Clarinetist Jože Kotar and pianist Luca Ferrini have been playing together for more than ten years. Their repertoire ranges from the Classical period to the contemporaries but they prefer to perform modern and contemporary music, written in "traditional" style, jazz and live electronics. In duo as well in other chamber ensembles, mainly Slovenian (MD7 contemporary Music Ensemble, KOS DSS – Soloists Chamber Orchestra of the Slovenian Society of Composers, Neofonia Ensemble, and others) they premiered more than hundred new works. In their concerts they always try to mix different genres and, when possible, to propose new works. During all these years a number of composers has already written for them, other have accepted their proposal to write new pieces. In this way, for the next seasons they are going to prepare a programme entitled "Music from the Islands", dedicated to music for clarinet and piano written by composers who live, work or come from different islands around the world. For the occasion, among the other pieces they are going to premiere new works, written by Tasmanian composers. The programme is quite various and suitable for every kind of audience.
Jože Kotar became principal clarinettist of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra in 2007 after serving in that 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, Kotar performs in Slovenia and abroad (Europe, USA, South America...), leads seminars for the clarinet and chamber music (Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Ireland, Israel, Brazil), and participates in the jury of international competitions. Kotar is a member, co-founder and artistic director of the Slovenian Clarinet Orchestra and a member of the Ariart Wind Quintet and the MD7 Contemporary Music Ensemble. Since 2007 he is a conductor and artistic director at the Trbovlje Workers Band.
Luca Ferrini, from Trieste, Italy, studied piano, harpsichord, organ and organ composition and graduated with distinction from the music conservatories in Trieste and Udine. Over the last twenty years he has been playing concerts on all three instruments in Europe, Asia and Central America. He works with renowned musicians and conductors as a soloist, chamber musician and with orchestras. Member of numerous ensembles of ancient and contemporary music. His repertoire is quite large and ranges from the Renaissance to contemporaries. More than hundreds premieres. In addition to his 20 CDs, he has made numerous radio recordings with a variety of European broadcasting companies. He currently works in Slovenia as professor of piano and harpsichord at the Koper Art Gymnasium and as piano accompanist at the Ljubljana Academy of Music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6WkiASKs2I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsXTz3j_pbg
