Ambrož Čopi

Ambrož Čopi studied composition with Dane Škerl and Uroš Roko at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He was awarded The Young Musician Award (1995), and the Prešeren Prize of the University of Ljubljana (1997), for the outstanding achievements during his study. He first gained knowledge of vocal music and conducting as an assistant of the conductor Stojan Kuret. He led several Slovenian choirs: Chamber Choir Nova Gorica, Mixed Choir Obala, Academic Choir of University of Primorska, KGBL Chamber Choir, etc. With them, he achieved fifteen golden plaquettes at various national competitions, and twentynine first places as well as several golden plaquettes at competitions held abroad. He performed as a finalist at the European Grand Prix in Choral Singing in Tours (France, 2009) with the Academic Choir of the University of Primorska. Furthermore, he was awarded several special prizes for his interpretations, a number of prizes for exceptional achievements with the choirs, and was also voted best conductor at numerous competitions. In 2014 he was awarded with the Gallus Medal, the highest award in the field of musical activity at national level in Slovenia. In 2016 he received Škerjanc recognition given by the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana for outstanding artistic achievements with the Chamber Choir of the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana and the promotion of the Conservatory. In the same year he received a prestigious national award Preseren Fund Prize, for outstanding achievements over the past two years. In 2024, he was awarded the Kozin Prize by the Slovene Composers’ Society for his complete vocal opus, and in the same year he received the Republic of Slovenia Prize for Education for his outstanding achievements in the field of music education.

His compositions are presented in four CDs containing only Čopi’s compositins, i.e. Lirični akvareli (Academic choir Tone Tomšič, Stojan Kuret), So ptičice še snivale (ČarniCe, Stojan Kuret), Praeparate corda vestra (Ave Chamber Choir, Ambrož Čopi), Sanjam (Slovenian Chamber Choir, Martina Batič). His compositions are published by Astrum Music Publications, Ed. DSS, Ed. ICOT, Sulasol and Hinshaw Music.

Ambrož Čopi is a teacher at the Art High School in Koper, Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana. As a prominent promoter of Slovenian contemporary choral music, he became a mentor to the youngest generation of Slovenian composers (Nana Forte, Andrej Makor, Tine Bec, Matej Kastelic, Federica Lo Pino, Klara Mlakar, Jan Triler…). The KGBL Chamber Choir brings together young singers, future composers and choral conductors. He encourages young composers to be creative, guides them and provides them with important experiences and musical knowledge already in high school, thereby awakening in them the desire to express themselves through vocal music even in the later period. This is how many masterpieces were created, which are performed by choirs all over the world. Due to his professionalism and dedication, he motivates young people to enroll in composition and conducting. The vast majority of them remain in the choir and work with it even after their studies at the conservatory end. He also regularly collaborates with established Slovenian composers such as Pavle Merku, Lojze Lebič, Tadeja Vulc, Črt Sojar Voglar, Damijan Močnik.

He is regularly invited to act as a member of the jury at various choral events, choral competitions (Tours – France, Varna – Bulgaria, Maribor – Slovenia, Arezzo – Italy, Tolosa – Spain, Jurmala – Latvia, Krakow – Poland, Taipei – Taiwan, Bali – Indonesia, Preveza – Greece, Derry – Irland, Singapore – Singapore, Kerkrade – Netherlands, Gdansk – Poland, Split – Croatia, Prijedor – Bosnia and Herzegovina…) and composition competitions (IFCM, International Composers Competition Tokyo – Japan, Feniarco – Italy, Preveza – Greece, CroPatria – Croatia…), and is often involved in choral music seminars and workshops at home and abroad as a lecturer for composition (Patrida project – Greece, St. Peterburg – Russia) and choral conducting (LDO – Spain, Preveza – Greece, Arezzo – Italy…).