Erazem Grafenauer (1991) is a Slovenian musician, interpreter, creator, and pedagogue who approaches music as a diverse and living artistic language – connecting past and present, reflection and expression, stylistic fidelity and creative openness. His work encompasses performance and research, original artistic projects, and high-level music education.
His international concert activity includes appearances at renowned festivals and venues throughout Europe as well as in North and South America, where he performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and member of orchestras. A significant part of his career is dedicated to solo performances and recordings with orchestras such as the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Stretto Chamber String Orchestra, Dubrovnik Chamber Orchestra, Musica Viva Orchestra, La Voce Strumentale, and others. His repertoire bridges early and contemporary music, featuring both historically informed performance on lutes and early guitars and contemporary projects that explore sonic intersections of plucked instruments with other expressive forms. He places particular focus on the interpretation of Renaissance and Baroque music, shaped through a deep understanding of stylistic rhetoric and expressive nuance. In many of his projects, he creates links between historical and contemporary art, as well as between different musical practices – from classical interpretation to improvisation, electroacoustics, movement, and literature.
His work has been described as technically refined, stylistically profound, and artistically sensitive:
“The interpretations are technically accomplished and reveal the synergy of top musicians who came together in an exceptionally well-matched ensemble.” – T. Gržeta, Sigic
“Grafenauer’s sense for detail and phrasing in classical repertoire is fused with a more virtuosic personal imprint, transforming the musical line into surprisingly engaging material.” – M. Juvanc, Sigic
He teaches at the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana, where he holds the position of Assistant Professor for Chamber Music and Historical Plucked Instruments. His teaching is rooted in the integration of artistic practice, historical insight, and creative freedom. He also collaborates with various international institutions, conducting masterclasses and taking part in exchange and mobility projects.
As a recording artist, he has contributed to numerous recordings and releases. His solo album Preludio (Divya Records, 2018) focuses on the intimacy of Baroque repertoire. In collaboration with a percussionist, he co-created XyloCorda (ZKP RTV, 2022), an original project exploring the relationship between plucked and percussive instruments. In 2019, the anthology Works by Slovenian Composers (Baros Records) was released, showcasing contemporary Slovenian music, followed by Ventana abierta (Celinka, 2023), an authorial and sonically reflective album merging flamenco, jazz, classical, and contemporary music creativity.
An important part of his artistic engagement is also dedicated to the organization of cultural events. He is the artistic director of the international concert series Rasgueado Ljubljana, the international Ljubljana Guitar Festival, and the chamber music concert cycle Kit-Ara – initiatives that actively contribute to the promotion of high-quality musical creation, both Slovenian and international, and encourage artistic exchange at the local and global level.
Through his work, Erazem Grafenauer cultivates a holistic approach to music – as sonic art, cultural expression, and thoughtful dialogue between time, space, and the audience.