On Friday, 11 December 2020, a colourful mosaic was installed in the courtyard of the Franc Bernik Cultural Centre in memory of the outstanding Domžale native and world-renowned pianist Aci Bertoncelj. The mosaic was created in the workshop of mosaic artist Aljaž Vidrajz, based on a conceptual design by Domžale academic sculptor Jurij Smole. Using Murano glass, the artist allegorically incorporated a musical staff, the notes A and B – the initials of the musician’s first and last name and a golden rest symbolizing silence.
Aci Bertoncelj
Aci Bertoncelj is regarded as one of the central figures of the Slovenian pianistic scene – an artist whose expressive power, intellectual depth, and pedagogical work profoundly shaped the understanding of playing piano. His pianistic stance was never based on outward brilliance or virtuosity as an end in itself, but on an intense dialogue with the musical text, in which technical mastery and interpretative responsibility merged into a unified whole. Bertoncelj’s relationship to music was distinctly analytical yet deeply human; his interpretations revealed a keen awareness of historical context, stylistic precision, and the inner dramaturgy of a work, without academic rigidity or interpretative detachment.
As a pianist, he stood out for an exceptional sense of structure and long-range formal trajectory, qualities that particularly marked his interpretations of the classical and romantic repertoire as well as contemporary music. He understood music as a living intellectual construction in which every motif and every sonic emphasis carries meaning and demands a conscious decision. His tone was recognizable for its clarity and restrained nobility, free of excessive pathos yet charged with pronounced inner tension. It was precisely this combination of rational control and quiet emotional intensity that lent his performances their distinctive weight and persuasiveness.
Bertoncelj’s artistic path was inseparably linked to his pedagogical work, which he did not view as the mere transmission of knowledge but as a process of shaping a thinking musician. He encouraged students toward independent thought, toward reading the score as a comprehensive artistic document, and toward an ethical relationship with music. Technique was never an end in itself for him, but a tool; interpretation was not an expression of personal ego, but a responsible response to the musical work. Many of his students later became important contributors to Slovenian musical life, confirming his lasting influence beyond the concert stage.
A significant aspect of his activity was also his engagement with contemporary music and collaboration with composers, in which he acted as a thoughtful interpreter of new works, approaching them with the same seriousness as the canonical repertoire. In this way, he helped create space for contemporary Slovenian music and provided it with the interpretative credibility without which new works cannot truly come to life. His artistic personality was marked by a high degree of integrity, quiet authority, and profound respect for music as an art that demands discipline, humility, and intellectual focus.
As a distinguished interpreter of Slovenian works, he received the Award of the Society of Slovenian Composers in 1971. In 1972, he was awarded the Prešeren Fund Prize for his achievements as a pianist.
