Rahela Durič Barić

is a conductor and lecturer in choral conducting and choral conducting in the field of music education. Originally from Maribor in Slovenia, Rahela received her first musical training in her home town. After graduating from high school (violin as her main instrument), she studied choral and orchestral conducting with Johannes Prinz and Wolfgang Dörner at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. She completed her master’s degree with honours in 2013. Further awards followed: in May 2015 she received the Noel Minet Special Prize and the scholarship “For a promissing young conductor” at the international competition for young choir conductors in Turin, in January 2016 she was named Talent of the Month in the Ö1 programme Intrada and in March 2019 she was awarded 1st prize, the Audience Prize for the most charismatic conductor and the Choir Prize for the best conductor, at the international competition for choir conductors in Koper, Slovenia. Since 2016, she has worked as an assistant lecturer for choral conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz in the conducting class of Prof. Johannes Prinz and since October 2023 under Prof. Benjamin Lack. With the academic choir Tone Tomšič from Ljubljana, Slovenia, which she took over in October 2021, she won a gold medal at the national Naša Pesem competition in Maribor in her very first season. This was followed in 2023 by first place in the folk song category, second place in the art song category and a special prize for the best interpretation of a contemporary piece at the international choir competition in Spittal an der Drau. She has travelled all over Austria, Slovenia and Italy as a lecturer for choir conductor training courses and singing weeks.