The Velenje House of Culture (Dom kulture Velenje) was built in 1959, based on designs by architect Oton Gaspari. Listed as a cultural heritage monument, the building’s side exteriors are adorned by graphic designs, and its front facade bears a relief by sculptor Stojan Batič. During the 2003–2006 renovations, the building had up-to-date electrical wiring and audio technology installed to facilitate TV and radio broadcasting.
The Grand Hall of the Velenje House of Culture features sophisticated technical resources allowing for concerts in a wide range of music genres, as well as opera, ballet, theatre and multimedia performances. The Hall seats 426 spectators and has an in-built induction loop.
The building is managed by Festival Velenje, an event established in 1984 as the first multidisciplinary festival in Slovenia. Today, the House of Culture constitutes an important arts centre of the Velenje region, featuring musicians of international renown, such as Lula Pena, the Portuguese fado singer, The Klezmatics, a klezmer band, The Merry Poppins (world music & fusion group) and Josipa Lisac.
Offering a superb venue for a diverse range of music events, the Grand Hall has hosted musicians and ensembles that include violinist Wonji Kim Ozim, pianist Lovro Pogorelić, the choral ensembles APZ Tone Tomšič and Perpetuum Jazzile, jazz musicians Jure Pukl and Kaja Draksler, jazz orchestras EMJO – European Movement Jazz Orchestra and Check Six US Air Force Jazz Band, ethnic music artists Iztok Mlakar and the band Čompe, and has programmed chanson evenings by artists Svetlana Makarovič and Rade Šerbedžija. Moreover, the Velenje House of Culture has presented concerts by popular musicians from Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia, including Laibach, Severa Gjurin, Cubismo and Boštjan Gombač.
Maia Juvanc
