Music School »Fran Korun Koželjski«, Velenje

Fran Korun Koželjski
(1868—1935), born in Velenje, was all-round musical worker, composer and theoretic, teacher and choir master, conducter and folk songs collector. He wrote many choral, piano, chamber and orchestral works. Especially signifficant were his music textbooks for violin, zither and accordion, first of its kind in Slovene language and were a great contribution to development of Slovene musical education. His whole work was infused with idea of Slovenian independence and connections to other Slavic nations.

History
The Šalek Valley started flourishing culturally and economically after the World War II. Though already prior to that time there were choirs and brass bands active which supported the education of the young musicians (the experienced musicians taught the young ones to play instruments and also the theory of the music). The permanent music education started in Velenje almost sixty years ago, in the school year 1951/52.
Throughout the years the school has been renamed several times, and from 1966 it carries a name of Fran Korun Koželjski, local composer, conductor, teacher, and an organizer of musical events – carrier of musical life in the community.
Ivan Marin, a person who made maybe the greatest impact on the school, was the school director for almost 40 years. With a lot of energy, ingenuity and enthusiasm he managed, together with his colleagues, to introduce secondary education, beside the existent elementary one. The number of pupils (and students) has risen from 200 to 900 and Velenje Music School has become recognizable and noticeable music center, where beside the most remarkable artists, the youngest ones always have a chance to perform. The music school extended simultaniously with the growth of the town Velenje, so it gradually got new rooms, teachers and students. Today it is known as one of the best and biggest music schools in Slovenia.

Organization
Various instruments and singing is taught here, the students take part in variety of chamber and orchestra groups, choirs (children's and youth) and orchestras (two string orchestras, two brass orchestras, accordion orchestra, symphony orchestra). Every year more than 850 students attend the music school, there are also two music departments in Šoštanj and Šmartno ob Paki.
The students and individual groups regularly take part at the regional, national and international competitions. The school also organizes international music courses – highly valued Summer violin school of prof. Igor Ozim, International organ course, Piano seminar by prof. Lászlo Baranyay, master classes for other instruments (brass, saxophone, harp) – and it is well known for numerous concerts of soloist, chamber, choir and orchestra music. Thus it plays an important part in the development of the music activities in Velenje and has a strong impact on the cultural image of the town and of the whole region. Besides the elementary music education there is also the advanced program running at the Art High school – department music, attended by more than 100 students annually. As the result of the previous successful work there are intensive preparations to found the Faculty of Music Arts in Velenje.

School in numbers
The school building was opened in 1985 and then enlarged with an impressive additional building in 1997. It covers an area of 6360 square meters and consists of 47 classrooms and 5 performing halls.
So today the Velenje Music School presents bright and spacious classrooms, where 87 teachers instruct 642 pupils and students under optimal conditions. Two external locations add 218 more pupils. The school library is located in a designated place, and makes its resources and services available to pupils, students and employees of Velenje Music School.

Performance halls
Great Concert Hall (280 seats) is one of the most acoustic concert halls in Slovenia. The events that take place in the hall range from solo and chamber music recitals to the choir and orchestral concerts.
Organ Hall (112 seats - floor, 50 seats - balcony) houses the pipe organ, built in 1997 by Helmut Allgäuer from Vienna (Austria). It has a mechanical action with a slider-chest and 20 stops on two manuals and a pedal.
Disposition was made (constructed) by prof. dr. Johann Trummer, Head of Institute for Church Music and Organ at University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz (Austria).
Blue Hall (100 seats) hosts smaller musical performances/recitals and master classes.
Orchestra Hall serves mostly as a practice room for orchestras.
Ballet Hall is intended for young dancers.

Concerts
Because of all mentioned capabilities, school is very suitable for all sorts of music performances, competitions, festivals and master classes. Concert activity is very intense, each year a number of concerts and other musical events are organized and hosted, around 180 per year. Namely, school is a very important factor in developement of musical life in Velenje and plays an important role in creating cultural image, not only of the town, but of the region and country as well.

Courses

School offers following courses:

Elementary education
'Preschool musical education' course
'Musical preparation' course
'Music' course:
Strings: violine, viola, cello, double-bass
Wind instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, fagot and saxophone
Brass and percussion instruments: horn, trumpet, tuba, baritone, trombone and other conical bore instruments
Percussion
Singing
Keyboard instruments: piano, accordion, organ
Plucked string instruments: guitar, harp
Recorder
Folk instruments: diatonic button accordion, zither
'Pre- Danse performance' Program
'Danse performance' Program

Secondary education
'High School of Arts
»Music, singing and instrument«:
Strings: violine, viola, cello, double-bass
Wind instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, fagot and saxophone
Brass and percussion instruments: horn, trumpet, tuba, baritone, trombone and other conical bore instruments
Percussion
Singing
Keyboard instruments: piano, accordion, organ
Plucked string instruments: guitar, harp

Velenje Music School,
June 2009

Contact:
Glasbena šola Fran Korun Koželjski Velenje
Jenkova 4
3320 Velenje
Slovenia
Phone: +386 3 / 898 12 00
Fax: +386 3 / 898 12 25
www.gsvelenje.si