Akademski pevski zbor France Prešeren Kranj (1969-2005)
The France Prešeren Academy Choir Kranj has been, in the season 2004/05, celebrating 35 years of continuous and intense performing. During these years the choir has performed more than 600 times at home and on 30 tours abroad.
The conductor who left by far the strongest personal imprint on the choir is Tomaž Faganel, its permanent conductor from 1981 to 1991 and from 1996 to 2000. Under his guidance the choir has four times been the laureat at the Slovene choir competition in Maribor. From 2000 the choir is sucessfully conducted by Primož Kerštanj.
In August 2003 the choir has been the laureat at International competition Vivace in Veszprem, Hungary. The peak of the 2003/04 season was working with the famous Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez. Accompannied by the composer on a piano, his instrumental group and the soloist Carlos Cabral the choir performed Ramirez's Misa Criolla in Konzerthaus,Vienna and in twice sold out concerts in the Slovenian Philharmonic.
The conductor Primož Kerštanj got into gospel during his stay in the USA in 2001, when he encountered the famous, composer and arranger Moses Hogan( 1985-2003) . The choir included his works in its repertoir and performed them in Choral Olympics 2004, Bremen, Germany. 360 choirs from 72 countries attended this biggest choral competitions in 26 categories. The France Prešeren Academy Choir Kranj won the silver medal in the category of Mixed Choirs and it also won the silver medal in the category Gospel. It has also won the golden plaquette in the gospel qualifications. This was a great success and the most succesfull performance of any Slovenian choir in the Olympics so far.
