The Wind Orchestra Kapele was founded in 1850. To this day, it has been continuously playing and is one of the oldest orchestras in Slovenia. It is a voluntary, non-profit, cultural society whose primary purpose is developing cultural activities by encouraging cultural creativity, cultural education, and by educating, mediating and protecting cultural values. Former military bandsmen founded the orchestra. From the founding onwards, the orchestra played at many important events that took place in the municipality and beyond. In 1987, when the baton was passed to Franc Arh, the orchestra started participating in competitions in Slovenia and abroad. Today, over two hundred inhabitants live in the entire Kapele area. There is almost no house without a bandsman in this village, whether they are playing in the orchestra today or they played in history.
Since 2015, the Wind Orchestra Kapele has been playing under the leadership of Sebastjan Borovšak.
In addition to the enviable tradition, the Wind Orchestra Kapele also has a desire to preserve its cultural heritage and it strives to preserve the quality and the number of members. In December 2013, the orchestra was listed in the Register of Living Cultural Heritage, maintained by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia following the ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Cultural Heritage.
Major projects include broad research into the history of the orchestra. An investigative task was conducted under the guidance of historians and ethnologists at the Valvazor Research Center (Valvazorjev raziskovalni center) in Krško. The research was conducted with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the Municipality of Brežice and the local community Kapele on the theme Od vaške godbe do pihalnega orkestra (From the village band to the wind orchestra) to mark the 160th anniversary of the orchestra. It covers the history of one of the oldest Slovenian orchestras and its influence in Slovenia and abroad. The results of a large-scale research were published in the eponymous miscellany. For generations to come, the miscellany gives an insight into the history of the orchestra, hometown, and the Municipality of Brežice, as well as parallel events around the world.
Today the orchestra is presenting itself with the most demanding program. The program regularly includes other music and singing soloists.
The orchestra cares for its recognisability at home and abroad. The orchestra has recorded a cassette and two CDs. It appeared in many television shows (DOBRO JUTRO SLOVENIJA, POD RDEČO PREPROGO S SMILJANOM, NA ZDRAVJE, V DOBRI DRUŽBI and OBERKARINER GALA in Austria). Its projects and achievements are regularly published in Slovenian newspapers.
The orchestra regularly participates in the local environment at municipal and local holidays, receptions of athletes, public holidays and cooperates with other societies (horse breeders, singers, firefighters). The orchestra has organized charity events for the General Hospital in Brežice and the Institute of Oncology.
For its activity, the orchestra received:
In 1970, the Brežice Municipality Award.
In 1978, conductor Jože Stanič received the Brežice Municipality Award.
In 1971, The Order of Merit for the Nation with the Silver Star (Red zaslug za narod s srebrno zvezdo).
In 1990, the Firefighter Award of the III. Level (Gasilsko odlikovanje III. stopnje).
In 1991, The Gallus Charter (Gallusova listina).
In 1995, the CISM Award – Confederation Internationale des Societes Musicales, International Confederation of Music Societies (Urek Andrej and Hotko Slavko, the members of the orchestra were given the CISM Award).
In 2003, a gold plaque at the National Competition of the Slovene Brass Orchestra Union and the qualification in the first difficulty group.
In 2008, a gold plaque at the National Competition of the Slovene Brass Orchestra Union in the first difficulty group.
In 2008, a gold medal at an international competition in the Hungarian town of Mor (the gold trophy is also awarded to the conductor, as the best conductor of the competition, and to the baritone player as the best soloist).
In 2009, the gold medal of the Union of Cultural Societies of Brežice.
In 2009, Conductor Franci Arh received the Brežice Municipality Award.
In 2010, President of the orchestra Ivan Urek received the gold medal of the Union of Cultural Societies of Brežice.
In 2010, the CISM Merit Medal – Confederation Internationale des Societes Musicales, International Confederation of Music Societies, was given to the members of the orchestra, Kostevc Marijan and Darko Vranetič.
In 2010, the CISM Merit Cross – Confederation Internationale des Societes Musicales, International Confederation of Music Societies, was given to a member of the orchestra, Slavko Hotko.
In 2013, the orchestra entered the Register of Living Cultural Heritage, kept by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia following the ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Cultural Heritage.
2014 Gold Plaque with Special Commendation at the National Competition of the Slovene Brass Orchestra Union and Ranking in the Highest Concert Group.
In 2015, the CISM Merit Medal – Confederation Internationale des Societes Musicales, International Confederation of Music Societies, was given to a member of the wind orchestra, Roman Kovačič.
In 2015, the CISM Special Merit Cross – Confederation Internationale des Societes Musicales, International Confederation of Music Societies, was given to Conductor of the orchestra Franci Arh.
The Wind Orchestra Kapele regularly attends and participates in cultural and musical events in Slovenia. The orchestra introduced itself with more demanding programs at following events: Pivo in cvetje in Laško, Šuštarska nedelja in Tržič, Praznik češenj in Brda, Vinska vigred in Metlika, Kraški pust, Loka jo piha in Škofja Loka.
The quality of the orchestra has also been recognized abroad. The orchestra was invited to participate in the Kmoch Festival in Kolin (Czech Republic), the European Wind Orchestra Festival in Bad Schlema (Germany), a competition in Mor (Hungary). The orchestra performed at the Crystal Hall in Opatija (Croatia). Because of the invitation of the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble, the orchestra also performed a concert at the elite Stefaniensaal in Graz, Austria. The Wind orchestra Kapele also toured in Italy and Macedonia.
The orchestra also regularly maintains contacts with a twinned orchestra from Budapest, where it participated in the National Day event organized by the City of Budapest.