George Slatkonia (german: Georg von Slatkonia, also ''Jurij Chrysippus,''

Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Sloven ...

: ''Jurij Slatkonja''; 21 March 1456 – 26 April 1522) was a Carniolan

choirmaster A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

and the first residential

Bishop of Vienna The Archbishop of Vienna is the prelate of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna who is concurrently the metropolitan bishop of its ecclesiastical province which includes the dioceses of Eisenstadt, Linz and St. Pölten. From 1469 to 1513, bish ...

. He was also the first owner of an

ex libris Ex Libris may refer to: *An Ex Libris (bookplate), a label affixed to a book to indicate ownership *Ex Libris (band), a Dutch metal band *Ex Libris (bookshop), a Swiss retail company * "Ex Libris" (''Charmed''), a 2000 episode of the television ser ...

among the

Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their n ...

. His coat of arms contained a golden horse, based on a

false etymology A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...

of his surname (Slovene ''slat'' �� ''zlat'''golden' + ''konja'' �� ''konj'''horse'). (The surname actually refers to someone that enjoys sweet food.)

Life

Born in

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

, Slatkonia studied in Ljubljana, in 1474 in

Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Bav ...

, and then starting in 1475 in Vienna, where he received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in 1477 at the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute o ...

. In 1495, he was a chaplain and

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

at the court in Vienna; he was also the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

and provost of the

Diocese of Ljubljana The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ljubljana ( sl, Nadškofija Ljubljana, la, Archidioecesis Labacensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Slovenia.Vienna Boys' Choir The Vienna Boys' Choir (german: Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countr ...

. In 1500 he became chapel master () of the , and in 1513 the senior chapel master (). In 1499, he was named the second provost of the

Novo Mesto College Chapter ''Novo'' is a 2002 French romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Limosin and starring Eduardo Noriega. The film tells the story of a man who suffers from amnesia. It screened at the Locarno Film Festival. Plot Graham suffers from severe am ...

. In 1513 he was given the position of the Bishop of Vienna, although he continued to work as the main music organiser in the city and probably also himself composed. His name first appears Slovenized as ''Juri Zlatkonja'' in 1849, and then ''Zladkonja'' in 1877, ''Jurij Slatkonja'' in 1881, and ''Jurij Sladkonja'' in 1892.

Legacy

As a leader who fostered a bridge between faith and art, Slatkonia left a legacy in Vienna as well as in Slovenia. In 2022, Slovenia observed the 500th anniversary of his death. The George Slatkonia Conservatory of Music (''Konservatorij za glasbo Jurij Slatkonja'', founded by the Diocese of Novo Mesto, is named after him.

References

External links

*
1456 births 1522 deaths Carniolan composers Slovenian conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Carniolan Roman Catholic priests Slovenian Roman Catholic bishops Clergy from Ljubljana Bishops of Vienna 16th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Austria {{europe-RC-bishop-stub