Jurij Slatkonja
# Jurij Slatkonja

Jurij Slatkonja (German: Georg von Slatkonia, also Jurij Chrysippus, Slovenian: Jurij Slatkonja; 21 March 1456 – 26 April 1522) was a Carniolan choirmaster and the first residential Bishop of Vienna. He was also the first owner of an ex libris among the Slovenes. His crest contained a golden horse, based on a false etymology of his surname (Slovene slat [≈ zlat] 'golden' + konja [≈ konj] 'horse'). (The surname actually refers to someone that enjoys sweet food.)

## Life

Born in Ljubljana, Slatkonja studied in Ljubljana, in 1474 in Ingolstadt, and then starting in 1475 in Vienna, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1477 at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1495, he was a chaplain and cantor at the court in Vienna; he was also the canon and provost of the Diocese of Ljubljana. In 1498, he was appointed the singing master (Singmeister) of the choir later known as the Vienna Boys' Choir. In 1500 he became chapel master (Kapellmeister) of the Vienna Court Chapel [de], and in 1513 the senior chapel master (obrister Capellmeister). In 1499, he was named the second provost of the Novo Mesto College Chapter. 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.

## Legacy

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

