Announcements

Dear parents, mentors, and young singers!

The organizers are also eagerly awaiting the TV broadcast of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice, so we’ve decided to release our documentary recordings of all the semifinal performances in advance. These were filmed on August 22 and 23, 2025, at the Youth Center Brežice.
These are documentary videos recorded for the festival organizers’ archive.

Semifinal – Part 1 (Youth Center Brežice, Friday, August 23, 2025):

Contents (click on the timestamp):
00:06:33 – EVITA JEZERNIK ŠIRCA, 6 let, Žalec, Slovenija, 01 – USPAVANKA ZA EVO (Andrej Šifrer)
00:10:58 – IZA SLAPNIK, 8 let, Sevnica, Slovenija, 02 – ZA BOŽIČ KOT OTROK (Eva Boto)
00:15:10 – BARBARA ĆUBELA, 9 let, Zagreb, Hrvaška, 03 – NOĆ JE PUNA LJUBAVI (CAN YOU FEEL – Elton John)
00:19:46 – GLORIJA DROPULIĆ, 9 let, Zagreb, Hrvaška, 04 – HALO (Beyonce)
00:24:19 – TIA AVBAR, 10 let, Trebnje, Slovenija, 05 – PUSTITE NAM TA SVET (Vlado Kreslin)
00:28:16 – PETAR MOHAČ, 10 let, Bedekovčina, Hrvaška, 06 – KAO MOJA MATI (Zdravko Čolić)
00:32:54 – LAURA ZOUFALIK, 11 let, Sveta Nedelja, Hrvaška, 08 – TAMO GDJE JE SVE PO MOM (Jinx)
00:37:45 – ELIN SIPOS OČIĆ, 11 let, Zagreb, Hrvaška, 09 – NO ONE (Alicia Keys)
00:42:47 – NACE JENC, 11 let, Kamnik, Slovenija, 10 – HABANERA (CARMEN) (André Kostelanetz · NY Philharmonic Orch.)
00:45:49 – TAJA EPŠEK, 12 let, Črneče, Slovenija, 11 – GIRL ON FIRE (Alicia Keys)
00:49:28 – GLORIA B. PAJK, 12 let, Celje, Slovenija, 12 – POPULAR (Kristin Chenoweth)
00:53:51 – KLARA ŠIMAG, 12 let, Sveti Križ Začretje, Hrvaška, 13 – SIMPLY THE BEST (Tina Turner)
00:58:37 – ELEN ANTONČIČ, 13 let, Šentjernej, Slovenija, 14 – HOW FAR I’LL GO (Auli’i Cravalho)
01:02:10 – EMMA HORVAT, 13 let, Samobor, Hrvaška, 15 – SKYFALL (Adele)
01:07:37 – DORIJA MARTINEC, 13 let, Kalinovica, Hrvaška, 16 – YOU KNOW I’M NO GOOD (Amy Winehouse)
01:12:26 – EVA LAMPRET, 13 let, Videm pri Ptuju, Slovenija, 17 – NI ONA – RETRO (Nina Pušlar)
01:17:20 – EVA ZORKO, 13 let, Artiče, Slovenija, 18 – OLJKE, ROŽMARIN IN SOL (Marko Vozelj)
01:22:40 – MIA IŠTVANIĆ, 13 let, Zagreb, Hrvaška, 19 – DARNIERE DANSE (Indila)
01:27:25 – NIKA PEJČINOVIĆ, 14 let, Karlovac, Hrvaška, 20 – CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT (Elton John)
01:31:50 – LUCIJA KOREN, 15 let, Brestanica, Slovenija, 21 – ONE AND ONLY (Adele)
01:36:31 – NIKA IVIČ, 15 let, Pilštanj, Slovenija, 22 – MAMA MIA (Abba)
01:40:47 – MAJ MARN, 15 let, Trebnje, Slovenija, 23 – PERFECT (Ed Sheeran)
01:45:56 – ZOJA MLINARIČ, 15 let, Voličina, Slovenija, 24 – LOVE ON THE BRAIN (Rihanna)
01:50:31 – ELLEN BOGOVIĆ, 15 let, Klanjec, Hrvaška, 25 – WASTED LOVE (JJ)
01:54:23 – JOVANA BORKO, 16 let, Krško, Slovenija, 26 – ONCE UPON A DECEMBER (Liz Callaway)
01:58:02 – MARKO PILJEK MARIĆ, 16 let, Zabok, Hrvaška, 27 – FAIRYTALE (Alexander Rybak)
02:01:49 – TEA LENCUR, 16 let, Donja Zdenčina, Hrvaška, 28 – SAMO PRIČAJ (Zdravko Čolić)
02:06:32 – HANA GRUBIČ, 17 let, Brestanica, Slovenija, 29 – RUN TO YOU (Whitney Houston)
02:11:37 – ALEKSEJ IVAČIČ KOLAR, 17 let, Podčetrtek, Slovenija, 32 – ODPRI OČI (PolarAce – Aleksej Ivačič Kolar)

Semifinal – Part 2 (Youth Center Brežice, Saturday, August 23, 2025):

Contents (click on the timestamp):
00:00:30 – ZOJA KRASNIK, 7 let, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenija, 01 – LETIM (Nastja Gabor)
00:04:19 – SOFIA ANA ŠIMONKA, 8 let, Ljubljana, Slovenija, 02 – IN THE STARS (Benson Boone)
00:08:48 – SARA RUPREHT, 8 let, Kotlje, Slovenija, 03 – MAJ (Rok Piletič)
00:12:58 – ALISE KUZNECOVA, 9 let, Marupe, Latvija, 04 – JE VEUX (Zaz)
00:16:47 – TIMEJA JEZERNIK ŠIRCA, 9 let, Žalec, Slovenija, 05 – KAM MOJA POT PONESE ME (HOW FAR…) (Vila Exena)
00:20:18 – ŠANAJA ROPRET, 10 let, Šenčur, Slovenija, 06 – TOPLE OČI (Nina Pušlar)
00:24:42 – JANEZ FERFOLJA, 10 let, Koper, Slovenija, 07 – ČAS VRTI SE NAPREJ (Janez Ferfolja)
00:28:31 – ASJA GAZIVODA, 11 let, Podgorica, Črna Gora, 08 – NEKA SE ČUJE DRUGARSTVA GLAS (Asja Gazivoda)
00:31:55 – EVELYN RENDIĆ, 11 let, Kozina, Slovenija, 09 – MY HEART WILL GO ON (Celine Dion)
00:36:12 – LUANA ŠPELIĆ, 11 let, Rijeka, Hrvaška, 10 – NEVER ENOUGH (THE GREATEST SHOWMAN) (Loren Allred)
00:40:16 – NUŠA BEUC, 12 let, Velenje, Slovenija, 11 – PRISLUHNI MI (Darja Švajger)
00:43:38 – TARA BAUER, 12 let, Izola, Slovenija, 12 – LA NOIA (Angelina Mango)
00:47:30 – VIKTORIJA POLUPANOVA, 12 let, Riga, Latvija, 13 – COLORBLIND (Glee Cast)
00:50:43 – NIKOLINA KATAVIĆ, 12 let, Dugo Selo, Hrvaška, 14 – AVE MARIA (Beyonce)
00:55:11 – AMELI DINARINA-ŠIMIĆ, 12 let, Sinj, Hrvaška, 15 – HYMNE A L’AMOUR (Edit Piaf / Céline Dion)
00:59:41 – OLIVIA CHERNOVA, 13 let, Riga, Latvija, 16 – THE CODE (Nemo)
01:03:27 – MARTA BOGDANOVIĆ, 13 let, Šibenik, Hrvaška, 17 – TALKING TO THE MOON (Bruno Mars)
01:07:50 – PETRA GRUBELNIK, 13 let, Sladki Vrh, Slovenija, 18 – LASTOVKA (Elda Viler)
01:12:34 – ETEL BARŠI I PAL BARŠI, 13 let, Punat, Hrvaška, 19 – SHALLOW (Lady Gaga in Bradley Cooper)
01:18:28 – GAŠPER ORAŽEM, 14 let, Pobegi, Slovenija, 20 – SOMEONE YOU LOVED (Lewis Capaldi)
01:22:16 – NEVEN PAVLETIČ, 14 let, Prepuž, Slovenija, 21 – YOU RAISE ME UP (Josh Groban)
01:26:36 – ZOJA FARIČ, 14 let, Dolenjske Toplice, Slovenija, 22 – IT’S OH SO QUIET (Björk)
01:31:04 – EMA GALIĆ, 14 let, Split, Hrvaška, 23 – YOU DON’T OWN ME (Lesley Gore)
01:34:33 – LUCE JAKUS, 14 let, Split, Hrvaška, 24 – BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS (Leann Rimes)
01:38:27 – PIA KRALJ, 15 let, Apače, Slovenija, 25 – HURT (Christina Aguilera)
01:43:17 – JULIJA GJEREK, 15 let, Kamnik, Slovenija, 26 – OD VIŠINE SE ZVRTI (Vlado Kreslin)
01:47:45 – TAJA AUSEC, 16 let, Dutovlje, Slovenija, 27 – THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL (Whitney Houston)
01:53:31 – OD5 KVARTET, 16 let, Ptuj, Slovenija, 28 – WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER (Billie Eilish)
01:58:00 – KAROLINA GENORIO, 17 let, Ivančna Gorica, Slovenija, 29 – VOILÀ (Barbara Pravi)
02:01:43 – NATALIJA JOVANOVIC, 17 let, Beograd, Srbija, 30 – I HAVE NOTHING (Whitney Houston)
02:06:37 – BRIANNA-SELINA JÃGER, 17 let, Moravče, Slovenija, 31 – RISE LIKE A PHOENIX (Conchita Wurst)
02:10:36 – KATARINA MIKULEC, 17 let, Zadar, Hrvaška, 32 – MY MIND (Yebba)

The contents are also listed in the video description on YouTube.

Documentary video – Semifinal Part 1:

Documentary video – Semifinal Part 2:

Winner of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice is Ameli Dinarina-Šimić, a 12-year-old singer from Sinj, Croatia!

Award recipients selected by the professional jury, age group 6–9 years

Barbara Ćubela	Hrvaška	1st place
Alise Kuznecova	Latvija	2nd place
Sofia Ana Šimonka	Slovenija	3rd place

Award recipients selected by the professional jury, age group 10–13 years

Ameli Dinarina-Šimić	Hrvaška	1st place
Nace Jenc	Slovenija	2nd place
Luana Špelić	Hrvaška	3rd place

Award recipients selected by the professional jury, age group 14–17 years

Karolina Genorio	Slovenija	1st place
Taja Ausec	Slovenija	2nd place
Natalija Jovanovic	Srbija	3rd place

Award recipients selected by the audience:

Evita Jezernik Širca	Slovenija	1st place
Sofia Ana Šimonka	Slovenija	2nd place
Barbara Ćubela	Hrvaška	3rd place

Finalists of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice:

Semifinalists of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice:

We are publishing the list of performers for the grand finale of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice, on Sunday, August 24, 2025, in the magical courtyard of Brežice Castle:

We are publishing the list of the first group of finalists, selected by the expert jury and the audience during the first part of the semi-finals of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice 2025.

1st age group: from 6 to 9 years old

Alise Kuznecova	Latvija
Sofia Ana Šimonka	Slovenija

2nd age group from 10 to 13 years old

Ameli Dinarina-Šimić	Hrvaška
Nuša Beuc	Slovenija
Luana Špelić	Hrvaška
Etel Barši I Pal Barši	Hrvaška
Marta Bogdanović	Hrvaška
Olivia Chernova	Latvija

3rd age group from 14 to 17 years old

Karolina Genorio	Slovenija
Natalija Jovanovic	Srbija
Taja Ausec	Slovenija
Katarina Mikulec	Hrvaška
Od5 Kvartet	Slovenija
Gašper Oražem	Slovenija

13 singers have qualified for the final from the first part of the semi-finals of MOPF Brežice.

All those who did not make it to the final, please know that you share an excellent 4th place with the other participants of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice 2025.

We are publishing the list of the first group of finalists, selected by the expert jury and the audience during the first part of the semi-finals of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice 2025.

1st age group: from 6 to 9 years old

Evita Jezernik Širca	Slovenija
Barbara Ćubela	Hrvaška

2nd age group from 10 to 13 years old

Nace Jenc	Slovenija
Eva Zorko	Slovenija
Klara Šimag	Hrvaška
Elen Antončič	Slovenija
Taja Epšek	Slovenija
Gloria B. Pajk	Slovenija

3rd age group from 14 to 17 years old

Ellen Bogović	Hrvaška
Hana Grubič	Slovenija
Aleksej Ivačič Kolar	Slovenija
Zoja Mlinarič	Slovenija
Maj Marn	Slovenija

13 singers have qualified for the final from the first part of the semi-finals of MOPF Brežice.

All those who did not make it to the final, please know that you share an excellent 4th place with the other participants of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice 2025.

We are publishing the list of performers for the second part of the semifinal on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at the Youth Center Brežice hall:

We are publishing the list of performers for the first part of the semifinal on Friday, August 22, 2025, at the Youth Center Brežice hall:

The expert jury of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice faced a demanding task this year: among the 187 registered young singers, they first had to eliminate entries with incomplete applications, and then select the most qualified candidates from the valid ones to continue in the competition. Due to the exceptional response and a record number of submissions, the jury decided to exceptionally include 64 talented young musicians in the semifinals this year, instead of the usual 50.

Organizers emphasize that the large number of applications shows the strong interest of young people in musical expression. In their opinion, there is no need to worry about the future of vocal talent—on the contrary, the enthusiasm and dedication of children are encouraging and inspiring.

The semifinals of the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice will again be divided into two evenings this year. The first part will take place on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 5:00 PM, and the second part on Saturday, August 23, 2025, also at 5:00 PM. Both semifinal events will be held at the Youth Center Brežice, located at Gubčeva 10a.

List of performers in the first part of the semifinals (August 22, 2025 at 5:00 PM, Youth Center Brežice):

List of performers in the second part of the semifinals (August 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM, Youth Center Brežice):

Finalists will be selected by a combination of jury and audience votes

At both semifinal evenings, the expert jury—composed of three jurors and a fourth member, the live audience—will select up to 27 finalists for the 9th International Children’s Singing Festival Brežice. The finalists will perform on Sunday, August 24, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the courtyard of Brežice Castle (Posavje Museum Brežice, Cesta prvih borcev 1).

Smart voting for the audience

Voting will take place via mobile phones: attendees will be able to scan the QR code on their ballot and cast three votes—one for each age group. The service will be hosted on Google Forms and available to everyone with an internet connection, a smartphone, and a Google account. Voting will be tied to the entry ticket: each ticket allows one set of votes (one vote per age group). In cases where a family has only one phone, they may cast as many votes as they have ballots or QR codes, using a single Google account.

Each ticket includes one ballot (QR code) and will be available for purchase at the entrance to the hall for €5.00. Upon purchase, the visitor also receives a free bottle of water.

Awards by jury and audience

At the final event, the audience will select their winner, while the expert jury will award nine Grand Trophies of MOPF Brežice—three in each age category.

We’re publishing answers to parents’ most frequently asked questions.

Question:
Can friends and family of the participants attend the festival and vote for their singer?

Answer:
Absolutely! Friends, family members, and other supporters are more than welcome. Their presence and encouragement create a special atmosphere that young performers truly feel and appreciate. We warmly invite you to join us, cheer for your favorite, and help create an unforgettable festival experience!

Question:
How can I vote for my favorite singer?

Answer:

Question:
Is it possible to change the song with which a participant applied to the festival?

Answer:
No, changing the song is not allowed. Each participant was evaluated during the audition based on the specific song they submitted. This process enabled the jury to assess the interpretation and suitability of the chosen song for the stage performance. Changing the song after the audition would be illogical and unfair, as it would disrupt the equal conditions established for all contestants.

Additionally, there is a risk of song duplication, which could negatively affect the structure of the event. If two participants applied with the same song, priority was given to the one who submitted it first. Allowing changes would therefore be unfair to the second applicant, who had to withdraw their choice.

It’s also important to emphasize that permitting song changes could compromise the integrity of the selection process — someone might have been rejected based on a particular song, which could then unjustly benefit another participant. In order to maintain fairness and transparency, changing the submitted song is not permitted.
Participants had four months, from February 1st to June 1st, 2025, to select and submit their song.

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Question:
Can a participant be moved to the second semifinal date, because we have other obligations on the first one?

Answer:
Changing the scheduled semifinal performance date is generally not possible. When submitting your application, you agreed — by clicking the “Apply” button — that the participant would be available for all festival dates. This condition allows the organizers to fairly distribute participants based on scoring and age group, with the goal of creating balanced semifinal lineups.

Therefore, unfortunately, rescheduling is not possible, as it would affect the fairness of conditions for all participants and could lead to an unbalanced or unjust arrangement.

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Question:
Is it possible to change the musical backing track after submitting the application?

Answer:
Yes, the backing track can be changed, but only within a specific timeframe. You may send a request to info@brezice.eu, no later than three days after receiving your so-called “Control Sheet.” This document is sent by the organizers so you can check the accuracy of your data, including the backing track.

If you don’t report any changes within that time, it is assumed that you fully agree with the content. After the three-day period has passed, changing the backing track will no longer be possible.

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Question:
How can I listen to the backing track (playback) I received in the control sheet?

Answer:
The control sheet contains a Google Drive link to your personalized playback, stored in our music database. You can copy and paste this link into your internet browser, and the audio will play directly.

In most cases, PDF viewers automatically recognize these links, so you can simply click on them — and the browser will launch the playback immediately. We recommend that festival participants rehearse their performance using the link provided to ensure that everything with their track is in order and matches the version that will be used on stage.

This year, a record-breaking 187 young singers from six countries applied for the International Children’s Singing Festival “Brežice.” As a result, after the live auditions at the Brežice Cultural Hall, organizers arranged not one but two full-day online auditions. Some applications were invalid – a few participants were significantly older than 17, and others submitted the wrong files instead of backing tracks. Still, everyone was given a chance to correct their application.

The organizers emphasize that most singers met the criteria of the expert jury, consisting of Dubravka Jelušić, Brigita Šuler, Alen Jelušić, and technical juror Maks Žbogar. Even so, according to the festival’s structure, it was necessary to select only 50 participants for two semi-final evenings, 25 per show. Choosing just 50 out of 187 applicants was incredibly difficult due to the minimal differences between performances. In the end, the jury made an exception and selected 64 participants for the 9th International Children’s singing Festival “Brežice.”

Audition results – sent on 23rd June 2025

Dear applicants, parents, guardians, and young singers – by submitting your application, you accepted the terms of the festival. This includes being available for all festival days and reachable via the email and phone number provided upon registration.

Audition results were sent on 23rd June 2025 directly to each applicant via the email address used during registration. However, some parents still inquired about the results, not realizing that only parents or guardians should register using their personal Google accounts, not mentors or teachers through theirs.

Assignment to semi-final evenings (22 & 23 August 2025)

After the announcement, many parents contacted organizers requesting that their child perform on Saturday, 23rd August, instead of Friday, 22nd August. Yet, applicants confirmed availability for all festival days. Assigning participants is complex, as organizers must ensure an equal number of equally ranked contestants across all age groups per evening to ensure fairness.

Organizers urge parents to respect the agreed terms and accept their role in the process. Requests will only be considered if they don’t disrupt balance. Priority will be given to families traveling internationally, depending on flight availability.

Control sheets and consent forms

Within 14 days of receiving a positive audition result, each accepted participant will receive a PDF control sheet with registration details and links to their photo and music track. Applicants should check their email regularly and report any issues immediately. These forms are intended to help young performers feel more confident and supported before their big moment, so organizers ask parents to be proactive and responsible in communication.

A call for better awareness

Organizers kindly ask parents to read all announcements and terms of participation thoroughly, as many have not, even though they agreed to them when applying. Thank you for your understanding.

Why wasn’t my child accepted?

Organizers understand that some parents feel disappointed. Out of 187 applicants, only 63 were selected. The differences were very small, and the decisions difficult. Since applications, auditions, and participation are free, the festival remains accessible and child-friendly. It gives kids a unique chance to live their dream on a big stage, even for a day. Everyone who didn’t make it this year is encouraged to try again next year – let any frustration turn into motivation to improve and come back stronger.