George Slatkonia from Ljubljana (Lyooblyana), the cultural and political capital of Slovenia, is one of the many shining examples of Slovenian contributions to the world. Slatkonia was a priest and a man of considerable erudition in humanities, mathematics, astronomy and music. In 1495, he is listed as chaplain, counselor and cantor at the Austrian Court in Vienna where the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian, I surrounded himself also with a number of Slovenian scholars and even learned Slovenian. In 1498, Slatkonia became the founding director of the Hofmusikkapelle or the Court Musical Establishment, including the world-famous Vienna Boys Choir. It was under Slatkonia that Vienna has first become one of the leading music centers of the world, a role which it still proudly maintains today. Indeed, in 1997, on New Year’s Eve, Zubin Mehta conducted in the Vienna State Opera the opening celebration concert of the 500th anniversary of Vienna Boys Choir which was featured on television throughout the world. In addition to his great contributions to music and scholarship and after a series of nonresident administrators, Slatkonia was, in 1513, also selected the first regular- and the first resident bishop of Vienna. It was under his direction that the Vienna diocesan palace was built, modeled after the older, though smaller diocesan palace of Ljubljana. 

Thus, it was under Slatkonia that Vienna has become one of Europe’s centers of musical life, just as it was under him as its first regular bishop that Vienna has established itself as the religious center of Austria. The Austrians are justly proud of their famous Vienna Boys Choir and of Vienna’s great musical and religious tradition. Certainly, Slovenians, too, can be proud since among their many gifts to the world they have also given Austria one of their great sons George Slatkonia, the founder of the Court Musical Establishment and of the famous Vienna Boys Choir, as well as the first regular bishop of Vienna whose monument still proudly stands in St. Stephen’s Cathedral.