Damijan Močnik graduated from Ljubljana Academy of Music in composition under Dane Škerl and frequently furthered his skills abroad, especially in conducting (also with Eric Ericson). Since 1993, he works as music professor, conductor and artistic leader of music activities in St. Stanislav’s Institution in Ljubljana. He founded and realized with his colleagues a choral pyramid which remains an important factor of Slovenian choral life. He has been conducting since 1986 and received numerous awards on international competitions with his choirs. He is the founder and artistic leader of Slovenian Children’s choir. He participates in expert and artistic councils of choral events, regularly lectures at courses and expert symposiums and is a juror of choral competitions at home and abroad. For his artistic and educational activity, he was awarded the student Prešeren prize by Ljubljana Academy of Music, Gallus plaque (awarded by the Public Fund for Cultural Activities of the Republic of Slovenia as the highest acknowledgement in amateur culture) and the award of the Republic of Slovenia in the field of education for extraordinary achievements. Focus of Močnik’s compositional conception is devoted to choral music, a cappella and vocal-instrumental. He is a winner of numerous Slovenian and international composing competitions. As composer-conductor, he toured Taiwan and, several times, USA, where he performed his compositions with university choirs and lectured on his creating in Seattle at University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University and University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In the summer of 2016 and 2018, he led an atelier of his and Slovenian music at the international choral festival Choralies in Vaison-la-Romaine, France. 

 

Močnik is currently among the most performed contemporary Slovenian composers abroad. His pieces are regularly performed by professional and the best amateur choirs worldwide, among them the World Youth Choir, RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, St. Jacobs Kammarkör Stockholm, Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Washington Bach Consort, SWR Vocal Ensemble, Swedish Radio Choir, Vocal Groups Singer Pur and Cantus, and many others. In Slovenia, he publishes in editions of Slovenian Composers’ Society and Astrum Music Publications. His publishers abroad are Carus Verlag, Stuttgart., Ferrimontana, Frankfurt and Augsburg-Fortress in Minneapolis

 

Močnik’s music has been recorded on numerous CDs, also four authorial. Carus released the album Verbum supernum prodiens with Močnik’s sacred music in 2003, while Astrum released 2009 a CD with Adventus Domini nostri Jesu Christi, a cantata for soprano solo, choir and percussion, and in 2016 Slovene Philharmonic released album Oratorium nativitatis, and in 2017 Carus released CD “et LUX perpetua” with S:t  Jacobs’ kammarkör Stockholm and Gary Graden.