Jože KOTAR

Jože KOTAR became principal clarinettist of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra in 2007 after serving in the same role at the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra for 12 years. He is also a tenured professor at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.

As a soloist, chamber musician and member of various chamber ensembles, Jože Kotar performs in Slovenia and abroad (Europe, USA, South America, etc.), leads seminars for clarinet and chamber music (Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Ireland, Israel, and Brazil), and participates in the juries of international competitions.

He has recorded many CDs: four as an independent soloist (one with the Slovenian Philharmonic String Quartet [RTV Publishing, Slovenia, Ljubljana, 1998], Collage with harpist Nicoletto Sanzin Fabbri [RTV Publishing Slovenia, Ljubljana, 2002], Solo with compositions exclusively for solo clarinet [Sound-tech, 2005] and, most recently, one with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra [Slovenian Philharmonic, 2006]) and others as part of an ensemble — three with the Ariart Wind Quintet (Ariart [RTV Publishing Slovenia, Ljubljana 1997], Cocktail [Ariart, 2004] and Episodi Concertante [Sound-tech, 2005]), Clarinetting with the Slovenian Clarinet Quartet (Samozaložba, Ljubljana, 1999), Family with the Slovenian Clarinet Sextet (Sound-tech, 2003), three CDS with the MD7 Contemporary Music Ensemble (Music of Our Time [RTV Publishing Slovenia, Ljubljana, 2005], Modern [Society of Slovene Composers, 2009], and Colour Circle [RTV publishing Slovenia, Ljubljana, 2009]) and one with the Slovenian Philharmonic Woodwind Trio (Society of Slovene Composers, 2007). His performance of Rossini’s Theme, Introduction and Variations was released on a CD of the Slovenian Police Orchestra (Ljubljana, 1994), and a live performance in the Netherlands was released on a CD of the Trbovlje Workers Band.

Jože Kotar is a member, a co-founder and the artistic director of the Slovenian Clarinet Orchestra and a member of the Ariart Wind Quintet and the MD7 Contemporary Music Ensemble. As a clarinettist, he collaborates with the Slovenian Chamber Orchestra and the Academie Ars Musicae Orchestra, among others. Since 2007 he has been a conductor and the artistic director of the Trbovlje Workers Band.