On Tuesday, July 14 at 9:00 PM, at the Church of St. Philip and St. James, the Slovenian harp quartet “SIH4rps” will open the 16th International Classical Music Festival.

The Slovenian harp quartet SIH4rps was founded in 2024 and brings together four outstanding harpists: Urška Križnik Zupan, principal harpist of the Symphony Orchestra of the Slovenian Philharmonic, Marija Gamboz, principal harpist of the SNG Ljubljana Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and Teja Plesničar and Lara Hrastnik Samec, representatives of the younger generation who regularly collaborate with orchestras in Slovenia and Austria and also teach in Ljubljana and Krško.

The ensemble is distinguished by its exceptional technical level, refined artistic interpretation, and outstanding ensemble cohesion, confirmed by its rich concert activity.

Music critic F. Križnar wrote: “Their interpretations are finely tuned in intonation, musically shaped, and in every sense of ensemble performance brought to perfection – both agogically and dynamically flawless. The achievements of the four harpists’ performance are – or the very tip of the iceberg – of the pyramid of Slovenian harp artistry.”

The harp is considered one of the most beautiful and elegant instruments, with a heavenly sound – and what is more beautiful than one harp? Four harps. It was precisely the desire for making music together and sharing music with audiences that brought these four artists into a unique musical expression. Through their ensemble, they open new dimensions of harp sound and explore the limitless possibilities of the instrument. They place special emphasis on encouraging Slovenian composers to create new repertoire for harp quartet, thereby significantly contributing to the development of Slovenian harp artistry.