Urška Pompe

Urška Pompe was born in Jesenice, Slovenia, in 1969. After earning her diploma  in composition  at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana (1993, with prof. Dane Škerl), she continued  her studies at the Franz Liszt Academy  of  Music  in  Budapest  (composition,   chamber  music,  solfege)  and  in  Basel, Switzerland (composition  with Roland Moser). During her post-graduate studies she supplemented her knowledge  by participating in numerous international  masterclasses and meetings with acknowledged composers and instrumentalists, which played an important  role in the ongoing  maturation  of her creativity; composers: Brian Ferneyhough, James Dillon  (Royaumont), György Kurtág, H. Lachenmann, Ivan Fedele (Avignon), Jonathan Harvey (Szombathely); piano:  Pierre-Laurent Aimard;  chamber  music: Perényi Miklós, Gulyás Márta.

Her music is performed regularly  in Slovenia and has been presented at various international  festivals both  in Slovenia and abroad, including  the ISCM World  Music Days (Ljubljana 2015, Zagreb 2005), the Zagreb Biennale (2009, 2015) Mouvement  – Musik im 21. Jahrhundert  (Saarbrücken), Musik unserer Zeit (Münster), Rostrum Paris, Freiburger  Klang-Sequenzen (Freiburg), Gödölö  Chamber  Music Festival (Hungary), Festival Radovljica (Slovenia), Slowind Festival (Ljubljana, Freiburg, Strasbourg}, World Saxophone Congress, Expan (Spittal an der Drau, Austria), Carinthische sommer festival (Ossiah, Austria), Slovenian Music Days, (Ljubljana 2011, 2015), Festival Ljubljana (2008, 2014), New Dimensions (Seoul, South Korea) and the Cavaffy Symposium, Georgia State University (Atlanta, USA, 2013), Orkiestra Muzyki Nowej (Katowice, Poland, 2016). International artists and distinguished Slovenian performers such as Bernarda  Fink, Françoise Kubler  and Theodor  Anzelotti,  as well  as ensembles  such as the  Slovenian Philharmonic, the Slovenian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, the Slovenian Chamber Choir, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Trio Ecco, the Slowind woodwind quintet, the Tomkins vocal ensemble and ensemble MD7 have performed her works.

Her music has earned her numerous prizes and acknowledgments,  including  the Student Prešeren Prize (1991), First Prize in the Alpe Adria Giovani Composition  Competition (1994), a Royaumont Fellowship (1994), Scholarship to attend  the Centre Acantes for chamber  music and composition  (György Kurtág, 1995), First Prize at the Young Composers in Leipzig Competition (1995) and a stipend  from the British Music Society to  attend  the Gaudeamus Music Week (1999). In 2007 she received the highest  state cultural prize in Slovenia - the Prešeren Fund Prize - for her achievements during the previous two years.

Several of  her  works  have appeared  on  CDs recorded  by  various  Slovenian artists and  ensembles, including  those by soprano  Barbara Jernejčič-Füršt, flutist Matej Zupan, clarinettist  Jože Kotar, Slowind and ensemble MD7. In 2010 her portrait CD “Brst” was released on Slovenian Radio’s ZKP label featuring chamber works and Near for two saxophones and orchestra.

Since 1998 she has taught solfege at the Ljubljana Academy of Music, where she is currently associate professor and head of the ear-training department.  During the 2015/16 academic year she taught at the Zagreb Music Academy, Croatia.

L i s t o f W o r k s (from 1999)

CHORAL WORKS

Running into green for women’s choir (2000)

Quare? for mixed choir (2001)

Sen (Dream) for mixed choir (2003)

Sončeve niti (Thread of the Sun) for mezzo-soprano and male quartet (2007)

In - vitam for women’s choir (2008)

Za oblaki grem (Following clouds) for mixed choir (2016)

SOLO WORKS

Kolor for clarinet (B flat) (2003)

Doors of the Day for mezzo soprano (2004)

Miles and Miles Above My Head I for accordeon (2009) Miles and Miles Above My Head II for accordeon (2014) Žilj for alto saxophone (2015)

CHAMBER WORKS

Trio (conversations)  for horn, trumpet and tuba (conversations) (1999)

Potiho (Quietly) for english horn and harp (1999)

M.. for violin and violoncello (2000)

Čuječi (Hörend) for wind quintet (2001)

...tisti košček modrega neba... (...this little piece of blue sky...) for 14 solo strings (2002)

Dan za Dnem (Day after Day) for 2 alto saxophones (2003)

Momentum for accordion and guitar (2004)

Dotiki (Touches) - 6 poems by Hafis, for soprano, bass viola da gamba, harpsichord

Almost a Loneliness for soprano and wind  quintet (2005) Štiri bodice (Four Prickles) for two saxophones (2006) Between You and Me for flute, viola and harp (2006) Okruški (Shards) for clarinet and guitar (2008)

Srž (Warp & Woof) for 7 instruments (2009)

Brst (Bud) for tenor saxophone, accordeon, violoncello (2009)

Almost silenced II for saxophone quartet (2013)

..and, after all... for alto saxophone and percussion (2014)

Lubje sanj (Bark of Dreams) for 7 instruments (2014)

Tr e es for bass flute and bass clarinet (2014)

Brbot for soprano, accordion and trombone  (2016)