On 16/10/2009, the expert commission consisting of Franci Rizmal, president, Simon Robinson and Jelena Boljubaš confirmed ROBERT VRČON as the recipient of the "Sama Smerkolja" professional award for 2009, who received the award on Saturday, 28/11/2009 before the premiere of the operas Theater director and Marriage contract.

Robert Vrčon studied at the department of solo performance at the Secondary School of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana, where he completed his studies in 1990. In 1992 and 1993, he studied singing with prof. Leopold Spitzer in Vienna and then with the famous Slovenian soprano Ksenia Vidala.
 

He first performed as a guest at the Ljubljana Opera, and in 1996 he was engaged as a soloist and began to take on the most demanding baritone roles. Among more than 40 roles, we hear him as Escamillo, Zuniga and Morales in Carmen, Tomski in The Queen of Spades, Maurizio in The Four Roughnecks, Ping in Turandot, John Sorel in The Consul, Don Pizzaro in Fidelio, Schaunard and Marcelo in La Boheme, Golaud in Pellesas and Melisande, Renata in Mask Dance, Scharplessa in Madame Butterfly, Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, the title role in Don Giovanni, Germont in La Traviata, Smirnov in Medved, Vladijir in Prince Igor, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut. He also performed in leading roles in the operettas Vesela vdova (Danilo), Netopir (Dr. Falke), Kneginja čardasa (Feri), and he especially devoted himself to operas by Slovenian composers. First, he was Niko in Marjan Kozina's Equinox, then Jon in Jani Golob's christening performance of Medea, Caesar in Danilo Švara's Cleopatra, the Beggar in Risto Savin's Last Watch on the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth in Žalec, and the Student-Doctor in the christening performance of the chamber opera Pierrot and Pierrette Saint Thomas. Thus, in this opera, which was produced by the Slovenian Chamber Music Theatre, he had already collaborated with this theater with the roles of Benvenuto Toccatto in Offenbach's Miracle in Kropa and the Director of the Museum in Streul-Handel's Phantom in Handel's House.
 

The baritone Robert Vrčon has also been present on concert stages since 1994, collaborating with various orchestras (Slovenian Philharmonic, Slovenicum, Maribor Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Ljubljana Opera and Ballet Orchestra, RTV Slovenia Symphony and other Slovenian orchestras) and the Slovenian Chamber Choir. as well as with occasional groups. He also collaborates with the Mobile Theater and the Sajeta Festival. As part of the Vocal Subscription of the Slovenian Philharmonic, he also gave a solo solo recital.

Baritone Robert Vrčon is one of the leading singers of the Ljubljana Opera House, who also made a significant contribution to the popularization of chamber opera art with his extremely high-quality artistic knowledge and diligence, as well as his singing and acting persuasiveness to perform singing roles at the highest level. That is why he rightfully deserves the honor of the winner of the Sam Smerkolje award, which is awarded by the Slovenian Chamber Music Theatre.