenia
- 3rd SAX IN THE CITY (annual gala concert of the KD Sekovja Society), Slovenian Philharmonic, October 22, 2022
- International Youth Saxophone Orchestra ALPSAX SUMMER 2022, Kranjska Gora, July 8, 2022
- International youth saxophone orchestra ALPSAX SUMMER 2022, Festival SAX GO!, Nova Gorica, July 9, 2022
- "Summer on the Old Sava" Festival, June 7, 2022, KOLPERN Banquet Hall, Jesenice
- 7th international AS festival Bled 2021
- 2. SAX IN THE CITY (annual gala concert of the KD Sequoia Society), Slovenian Philharmonic, 2021
- 1. SAX IN THE CITY (annual gala concert of the KD Sequoia Society) online, 2020
- 6th international AS festival Bled 2020
- 5th international AS festival Bled 2019
- 18th World Congress of Saxophonists Zagreb 2018
(solo concert with the project "GANG N STARS")
- 4th international AS festival Bled 2018
- 29th International Festival "Nights in Old Ljubljana" 2017
- 25th st.Nicholas charity concert 2017
The orchestra performs classical, jazz, and pop scores, and is often accompanied by renowned soloists and conductors, such as Alain Crepin, Philippe Geiss, Oto Vrhovnik, Gerald Preinfalk, Kenneth Tse, Barry Cockroft, Dragan Sremec, Javier Valerio, Miro Saje and others.
The orchestra performs all over Slovenia and with our project "Saturday for saxophone" we want to socialize with other saxophonists who do not yet know our story. As part of this all-day event, we have already performed in Postojna, Straža, Slovenska Bistrica, Sevnica, Radlje ob Drava, Lendava, Kranj, Jesenice and elsewhere.
At the Sequoia Cultural Society, we are aware of the importance of collaboration among composers of our time, and that is why we often commission new works for our ensembles and collaborate with composers around the world. Jean Denis Michat, Philippe Geiss, Jure Pukl, Gerald Preinfalk, Alain Crepin and Julian Argüelles have already dedicated their compositions to us.