Cona at Triglav National Park

We are presenting four projects that explore the connections between nature, sound, and human experience from various perspectives.

Brane Zorman: Spirit of Trees | Touch
Sound event through ambisonic headphones
29 May 2025, 20:00
Soriška planina

The sound work speculates on the sonic component of tree life and questions the interplay between individual parts of plants, communities of organisms, and forest ecosystems. Sound recordings give voice to the life cycle of trees, which begins and ends in silence: silence before the spring flow of sap and silence following destruction caused by climate change, drought, and fire. Special attention is given to the act of touching trees – as a form of care and awareness of coexistence with plants, but also as a metaphor for environmental destruction. From the sounds of touching bark, rubbing branches, breaking fallen bark and leaves, to the whispering of wind through the canopy and water nourishing the roots, the work sonically traverses the physical existence of the tree – all the way to breaking branches, treefalls, and the fire that violently cuts through forest habitats. The composition, created from recorded and processed sounds originating from within the tree organism and its environment, forms an emotional and dramatic musical narrative, charged with natural and amplified sounds, energetically blending into a vibrant soundscape.
The dynamic eight-channel spatial setup draws the listener into the heart of the sonic experience. Brane Zorman was one of the three winners of the Palma Ars Acustica 2022 award with the work Spirit of Trees | Touch.

Brane Zorman is a composer, sound and intermedia artist, sound manipulator, producer, and curator. He composes sound works for theatre, intermedia, and dance productions. In his approach to sound and space, he develops various strategies, techniques, dynamic and interactive modules, records and reinterprets soundscapes, and creates electronic and acoustic sound sculptures using sophisticated tools.

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a l l j a: Sound Tuning
Sound meditation
30 May 2025, 8:45
Meeting point: Ukanc

A sound meditation with therapeutic instruments and singing, taking place in the natural environment of Lake Bohinj. Participants, lying down, are guided into deep listening, relaxation, and attunement with the surrounding nature.

a l l j a [Alja Petric] is a singer, educator, and versatile researcher dedicated to exploring the art of music, leading individual and group sound-vocal workshops, and practicing therapeutic work with sound. She finds inspiration for her artistic creation in the soundscapes of nature and the daily urban life of the capital.

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Irena Pivka: Listening-with Meadows
Soundwalk
31 May 2025, 8:00
Meeting point: Vegelj parking lot

Listening-with the Meadows is a sound walk guiding participants towards conscious and active listening to nature. It focuses on the sounds of potential remnants of wild nature within the cultural landscape of Lake Bohinj and its surroundings. The walk follows the classical form of sound exploration, where the ears are tuned to perceive the surrounding sounds as a unique composition. Active listening enables a deeper connection with the natural environment we move through. During the walk, you will listen to the sounds of insects, birds, plants, and other hidden natural sounds that often go unnoticed.

Irena Pivka is an artist and producer active across a wide field of artistic creation within the CONA institute. She also leads Steklenik, a gallery for sound, bioacoustics, and art. In recent years, her projects have focused on the relationship between landscape, sound, mapping, and digital tools. Together with Brane Zorman, she develops sound-geolocation performances that attune spaces to social realities through walking and listening to “different” soundscapes.

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birds, Tea Vidmar, Jure Boršič, Brane Zorman: AnimotMUZIK
Ecological concert cycle and ornithological walk
31 May 2025, 19:45 (ornitological walk) and 20:00 (concert)
Meeting point: Vorenčkojca

AnimotMUZIK is a concert cycle held in parks and gardens across Slovenia. Invited musicians perform in natural environments, where the sounds of non-human animals become a score or inspiration for their creations. The concept is based on direct interspecies musical improvisation between humans and other non-human animal species. The cycle challenges established musical expression methods and invites the audience into mindful listening. By emphasizing the deep experience of soundscapes, it raises awareness of nature’s significance for human culture and its influence on artistic creation. It envisions a more inclusive, compassionate, and sonically rich future, where the concept of music is no longer confined by anthropocentric thinking.

Tea Vidmar is a self-employed cultural worker, pedagogue, performer, and singer. She works in the fields of street and music theatre, music, and vocal performances, and composes music for storytelling, puppet, and dance theatre. She frequently collaborates with the Ana Monro Theatre.

Jure Boršič is a young saxophonist and clarinetist, active mainly between Ljubljana and Nova Gorica. He is particularly engaged in free jazz, experimental, and alternative scenes and is increasingly involved in organizing such events.

Brane Zorman is an intermedia artist, composer, sound manipulator, producer, and curator. He composes sound works for theatre, intermedia, and dance productions.