Oder. Luč. Beseda. Glasba. Štirje elementi sveta, ki mu Vita Mavrič pripada z vsem srcem.
Vita Mavrič je svojo glasbeno-gledališko kariero začela na odrskih deskah ljubljanskega Mestnega
gledališča leta 1987. Z glavno vlogo v nadvse uspešnem muzikalu U slovenačkim
gorama. Istega leta je za RTV Slovenija posnela prvi samostojni glasbeni recital na
besedila različnih slovenskih pesnikov z naslovom Pesem je ženska. Zatem se je
dokončno posvetila slovenskemu šansonu.
Že več kot 30 let izvaja svoje avtorske projekte in z njimi gostuje tako doma kot v tujini. S svojimi
glasbenimi projekti je nastopala v Berlinu v Brechtovi hiši in teatru Tipi am Kamzleramt, na
festivalu glasbenih gledališč v Brnu, v Teatru Diligentia v Haagu, v znamenitem kabaretskem
gledališču Teater Akzent na Dunaju, v Werkraumtheatru v Grazu in v Künstlerhausu v Münchnu. S
projektom Šlagerji in pesmi iz zapora Vitomila Zupana je nastopila v Pragi,
Budimpešti, Parizu (v teatru Patronage Laique Jules Vales), na Dunaju ter v Varšavi.
Je dobitnica prestižne Ježkove nagrade, Župančičeve nagrade, nagrade mesta Ljubljana, filmske nagrade
ibis za najboljšo glavno žensko vlogo v zadnjem jugoslovanskem filmu Zbogom Belle
Epoque (posnetem v Sarajevu tik pred razpadom Jugoslavije), viktorja za posebne dosežke
ter vrsto drugih medijskih priznanj. Med slovenskim občinstvom je obudila zanimanje za šanson,
slovensko uglasbeno poezijo, povzdignila raven besede in glasbe ter razvila prepoznavno blagovno
znamko mednarodnega festivala La vie en rose ter znamko Café
teater. Slednjega je kot umetniška vodja vodila dvajset let. Vsekakor je s svojo
predanostjo začrtala razvoj šansona na Slovenskem tudi kot specifične zvrsti glasbenega gledališča
in na njem pustila neizbrisen pečat.
Kronologija
Leta 1987 - glavna vloga v prvem slovenskem muzikalu U Slovenačkim
gorama v Mestnem gledališču Ljubljana.
Leta 1988 - prvi recital šansonov z naslovom Pesem je ženska v
Štihovi dvorani Cankarjevega doma.
Leta 1988 - izid kasete z naslovom Pesem je ženska.
Leta 1989 - glavna vloga v muzikalu za otroke Bikec Ferdinand
v produkciji Plesnega Teatra Ljubljana
Leta 1990 - glavna ženska vloga v zadnjem jugoslovanskem filmu Belle
Epoque - poslednji valček v Sarajevu, za katerega glasbo in songe napiše Arsen
Dedić.
Leta 1991 - drugi recital šansonov v Štihovi dvorani
Cankarjevega doma.
Leta 1992 - v SNG Maribor avtorski glasbeno-gledališki projekt Ježkovih
šansonov z naslovom Ne smejte se, umrl je klovn, za katerega prejme Župančičevo
nagrado.
Leta 1993 - glavna vloga v opereti Sneguljčica Bojana Adamiča
v ljubljanskih Križankah.
Leta 1994 - prvi (digitalizirani) album z naslovom Šansoni in socialne
pesmi.
Leta 1994 - otvoritev ljubljanskega Café teatra, katerega
ustanoviteljica je, kot umetniška vodja in producentka pa ga vodi vse do leta 2014, ko se
odloči, da ga ob njegovi dvajseti obletnici delovanja ugasne za vselej; ob tej priložnosti NUK
pripravi retrospektivno razstavo in nase prevzame celotni arhiv.
Leta 1995 - glavna vloga v muzikalu Arabella v produkciji Café
teatra.
Leta 1998 - Drugi album z naslovom Sem, kakršna sem.
Leta 1998 - v Linhartovi dvorani Cankarjevega doma premiera
glasbeno-gledališkega performensa v režiji Matjaža Pograjca z naslovom Nekoč bili smo v
maju, posvečen dolgoletnemu sodelavcu, pokojnemu pianistu Borutu Lesjaku, ob
spremljavi simfoničnega orkestra RTV Slovenija pod vodstvom skladatelja Mojmirja Sepeta.
Leta 2000 - zasnuje in kot umetniška vodja petnajst let skrbi za mednarodni
glasbeni festival šansonov La vie en rose in s tem tudi za razvoj šansona v
Sloveniji.
Leta 2001 - v ljubljanski Operi premierna predstavitev tretjega albuma s
šansoni Bertolta Brechta in Kurta Weilla z naslovom Hrepenenja.
Leta 2006 - avtorska glasbeno-gledališka predstava Hrepenenja,
posvečena 50-letnici smrti Bertolta Brechta, ki jo štiri leta zapored igra v Mestnem gledališču
Ljubljana.
Leta 2006 - izda četrti album judovskih Klezmer šansonov s
kvartetom Akord.
Leta 2010 - glasbena predstava Nepozabne z Janijem Kovačičem
(dela prezrtih slovenskih pesnic) v okviru projekta Ljubljana - svetovna prestolnica knjige.
Leta 2014 - izda peti album Šlagerji in pesmi iz zapora
(Vitomil Zupan), ki izide sočasno z istoimensko premiero, ki je uprizorjena v Štihovi dvorani
Cankarjevega doma.
Leta 2015 - v Gallusovi dvorani Cankarjevega doma pripravi še zadnji večer
šansonov festivala La vie en rose, ki ga je umetniško vodila in organizirala 15
let.
Leta 2017 - ob tridesetletnici umetniškega delovanja in izidu šestega albuma
Sprehod pripravi istoimenski koncert in se v razprodani Gallusovi dvorani
Cankarjevega doma poslovi od velikega odra z odločitvijo, da se posveti le še intimnim koncertom
šansonov.
Leta 2020 - izid sedmega albuma Nokturno žlahtnih duš,
posvečen delu Arsena Dedića.
Leta 2022 - izid osmega albuma Kontra-Alba, posvečen delu
Janija Kovačiča.
Stage. Light. Words. Music. Four elements of the world to which Vita Mavrič belongs with all
her heart.
Vita Mavrič started her music theatre career on the stage of the Ljubljana City Theatre in 1987 with
the leading role in the highly successful musical In the Slovenian Mountains (U slovenačkim
gorama). In the same year, she recorded her first solo music recital for RTV Slovenia,
based on texts by various Slovenian poets, titled A Song is a Woman (Pesem je
ženska). After that, she devoted herself definitively to the Slovenian chanson.
She has been performing her original projects for more than 30 years and has toured with them both in Slovenia
and abroad. She has performed her music projects in Berlin at the Brecht House and the theatre Tipi
am Kamzleramt, at the Brno Music Theatre Festival, at the Diligentia Theatre in The Hague, at the
famous cabaret theatre Teater Akzent in Vienna, at the Werkraumtheater in Graz, and at the
Künstlerhaus in Munich. Her project Vitomil Zupan: Schlagers and Songs from Prison (Vitomil
Zupan: Šlagerji in pesmi iz zapora), has been performed in Prague, Budapest, Paris (at
the Patronage Laique Jules Vales), Vienna and Warsaw.
She has received the prestigious Ježek Award, the Župančič Award, the City of Ljubljana Award, the
Ibis Film Award for Best Leading Actress for the last Yugoslav film Last Waltz in
Sarajevo (filmed in Sarajevo shortly before the start of the Yugoslav wars), the Viktor
Award for Special Achievements and several other media awards. She has revived interest in chanson
and Slovenian poetry among Slovenian audiences and developed the distinctive brands of the
La vie en rose International Festival and Café teater, which she
ran as artistic director for twenty years. Her dedication has certainly shaped the evolution of the
Slovenian chanson as a specific genre of music theatre and left an indelible mark on it.
She is one of the most prominent and important Slovenian chanson singers. Her songs are the stories
of the everyman, while her voice, interpretation and performance take us on a journey to another
time and place, or leave us here and now, contemplating the hardships of modern man.
Chronology
Year 1987 - leading role in the first Slovenian musical In the
Slovenian Mountains (U Slovenačkim gorama) in Ljubljana City Theatre.
Year 1988 - first chanson recital A Song is a Woman (Pesem je
ženska) at Cankar Hall.
Year 1988 - album release of A Song is a Woman (Pesem je
ženska).
Year 1989 - leading role in a musical for children Ferdinand the Bull
(Bikec Ferdinand) with the Ljubljana Dance Theatre.
Year 1990 - leading female role in the last Yugoslav film Last Waltz in
Sarajevo (Poslednji valcer u Sarajevu) with music and lyrics written by Arsen
Dedić.
Year 1991 - second chanson recital at Cankar Hall.
Year 1992 - music theatre performance of Ježek's chansons entitled
Don't Laugh, the Clown Has Died (Ne smejte se, umrl je klovn) at the Slovenian
National Theatre Maribor, for which she receives the Župančič Award.
Year 1993 - leading role in the operetta Snow White
(Sneguljčica) by Bojan Adamič in the Križanke Theatre in Ljubljana.
Year 1994 - first (digitalised) album entitled Chansons and Social
Songs (Šansoni in socialne pesmi).
Year 1994 - the opening of Café teater in Ljubljana, which she
founds and runs as artistic director and producer until 2014, when she decides to shut it down
for good on the occasion of its 20th anniversary; on this occasion, the Slovenian National and
University Library prepares a retrospective exhibition and takes over the complete archive.
Year 1995 - leading role in the musical Arabella, produced by
Cafe teater.
Year 1998 - release of second album I am What I am (Sem, kakršna
sem).
Year 1998 - premiere of a music theatre performance Once Upon a Time We
Were in May (Nekoč bili smo v maju) directed by Matjaž Pograjc and dedicated to the
long-time collaborator, the late pianist Borut Lesjak, accompanied by the RTV Slovenia Symphony
Orchestra under the direction of composer Mojmir Sepet, at Cankar Hall.
Year 2000 - she conceives and manages the international chanson music festival
La vie en rose as artistic director for fifteen years and thus influences the
evolution of the chanson in Slovenia.
Year 2001 - premiere of the third album with chansons by Bertolt Brecht and
Kurt Weill, entitled Longings (Hrepenenja), at the Ljubljana Opera House.
Year 2006 - original music theatre performance Longings
(Hrepenenja), dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the death of Bertolt Brecht,
then performed for four years in a row at the Ljubljana City Theatre.
Year 2006 - releases fourth album of Jewish Klezmer chansons
with the quartet Akord.
Year 2010 - music performance Unforgettable (Nepozabne) with
Jani Kovačič (works by overlooked Slovenian female poets) as part of the Ljubljana World Book
Capital project.
Year 2014 - releases fifth album Vitomil Zupan: Schlagers and Songs
from Prison (Vitomil Zupan: Šlagerji in pesmi iz zapora) alongside with the
premiere of the same name that is staged at Cankar Hall.
Year 2015 - at Cankar Hall she hosts the last evening of chansons of the
La vie en rose festival, which she artistically directed and organised for 15
years.
Year 2017 - on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of her artistic activity
and the release of her sixth album, A Walk (Sprehod), she gives a concert of
the same name and bids farewell to the big stage in the sold-out Gallus Hall of the Cankar Hall,
deciding to devote herself to intimate chanson concerts.
Year 2020 - release of seventh album Nocturne of Noble Souls (Nokturno
žlahtnih duš), dedicated to the work of Arsen Dedić.
Year 2023 - release of eight album Kontra-Alba dedicated to
the work of Jani Kovačič