On the 3rd of April Slavko Avsenik (1929) introduced himself publicly at the Radio Ljubljana and performed live with his accordion together with the singer Franc Koren (1913-1982). Soon after that, together with a guitar and a double bass the Trio Avsenik is born and the first polka from the composer Slavko Avsenik "V planinski koči" is introduced.

On the initiative of Vilko Avsenik (1928) the "Oberkrainer quartet" (Gorenjski kvartet) was formed and they also recorded the first polkas and waltzes written from Slavko Avsenik on the Radio Ljubljana. The world-known polka "Na Golici" is among them. In the summer, they have their first concerts outside Slovenia in Austria in front of Austrian Slovenes. The members of the quartet are Slavko Avsenik, Vilko Ovsenik, Franc Košir (1931-1991) and Franc Ogrizek.

On January the 8th, they have their first performance in front of Italian Slovenes in Trieste. After that, they have their first tour in France in front of the Slovene immigrants. In September the radio-moderator Fred Rauch (1909-1997) by pure chance hears the polka "Na Golici“ on the Radio Klagenfurt and is immediately enthusiastic about the quartet and renames them in “Oberkrainer Quartett” and invites them to record at the Bavarian radio (Bayerischer Rundfunk). The first tour in Bavaria follows. On the 13th of November the first songs in the studio are recorded (Na Golici, Spomin, Praznovanje na deželi and V planinski koči) for the record label Telefunken in Hamburg, with which the sign their first record deal.

The „Oberkrainer quartet“ (Gorenjski kvartet) becomes the original Oberkrainer quintet (Kvintet Avsenik), the members are complete and final.

The first songs at the record-label Telefunken („Na Golici“ and “Iz Bohinja") and the album Lustige Blasmusikanten are released.

The first live-show at the Bavarian-Radio.

The first TV-production at German TV in Munich. The first big record is released for the German audience: „Die Oberkrainer spielen auf“.

Because of medical conditions Vilko Ovsenik leaves the ensemble for good and becomes the leader, arranger and producer and "good spirit" of the ensemble. The first record for the Slovenian audience is released: Tam kjer murke cveto.

Tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland together with the wind instrument orchestra from Ernst Mosch (1925-1999). All members of the ensemble decide that they will quit their daily jobs and just play in the ensemble and be professional musicians.

Performance at the freedom manifestation at the Olympic stadium in Berlin in front of a ten-thousand crowd. First tour in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The Avseniks record the one hundred song for the label Telefunken. The brothers Avsenik write three songs for some singers at the Festival slovenske popevke in Bled, which were sung by Marjana Deržaj (1936-2005) and Matija Cerar (1940-2011).

The first video recordings are made for the TV station RTV Ljubljana, later available on video VHS and DVD.

In February they perform and the Olympic winter games Innsbruck. On May 14th they get in Hamburg the first golden record from the label Telefunken for one million sold copies of the record in German speaking areas.

The Avseniks give their one thousand concerts: one half of them were only in Germany. At one concert in the city hall in Vienna the play in front of 12000 people. In Graz they fill just one hall 22 Times after another. In Hamburg they have some thousand more fans then the Rolling stones, which also played at the same day in Hamburg.

The make new experimental sounds with three vocals, a clarinet trio (Albin Rudan, Alojz Zupan and Miha Gunzek) and a smaller wind instrument cast.

The trumpeter Franc Košir makes his debut as a singer with the polka “Jaz sem pa en Franc Košir”.

On February 20th Telefunken gives the ensemble in the Meistersingerhalle in Nürnberg the second and third golden record for the second and third million sold records. The important album Otoček sredi jezera at the just established record label Helidon is being released.

On April 16th at the Vienna Concert-hall, the ensemble has their 3000 performance. They win at the Hitlist of the most popular radio show in West Germany Lustige Musikanten with the waltz Lebwohl, mein Schatz, which was sung by Ema Prodnik (1941), where 22000 radio listeners vote.

On the 20nd of March at the Deutsche Museum in Munich, the ensemble has their 3500 concert. On the 31st of march also in Munich the ensemble gets their fourth golden record. On all German records they are already 200 songs of the Avsenik ensemble eternalised. From the 1st till the 23rd of April they visit USA together with their concert-manager from Karl Lanzmaier (1929): The ensemble has concerts in different American and Canadian cities, from San Diego to Toronto. The first double-album Goldene Klänge aus Oberkrain is being released and it's the most selling record from the Ensemble Avsenik.

On April 22nd at the Tivoli hall in Ljubljana they have their 4000 concert. In August the get in Berlin the fifth golden record, that has diamonds. In November in the same year they get in Köln the sixth record for 6 million sold records.

The bestselling album Zlati zvoki is also released in Slovenia. The ensemble wins eight times in the German-show an twelve times in the Hitlist of the German folk radio-shows. On December 6th they get the eight golden record for 8 million sold copies.

They celebrate their 20th anniversary with their own TV-show fort the German TV station ZDF and with a concert on the 8th of November in the City hall in Hannover. They get their own TV-show also from the Austrian TV station ORF. Slavko Avsenik is honoured with a golden medal for folk-music.

On April 19th at the Tivoli hall in Ljubljana they celebrate their 20th anniversary in front of 4000 people and it’s special because it’s their home Slovene crowd. The singer Franc Koren (1913-1982) says goodbye from the ensemble and the singing trio Ema Prodnik (1941), Jožica Svete (1948), Alfi Nipič (1944), performs together for the first time. In April the ensemble receives from Telefunken the 9th golden record and the platinum record for ten million sold copies and also the first golden record in Austria (Vienna) the first golden record in Switzerland (Zürich) for 1,5 million sold copies and the first golden record from the home label Helidon in Ljubljana.

Slavko Avsenik receives the golden plaquette from the Yugoslavian composer association. The Slovenian post office also publishes a coat of arms- an envelope with a special seal. The magazine Stop presents them after the summer-action Krošnje za najbolj priljubljene v letu 1974 (Treetops of the most popular in the year 1974) the biggest award for popularity. The German accordion association from presents Slavko Avsenik a golden medal. The ensemble has already their 5000 performance.

On May 15th in Berlin Slavko and Vilko Avsenik receive the European music-Oscar for their originality, quality and popularity of their compositions from the European society for record labels- Phono Academy. The ensemble again gets the treetop for the biggest popularity, which they receive in Ptuj at the seventh show of the Festival of Folk-music. Slavko at home receives an award like the Linhart plaquette from the community Radovljica-the highest community award for culture. On October 24rd in Bremen, the ensemble receives the eleventh golden record. In the same year they win seventeen times at the German TV show Lustige Musikanten and Die Hitparade. The Avseniks are proclaimed as the most popular ensemble of folk-music in German TV. The polka Na Golici is already recorded on 100 different records.

After recording the fourteenth big record they receive on November 8th in Lübeck the 12th German golden record. Over 500 songs are recorded on records and music notebooks.

On March 19th they perform at the philharmonic society in Berlin. They receive a golden cassette from the record label RTV for 20.000 sold music cassettes. They win eighteen times in a row at the contest at the Westgerman Radio for most popular ensemble.

On March 1st in Munich, they celebrate their 25th anniversary and also receive additionally eight golden records-so all together they now have 25. On April 21nd in Ljubljana they receive the second golden record from the home label Helidon. In the same month Slavko Avsenik receives from their Dutch branch Teldec, their highest music award-the golden wood-shoe. At the 10th anniversary from the magazine Stop, Slavko ist declared as the musician of folk-music of the decade. On October 31st he gets from the society of show business in Yugoslavia (Zveza delavcev estradne umetnosti Jugoslavije) the show business award of Yugoslavia.

Slavko receives the TV show award from the TV program ZDF „Wim Thoelke »and in Vienna the »Golden rose« as the most successful and most played composer in Austria. On March 27th he is included into the lexicon publication Who is Who. With all the money they got from the concerts, they co-finance the 180 m high ski jump in Planica.

On the German market the 50th album is being released (with all the collections and anthologies combined) “Hallo, Freunde, hallo!” Slavko receives for the polka Na Golici the golden lion from Radio Luxemburg. At home, they are again the most popular at the win the award by the magazine Stop.

On February 27th the singer Slavko Koren dies. Slavko Avsenik receives from the west germen minister of culture the golden Hermann Löns. From February till march 1982 Ema Prodnik (1941) is being exchanged by the soprano Joži Kališnik (1948). For the first time Slavko’s youngest son Gregor Avsenik (1966) performs as a solo guitarist at the studio.

The concert for the 30th anniversary takes place in Bled on April 8th: the president of the SFR Yugoslavia rewards the ensemble for their »credits, success and keeping the original Slovene melodics and the development of the social-cultural life« with the silver star (the honour for nation development credits). From Helidon they receive the third golden record, from K-tel in Austria and Switzerland further two. All together they have over 30 golden records. The Avseniks receive the golden badge from the Slovenian touristic association and the golden key from the city Cleveland. The record label Helidon released in the years from 1968 to 1985 over 400.000 vinyl records. That obviously a record for the Slovene market.

The record label Teldec publishes the first two Avsenik CD's as hit compilations: Goldene Klänge aus Oberkrain and Musik ist mein Leben.

On September 11th they fly to a short 5-day tour to the USA and Canada, the second time in their career. They become the honour citizens of the city Cleveland. The last official album for the record label Telefunken-Teldec is being released Grüsse aus meiner Heimat. On December 14th the brothers Avsenik sign a lasting exclusive contract with the record label Koch Records, and in spring 1986 they release their first two albums: Musik mein Glück and Ein Feuerwerk der Musik.

Important performances in Germany and Western Europe and also in TV-shows like Musikantenstadl, Nacht der 100 Stars and Košnikova gostilna. The record label Teldec publishes the first 2 CD's: Musik mein Glück and Ein Feuerwerk der Musik.

The word "the Avseniks" is being entered in the encyclopaedia of Slovenia (Enciklopedije Slovenije). In December at the label Koch the monographic Album with Christmas and new year songs Sterne der heiligen Nacht is being published. Here all three sons of Slavko Avsenik are involved on the album: Slavko Jr. (1958) at the electric keyboard, Martin (1962) as the designer and Gregor (1966) with the guitar.

Till their 35th anniversary, the Avsenik brothers have composed over 800 songs, which were published at 108 different records. In October the record label in Munich Koch gave them another golden record for the album Musik mit Avsenik and one platinum record for the album Ein Feuerwerk der Musik. All together they received 32 golden records, among them were platinum ad one with diamonds.

On March 10th in Begunje, Martin Avsenik opens with the art exhibition from the Slovene painter Maksim Gaspari (1883-1980) the gallery Avsenik. Leo Ponikvar (1917-1993) and Mik Soss (1929-2004) retire at the end of April; the followers are the rhythmic duo Igor Podpečan (1967) and Renato Verlič (1942). On September 3rd in Aurisina near Trieste, the last live performance is being held in front of trieste Slovenes. The 150 fan club Avsenik is being established. The record label Helidon publishes the first two Avsenik CD’s for the Slovene market: 35 let - Jubilejni zvoki and Polka - valček - polka 1.

In March the Ensemble of the brothers Avsenik and the original Oberkrainer get the entry in the Guinness-book of records as the most successful artist in Folk-music. On April 16th in the Sport hall in Bled, Slavko celebrates his 60th birthday in the TV-show Lepo je biti muzikant. After five members of the band officially quit the ensemble, they decided on June 15th not to play concerts anymore and they record the last album with those members: Komm mit mir nach Oberkrain.

In fall Slavko receives four prestige awards: on September 22nd in Cologne the platinum medal Hermann Löns, on October 21st in the Telfer city hall in Tirol the golden gramophone from the magazine Blickpunkt and from the redaction of the TV-show Musikantenstadl, in December 9th the golden edelweiss from the magazine Frau in Spiegel and the golden VHS cassette from the record label RTV Ljubljana. The textbook for accordion players Igraj kot Slavko Avsenik is being published.

On March 25th at the 3rd gala evening of folk-music in Bozen, Slavko receives the honour treble clef (note key). The ensemble of the Brothers Avsenik exists from then till 1994 exclusively in the recording studio as a recording ensemble. On December 19th the trumpeter Franc Košir dies.

Slavko receives the highest award possible from the author association GEMA- the crown of folk-music for the most successful composer in middle Europe and for the most sold copies of folk-music records in middle Europe.

On the 40th anniversary of the Radioshow Četrtkov večer of national songs and melodys Slavko Receives the highest award of slovene national TV RTV Slovenija: the statue of the shepherd boy from Kalin. On December 17th, Leo Ponikar the guitarist dies.

Production of the CD S pesmijo po Sloveniji, the ensemble joins the solo guitar Gregor Avsenik and vocalists Irena Svoljšak, Andreja Čamernik, Joži Kališnik, Helena Blagne and Stane Vidmar.

The last album if the ensemble from the Avsenik brothers is being released: 40 Jahre. On April 8th the brothers receive the Viktor life-time work in the year 1993.

Platinum award from the publisher RTV Slovenija for the VHS-Video Na Roblek - Po domače z Avsenika and for the CD-double album 40 let - 40 hit. On October 19th the singer Danica Filipčič dies.

The TV show from Tony Petkovsek from the Radio Cleveland awards Slavko Avsenik with a life-time achievement award.

According to the facts of GEMA the polka Na Golici is on the tenth place of the most played songs in the entertainment music. The company Hohner awards the king of folk-music with the Hohner credit award in gold. Slavko, Vilko and Slavko Jr. are joined in the book One hundred Slovene composers - modern music artists (written by the musicologist, publicist and radio editor Franc Križnar (1947)).

Slavko Avsenik occasionally performs together with the ensemble Gašperji in the Inn/Restaurant Pri Jožovcu in Begunje at the music evenings in the restaurant (Avsenik-evening).

On May 11th the president of the republic Slovenia Milan Kučan in Ljubljana, gives the two Avsenik brothers the honour symbol of freedom of the republic Slovenia for their „credits of the areas where the Slovene culture marked the music-culture for the masses at home and in the whole wide world”. In July in Ljubljana, they perform in front of the president of USA Bill Clinton (1946). Slavko receives another award, the golden microphone. The House ensemble Jožovc is being formed, which later became the House ensemble Avsenik- they had their first performance on August 8th. On the 30th of October for the 70 birthday of Slavko Avsenik is being held a festive concert at the fair in Kranj.

Ivan Sivec (1949) writes the first biography of the brothers Avsenik: Brata Avsenik - Evropski glasbeni fenomen iz Begunj na Gorenjskem. On November 26th Slavko gets the title from the community of Begunje” the king of polka”. On December 26th in the Slovene national theatre in Maribor, the symphonic orchestra plays the Avsenik songs.

The last convert from Slavko Avsenik in front of the Slovene people in Italia: on the 9th of July they are guests at the 30. Festival in Števerjan. On October 20th in Domžale, the brothers Avsenik receive the award "slovenski slavček".

On April 10th Slavko Avsenik becomes an honour citizen of Bled. On May 22nd the Slovene post-office honours them with a special stamp, special envelope and special seal. Slavko is given a sculpture by David Bernett from the radio of the Slovene Canadians in Toronto. On November 22nd a big gala concert takes place in the sport hall in Bled for the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Avsenik-music.

In Germany Slavko Avsenik receives the crown of folk-music from the magazine Podjetnik for the acknowledgement and popularization of Slovenia in the world. On April 9th bass player Mik Soss dies. On November 25th the brothers receive from the label RTV Slovenija the platinum award for the sale of the CD 50 year of Avsenik music (CD 50 let Avsenikove glasbe).

On March 6th in Koroška the concert with the title 50 let Avsenikove glasbe is being held and on May 22nd a concert with the title S pesmijo našo - 50 let ob Avsenikovi glasbi na Tržaškem: both are an honour for the first performances od the Avsenik ensemble in front of Slovenes in Austria and Italia. The Avsenik family receives from the community Dolina (near Trieste) the silver plaquette for their life- time achievement. Between the 24th and 26th of August the first Avsenik workshop in Begunje takes place. Slavko Avsenik gets the honour award from the wind instrument orchestra Lesce.

The gallery Avsenik publishes four CD's with the archive records from the first period of their music career.

The first international gathering of the harmonica players in Begunje. On May 11th the baritone Vinko Štrucl (1933-2006) dies. On November 19th the first choir concert with Avsenik melodies takes place.

In January the first big international competition for the Avsenik accordion challenge in Begunje takes place. On May 24th Slavko Avsenik receives in Otočec the award for forum of extra achievements Forum (Forum odličnosti) the Austrian concert manager Rudi Mally (1952) gives him the Oberkrainer award honour award-kind of an European Oskar for folk-music. On the 9th of November in Begunje begin the concerts in honour of the ensemble members (abonma Avsenik). The everyday objects of the Avsenik ensemble are on the exhibition Zvoki Slovenije - Od ljudskih godcev do Avsenikov, which started on November 22nd.

In May the shopping centre Europark in Maribor prepares an exhibition with the theme 55 years of the Avsenik music (55 let Avsenikove glasbe). On August 14th to honour the 30. Anniversary from the park Mozirski gaj, Slavko Avsenik receives the award the tulip from Mozirje (Mozirski tulipan). From the 20th till the 24th of August in Begunje the Festival Avsenik takes place, under the artistic management of Gregor Avsenik, where also the 55th anniversary of the Avsenik music and ensemble is being celebrated. Also the new biography of the brothers is published: S polko v svet - Glasbene poti bratov Avsenik written by a trieste Slovene Aleksi Jercog (1971).

On January 31st the clarinet player Albin Rudan dies. Slavko’s grandson and Gregor's son Sašo Avsenik (1991) starts his own ensemble and his first CD is being published at the label Koch: Musik im Blut. On December 6th The Sašo Avsenik ensemble performs in Bagnoli della Rosandra (Trieste) for the first time in front of Slovenes in Italia. Marko Manin (1992) invited them.

On January 22nd on the 14th day od the Hungarian culture; Slavko Avsenik is pronounced the “knight of the universal culture”. On September 25th Slavko Avsenik receives in the Stefanie hall in Graz the golden honour award from the land Styria (Austria). The ensemble from Sašo Avsenik receives from Rudi Mally the Oberkrainer Award for best yew group (Newcomer). Since the 26th of November all the collection of the Avsenik records can be seen in the Avsenik Museum, which was arranged by the collector and musician Simon Golobič (1981).

At the beginning of the year the clarinet player Alojz Zupan dies. The documentary-movie Golica - Zgodba o skladbi for the TV show RTV Slovenija is published.

Also Gregor Avsenik receives the Oberkrainer honour award. The Avsenik musical “Bila sva mlada oba” premiers in Ljubljana. The Slovene ethnographic museum declares the Avsenik music as a Slovene material culture-heritage. From the 23rd till 25th of August the second Avsenik Festival takes place in Begunje, which is again guided by Gregor Avsenik and the 60th anniversary of the Avsenik-music is officially celebrated. The Slovenian president Borut Pahor (1963) rewards Slavko Avsenik with the silver replica from an old whistle, which was found in the archaeology park Divje babe. It marks the beginning of musical creation in Europe.

On September 28th Slavko is named a knight by the count Cilli and he pronounces him as the knight of folk-music and gives him the “knight from Cilli statuette” (Celjski vitez). The clarinet player Zoran Komac dies. On November 26th in the circle crossing in Lesce (Radovljica) a memorial monument to honour of the Avsenik music and all of their achievements and what they have done for the Slovene culture is being revealed. On the same day Tone Fornezzi - Tof rewards on his behalf and on the behalf of the daily newspaper Nedeljski dnevnik Slavko Avsenik the “paranational award- the award for the credits for a happy nation”. On December 12th in Dolina near Trieste Italia the premiere of the documentary Spomin - Naših 60 let ob Avsenikovih melodijah from von Aleksi Jercog takes place. The documentary was filmed for the Slovene program by the Italian TV-station RAI.

From the 11th till the 26th of February the ensemble from Sašo Avsenik has his first tour in the USA and Canada, they visited the Slovenes there, which immigrated there (they were in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Kitchener, Toronto und Montreal). On March 21st the first presentations of the documentary Spomin - Naših 60 let ob Avsenikovih melodijah takes place. Also a debate about the Avsenik music at the department for musicology at the faculty of arts and sciences in Ljubljana. On March 28th at the hall of the school centre in Naklo, the ensemble of Sašo Avsenik celebrated their 5th anniversary with a concert named T’douga noč. The record label Vox rewarded them with a silver record for their CD Zavrtimo se.

Slavko Avsenik was a person, who shouldn't have left. And he never will. We enter the world of tomorrow, without him and with an enormous sadness in our hearts. However, we have the awareness, that we were privileged to live at the time, that he lived and it makes us proud, that we will be the ones, carrying on the tradition and the melodies, he left.

Gregor Avsenik (the organiser of the three-day festival) celebrates the 60th anniversary of the most-played instumental song of the world-Trumpetecho. This melody changed the european identity ad conquered the hearts of people all over the world. The festival hosted 30 musical groups, slovenian and others. The centre of the festival was Sašo Avsenik with his ensemble and his father Gregor Avsenik.

Publish of the bilingual catalog of the life-work from Slavko and Vilko Avsenik. The book Zlati zvoki/ Goldene Oberkranerklänge 1953-2016 is a priceless work for all experts and all Avsenik fans. It represents all the musical work of the Avsenik brothers. Brigita Avsenik prepared this book in cooperation with radio journalist Aleksi Jercog, who already wrote an Avsenik chronology "S polko v svet" for us. This discography will stay forever as a part of slovenian cultural heritage.