Once upon a time – is how every fairy tale begins – we started to dream this dream … and with each day it all – our music, happiness, friendships … – became more real. And now we live this fairytale reality ...

Since its establishment in the year 1993, Choral School CS has been enthusiastically applauded for several times and more. This is a continuity which not many can boast about. The idea – establishing the best of children and youth choir singing in Slovenia – attracted singers from the whole region. In the past 15 years, on many Slovene and international stages, the names of the choirs and soloists of the CS Choral School have been read out. With her unique approach to the teaching of singing, the founder of the first school of singing of that kind – Karmina Šilec – outlined a recognizable pedagogical and artistic identity.

The aim of the CS Choral School is to offer musical education to the highest level of a singer’s development, to cultivate interest in music, to encourage friendship and community spirit, to travel and meet people from different countries. Among young singers and their audience, the Choral school CS cultivates and encourages the appropriate attitude to art.

Singing in a choir is one of rare youth group activities which is not sport. Participating in organized community with clear goals (which choir is regarded as), represents an important element in young person's development. Creativity, discipline, concentration, independence, working habits, socializing etc. represent a useful tool in everybody's life.

Many countries have started to introduce the project Choir Singing Against Violence and Drugs. The Choral school CS also joined with its activities.

The Choral school CS is an organization for children with musical creativity interest and new experience for those who would like to make new friends, to travel and belong to a group, be creative, all those who are willing to devote a part of their free time to art and different forms of socializing with peers.

CS Choral School has received several awards.

SOLO SINGING

International solo singing competition in San Francisco, Golden Gate, USA, 1997:

• first place in the category up to 15 years,
• second place in the category up to 12 years.

International solo singing competition Des Moines, Iowa, USA, 1997:

• first place in the category up to 12 years,
• third place in the category up to 15 years.

Competition for young musicians of Slovenia:

• silver prize, 2010,
• 2 silver plaquettes, 2013.

Eastern Slovenian regional competition:

• golden prize, 2010,
• 2 bronze prizes, 2010,
• 2 golden prizes, 2013.

CHOIRS

International festival in Neerpelt, Belgium:

• Suma Cum laude (CS), 1992,
• first prize "Cum Laude" (Children choir Junior CS), 2006,
• first prize (Secunde), 2010.

International choir competition, Malcesine, Italy:

• fourth place (Secunde), 2008.

28th International Youth Choir Festival Celje, Slovenia, 2009:

• silver plaquette (MPZ Secunde),
• special prize for best performance of Slovene composition I. Dekleva Čas sanj  Čas iger (MPZ Secunde).

International competition Harmonie festival, Limburg, Germany, 2011:

• silver prize (MPZ Secunde CS).

International festival Olomouc, Czech republic:

• silver prize (OPZ JUnior CS), 2012
• golden prize (OPZ Junior CS), 2016
• Audience Award (OPZ Junior CS), 2016

International festival, Halle, Salle, Germany, 2012:

• silver prize (MPZ Secunde CS).

National competition for children and youth choirs, Zagorje ob Savi, Slovenia:

• golden plaquette (MPZ Secunde), 2008, 2010,
• golden plaquette (OPZ Junior CS), 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010,
• golden plaquette with distinction (OPZ PU), 2004, 2006,
• silver plaquette (OPZ PU), 2008.
• Eastern Slovenian regional competitions:
• golden plaquettes with distinction (MPZ Prime), 2007,
• golden plaquette with distinction (OPZ Junior), 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016,
• golden plaquette with distinction (MPZ Secunde), 2009, 2011,
• special plaquette for best performance of Slovenian contemporary piece of music work by L. Lebič, Poletje (MPZ Prime), 2007,
• special plaquette for best youth choir (MPZ Prime), 2007,
• special plaquette for best youth choir (MPZ Secunde CS), 2009, 2011,
• special plaquette for best children choir (OPZ Junior CS) 2007, 2009,
• special plaquette for best performance of Slovenian folk song S. Vremšaka, Čuk se je oženil (OPZ Junior CS), 2009,
• prize for the best performing Slovene original music work by L. Lebič, Poletje (Secunde CS), 2011,
• choir leader Franja Kmetec receives a special choir leadership award for the best programme selection, 2007,
• a special plaquette for best program in the competition (Junior CS), 2011.

International Choir Festival Sacra Musica, Bratislava, 2015:

• golden plaquette (Junior CS),
• audience award (Junior CS).

International Bratislava Choir Festival, 2017:

• golden plaquette (Junior CS),
• Special Pward for Vocal Culture,
• Special Prize for Piano Accompaniment (Tatjana Dvoršak).

The Choral School is being attended by children enjoying  in music creativity, are after new experience, want to make new friendships and belong to a group, or be creative, and everybody prepared to spare time in the field of arts and in different forms of keeping company with their peers.
According to their age and music talent, they are included in different department units:

• Department for solo singing;
• Children choir PU;
• Children choir Junior CS (octaves, crotchet);
• Youth choir Secunde (halfnote, wholenote);
• Carmina Slovenica Concert Choir (prime).

Each singer feels a secret giving and receiving, an asserting of oneself and a renouncing of oneself; it is a perceiving of oneself as an indispensable part of a whole and a perceiving of the whole in oneself - a part. Each and every song, be it the Maori Tutira mai or Lebič’s Poletje, expresses this with a high technical and artistic value.

CS Choral school manly stands for providing vocal education all the way to the highest level of singer's abilities. The school also gains cultivating the interest for music, promotes friendship and the sense for community, travelling and getting to know young people from different countries. PŠCS fosters and encourages the appropriate attitude towards art among young singers and their listeners.

The Choral school CS systematically plans its concert and educational activities in the following contexts:

• participates at state and international competitions and music festivals (Attacca, Zagorje, Neerpelt, Malcesine);
• records (CD: Muca prede nitke zlate, programmes Pojem−pojemo for Radio Slovenia, music lessons textbooks, with Svetlana Makarovič etc.);
• works on scenic projects of art music  (Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria; E. Humperdinck: Hänsel and Gretel; W. A. Mozart: Bastien and Bastienne; B. Adamič: Snow White, Tadeja Vulc: Kraljestvo glasbe);
• preparing contemporary genre projects (Anna musical, music and dancing project entitled Bumblesnouts);
• has performances and concerts around Slovenia;
• participates in events organized by the Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities (children and youth choir festivals, choir conductors’ seminars, various thematic concerts);
• participates in charity events;
• works with musicians of various genres (G. Mahler, Symphony Nr. 8 in Es Major, gala concert Amade, Abbamania etc.);   
• works on productions of individual department units;
• actively lives with the city of Maribor and the Republic of Slovenia by performing at state celebration productions and productions of the city of Maribor;
• carries out annual education programmes in solo singing according to the syllabus of music schools in Slovenia;
• organizes singers’ camps with a special focus on socializing, team work, quality free time;
• offers individual piano, flute and music theory lessons;
• prepares concerts for children and young people (Musical Youth, ND Cycles, Artfest etc.);
• participates in international Attacca festival.

Our organization runs the following activities:

• Attacca workshops – in the set of Attacca festival
• PU on the visit: music games, singing with the movement, creating with the music  for children up to 6 year
• Summer singing camp – every last week in August
• Special programmes: overcoming anxiety, teambuilding, vocal techniques, speaking techniques, yoga, tai chi, improvising, percussions etc.
• Year-round singing education: CS Choral School

In the context of education, CS Choral School offers activities for singers attending elementary and secondary school, and for students. They are being led by renown artists, educators and other professionals: dancers, actors, singers, choreographers, musicians, directors, language editors, therapists, etc.

Especially for the young in their development period, the modern way of living and the means of modern communication of the present time, are not enabling a more personal and collective experience of cultural and artistic creation. We attach a great importance to draw it to them as nearer as possible by offering a quality programmes selected to provide a large range of different experiences. The programmes include learning about different genres of music, drama (play), movement, speech technique, different vocal techniques, public speaking techniques, improvisation, creating a team, playing instruments, dance, music theory, listening to music, creating in chamber ensembles, designing creation and other.

CS Choral School programmes are earmarked for those who wish to develop creativity, concentration, independence, gaining expertise in various fields while building great working habits and acquiring experience in socialising. The goal of education at CS is enabling greater access to cultural goods and to conditions for artistic creation for children and young people in the region, which results should also result in raising the awareness about the importance of the meaning of culture.