Choral singing is considered as one of the most noble cultural traditions in Slo-venia for its ability to combine two great loves – the love for music and the love for Slovenian language. They both follow us throughout our lives and shape us just like play, learning, social life, cultural activity and art. By successfully winning the can-didacy to host the largest international choral festival Europa Cantat 2021, the Republic of Slovenia has officially become one of the most important and prestig-ious countries in which music and choral singing are not only deeply rooted in our cultural being, but also characterised by exceptionally talented choral artists.

The Ministry of Culture is aware that the Europa Cantat project is extensive in terms of promotion, music, education and social matters, which is why the maximum financial resources will be allocated for this purpose in the history of the independent Republic of Slovenia. This festival will also feature as one of the leading events during the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

While the pandemic and different measures aimed at curbing the spread of infections continue to shape our lives, the festival’s diverse programme has undergone several changes. Listen to Slovenia choir cycle remains one of the main festival choral events, during which we will be able to showcase our rich singing tradi-tion from the treasury of Slovenian choral music.

We are convinced that despite the changes made to the programme, the festival and its connecting mission will come to life in the summer of 2021.