The oldest musical instrument in the world, a 60,000-year-old flute, is a treasure of global significance. It was discovered in 1995 in the Divje Babe cave near Cerkno. Experts have dated it to a period when Neanderthals inhabited the area. The natural shape of the selected left femur of a cave bear, its size, and the modifications ergonomically adapted to the musician’s right hand all serve as evidence that the instrument was not created by chance. A unique playing technique allows the Neanderthal flute to produce complex music.

With the Oldest Flute project, which is part of the official program of the European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica – Gorizia, we present the sounds of the world’s oldest musical instrument. The project includes two major concerts in the year marking the 30th anniversary of the flute’s discovery and, in collaboration with music schools from the northern Primorska region, offers educational workshops on playing its reconstructed version.