Aleš Šteger and Jure Tori turn holiday loneliness into an intimate new performance

Poet and writer Aleš Šteger has teamed up with accordionist Jure Tori for a new storytelling-and-music performance, “On a Quiet Festive Evening.” The pair are scheduled to premiere the production at Villa Zlatica, a venue chosen for its close connection to the story they have created. According to the source, Šteger shaped the show around three familiar literary stories exploring loneliness, human closeness and the holiday season. He drew on works by Charles Dickens, Zofka Kveder and Fyodor Dostoevsky, weaving their themes together with the life story of former Ljubljana mayor Ivan Hribar, who once lived in the villa. The building’s history is intended to add another layer to the performance. Tori has composed original music for the production, which the article says will bring the villa’s past into the experience. Rather than a conventional stage show, the performance is planned as an intimate encounter with the artists, blending literature, music, history and humor in the historic setting. Šteger and Tori have worked together for several years, combining narration, poetry, movement and accordion in projects including “Above the Sky, Beneath the Earth,” “Daedalus” and “My War Accordion.” The source says they have presented their work at festivals and other venues around the world. They describe the new production as their most humorous so far, while emphasizing that they want to offer a live, close-up experience amid the prevalence of large-scale events and screens. The premiere is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Villa Zlatica, with further performances planned on November 13, 26 and 27 and on additional dates in December.