Dominik
Steklasa
BIOGRAPHY
Dominik Steklasa
orchestral conductor
Slovenian conductor Dominik Steklasa is known for his clear and expressive technique and fresh musical ideas.
He got his Master's degrees in Orchestral Conducting (Prof. Marko Letonja and Prof. Simon Dvoršak) and in Composition and Music Theory (Prof. Pavel Mihelčič) at Ljubljana Academy of Music.
After finishing his studies at the academy, he took various masterclasses – but the most important step in his conducting growth was when he was accepted and invited to start studying conducting technique according to the method of Ilya Musin with Maestro Ennio Nicotra. Under Maestro Nicotra's guidance, Dominik delved into the intricacies of Musin's approach, refining his skills and enhancing his ability to convey the essence of the music to the performers.
In addition to his formal education, he has had the privilege of learning from eminent conductors such as Kevin Rhodes, George Pehlivanian, Uroš Lajovic and Aleksandar Spasić.
These experiences, combined with his dedication to refining his craft, have allowed him to conduct various orchestras around the world, including Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra (USA), Symphony Orchestra Nevsky (Russia), Symphony Orchestra of City of Rome (Italy), Târgu Mureș State Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra (Croatia), Berlin Sinfonietta (Germany) to name a few.
In August 2022 Steklasa conducted 11 performances of Bizet's Carmen in concert version in 11 different venues across Slovenia with Pehlivanian Opera Academy.
In December 2021 he conducted at the 28th managerial concert - a fundraising event for talented musicians under the auspices of the Klasika Foundation - together with his sister, soprano Jerica Steklasa and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra.
In January 2020 he conducted the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra (USA) – he was selected among candidates from all over the world as one of the eight young conductors who actively worked with the orchestra in the masterclass organized by the prestigious Conductors Guild.
Steklasa regularly collaborates with Ljubljana SNG Opera and Ballet.
Steklasa conducted a very successful concert at the ISCM World Music Days 2015 in a contemporary programme that included his own composition 576 MP (thy). Later he conducted the recording session of this composition with members of RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra for the International Rostrum of Composers 2016 - his composition 576 MP (thy) represented Slovenia in the category of young composers.
Dominik Steklasa enjoys conducting both classical and contemporary repertoire.