Music of Slovenia

The music of Slovenia is closely related to German and Austrian because of its common history and Alpine culture. In the minds of many foreigners, Slovenian folk music means a form of polka that is still popular today, especially among expatriates and their descendents in the area of Cleveland, Ohio.

Slavko_Avsenik is one of the most influential and popular polka and waltz musicians in the world. Oberkrainer[?] music, which the Avsenik Ensemble popularized, remains very popular today and is always a strong candidate for country (folk) music awards in Slovenia and Austria.

One of the most famous modern Slovenian bands is Laibach, an early 1980s industrial music group.

Ljubljana-native Bratko Bibič[?]'s former band Begnagrad[?] was a massively influential 1970s group that are considered one of the direct influences on modern world music. Bibič's unique accordion style, often solo, with no accompaniment, has also made him a solo star.

Avant-garde classical music arose in Slovenia in the 1960s, largely due to the work of Primož Ramovš[?] and Ivo Petrič[?], who also conducted the Slavko Osterc Ensemble[?]. Jakob Jež[?], Darijan Božič[?], Lojze Lebič[?] and Vinko Globokar[?] have since composed enduring works, especially Globokar's L'Armonia[?], an opera.

Modernist composers include Uroš Rojko[?], Tomaž Svete[?], Brina Jež-Brezavšček[?] and Aldo Kumar[?]. Kumar's Sonata z igro 12[?] (A sonata with a play 12), a set of variations on a rising chromatic scale, is particularly notable.