Traditionally, Open Singing is a very important part of every Europa Cantat Festival. The joy of collective singing with all festival participants is the most exciting feeling and experience of everyone who have ever been a part of the festival.

The Festival Songbook is always ‘tailor-made’ for each edition of the Europa Cantat Festival. It includes the most colorful, exciting and versatile repertoire that you can imagine.

In it you’ll find populas songs, that EC participants sang for years on the festivals, as well as the new compositions, arrangements of spectacular folk songs or beautiful new works of the young composers from all over Europe. Last but not least, the festival songbook always includes some nice surprises from the hosting country as well as the neighbouring regions.

Interview with Urška Bittner Pipan and Mihela Jagodic, General Manager and Program Manager of Europa Cantat 2021 Ljubljana

It is certainly true that Urška Bittner Pipan and Mihela Jagodic, the leading figures of Europa Cantat 2021, have spent more time together than with their families in the last year and a half. This is what it takes to organise such a large-scale project. When you add the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 epidemic and the subsequent measures to the list, you can imagine that being a festival’s general manager or program manager is far from easy.

Considering your vast experience with managing cultural projects and events, you could definitely foresee that the festival would be demanding in terms of organisation and programme. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you assess the actual complexity of this project?

Urška: If we discussed this one month ago, I would say 20. (laughing) Today my opinion is slightly different and everything seems calmer, so I would say it is a 9. Let me say that Mihela and I are an important part of the project, but we have a phenomenal core team behind us. We have been going through the preparations in this relatively long period of three years together, encouraging each other.

We had to face some difficulties and make very tough decisions that had to be harmonised within our team and then with all the other important stakeholders and co-financiers. This is how we tried to keep the momentum going and sustain the belief that we are creating a project in which we believe, despite the major changes that took place. I would say that, considering all these changes, we have been “sprinting a marathon” all the time.

We had to face some difficulties and make very tough decisions that had to be harmonised within our team and then with all the other important stakeholders and co-financiers. This is how we tried to keep the momentum going and sustain the belief that we are creating a project in which we believe, despite the major changes that took place. I would say that, considering all these changes, we have been “sprinting a marathon” all the time.

– Urška Bittner Pipan, MA, festival manager

Mihela: We knew that the process would be very challenging, but without the additional complications brought by the epidemic, which has paralysed the cultural sphere in particular. The twelve-member team, which managed to bring the project to the point where other JSKD co-workers and volunteers from Slovenia and abroad started assisting with the preparation, has carried out remarkable work.

The project is incredibly demanding and, ever since the end of registration period this February, I would assess it somewhere around 10, if not more, because of constant changes, adaptations, and the consequent lack of time … it also varies from day to day and individual parts of the team. However, the number would be significantly higher without our amazing colleagues – all team members are enthusiasts with a positive attitude!

How did the process start after your candidacy in 2017 had been accepted? Maybe by building the core team?

Urška: It started enthusiastically because, back in 2017, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Municipality of Ljubljana supported the efforts of JSKD to upgrade the well-established tradition and organised choral education by offering candidacy for the largest choral festival Europa Cantat.

We were really excited when Ljubljana was chosen as the organiser of the 2021 festival at the general assembly in Tallinn. Our wish to present Slovenian music at the global level and bring the best of the choral world to Slovenia was fulfilled – and so we rolled up our sleeves. Then we began with the work and I will never stop appreciating the opportunity to create such a beautiful and great story from scratch.

Mihela: We had many ideas for the programme. Firstly, we tried to decide which Slovenian choral achievements to present to the participants and how to do it, and then who and what from abroad to present to the Slovenian choral public, e.g. renowned mentors, ensembles, interesting music programmes and lectures.

In the second phase, we tried to determine how to complement the music ideas – how to connect choral activity with other areas of life and give it a chance to come alive outside the entirely musical framework. We made parallels with sport, photography, economy, science, etc.

It seemed particularly important to draw up a programme so interesting that our singers and conductors would feel that they should not miss it out despite it being held in the middle of summer holidays. We are pleased to see that we managed to achieve just that.

We were really excited when Ljubljana was chosen as the organiser of the 2021 festival at the general assembly in Tallinn. Our wish to present Slovenian music at the global level and bring the best of the choral world to Slovenia was fulfilled – and so we rolled up our sleeves. Then we began with the work and I will never stop appreciating the opportunity to create such a beautiful and great story from scratch.

– Urška Bittner Pipan, MA, festival manager

We cannot avoid the question of how the new virus and everything that followed affected the programme?

Mihela: In the autumn, we optimistically set up the entire programme without restrictions, but, as the winter drew near, we started to feel uneasy about the unpredictable development of the epidemic. It was impossible to plan the festival based on the information given by the competent authorities and we reached a point where we had to cancel the additional part of the programme.

We were the most affected by the cancellation of ateliers, the very core of the festival, which would be attended by 2,600 registered singers from Slovenia and around 30 other countries. The uncertainty over the rules and the risk were simply too high. We also had to cancel several special projects.

Nevertheless, the concerts of the invited groups will take place at amazing locations in the centre of Ljubljana, one part of the programme was moved online and the other part will take place in a hybrid form – by implementing it live in Ljubljana and streaming it to the audience online.

How did the situation affect the organisation?

Urška: Organisational ventures are much more complex than they were before the epidemic. The implementation scenarios, which we played out over and over again, shattered to pieces in front of our eyes. The wish of everyone involved, the participants and organisers alike, was to attend the festival healthy and also stay that way going home. F

or this reason, we will take care of all the conditions that will be required in a given situation. In practice, this means that all venues will be adequately prepared and we will follow all the guidelines of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) and other institutions. At the same time, we will do our best to make the performers feel as good as possible so that they can carry out their programme in a relaxed manner.

There must be some bright sides from the organisational perspective and in the final programme regardless of the obstacles you had to face.

Mihela: We are delighted that foreign vocal groups are willing to perform despite the strict conditions, unless something unpredictable happens until then. They are really flexible, which we, the organisers, appreciate a lot. The same goes for several Slovenian choirs who will do their absolute best to present just a fraction of an otherwise wide Slovenian programme.

We regret that many of the invited guests will not be able to do so due to the difficult rehearsal conditions. All of us have a huge desire to show what normal choral conditions and energy look like and the performers will be able to bring it to the audience.

Urška: People, their understanding and support make us hopeful. In any case, it was a unique experience to tirelessly keep hope alive for the summer and create a new story to revive singing. Now I have a feeling that we can create anything.

People, their understanding and support make us hopeful. In any case, it was a unique experience to tirelessly keep hope alive for the summer and create a new story to revive singing. Now I have a feeling that we can create anything.

– Urška Bittner Pipan, MA, festival manager

What are the reactions of choral public from Slovenia and abroad?

Urška: We are deeply honoured by so many positive vibrations through all the responses that we regularly receive, especially from abroad. The public is letting us know that we are being supported in these difficult times trying to organise such events. Many colleagues from international choral festivals and competitions, who know what we are going through, are positively surprised that we keep on going, noting that, if they were us, they would have cancelled it altogether long ago.

Mihela: This is the crucial quality of the team: to seek a solution to every problem with enthusiasm, perseverance and determination until we are 100% sure that we have done our best before giving up.

How will you bring the festival closer to the wider, non-professional public?

Mihela: By organising concerts that will fit any taste and projects anyone will be able to attend. Those who prefer walks to concerts can head to the Jakopič Promenade in Park Tivoli, where they can already visit the phenomenal Choral Photo Promenade on large boards.  As for the concerts, we have to mention the Sing to Slovenia event at the Novi Trg square featuring Slovenian vocal ensembles, and we are also organising a lovely Familyvision Song Event.

Will there be a special feature of this year’s festival as it was in the previous editions of the festival in Tallinn, Pécs or Torino?

Mihela: Yes, the fact that we can never know for sure whether we will be able to carry it out! (laughing) Jokes aside, we are pleased to continue the tradition of Europa Cantat, i.e. to offer diverse content to the professional music community and the general public.

We are also proud of the Listen to Slovenia cycle that will showcase the rich tradition of Slovenian music. Without a doubt this will be the first Europa Cantat festival that will also be one of the main events during any EU Council Presidency. This will also be the first time that a lot of content will be available on the Europa Cantat television, with educational and relaxing content being “just one click away” throughout the festival.

Urška:  One other special feature is that this will be the first large-scale international choral event of the post-COVID era! More up-to-date information is available on the festival’s website and all of our social network profiles (FB, IG, YT). We look forward to launching the festival and meeting you!