EDITORIAL BOARD

The Janáček Conservatory

in Ostrava Has Czechia’s Best Sound

dancers- all while not being afraid

to experiment. The Leoš Janáček

International Music Festival regularly

invites world-class music acts to Ostrava

and the region’s churches are filled with

heavenly tunes during the St. Wenceslas

Music Festival. We have a roster of

wonderful artists and beautiful galeries.

In short, Ostrava, and the MoravianSilesian Region as a whole, has a strong

cultural foundation, and I am overjoyed

to be part of it.

After studying piano at the Ostrava

conservatory, and at VŠMU in Bratislava,

I mainly focused on solo concert acts

and chamber music in conjunction

with other artists based in Ostrava. As

the years went by, however, the Janáček

Conservatory in Ostrava really grew on

me and I ended up spending the last

34 years there as an educator, and then

became the conservatory’s principal in

2004. Aiding with providing the best

possible environment for my colleagues

and the talented children they work

with is an honor for me. Our region is

essentially an incubator for talent and

the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava has

Czechia’s best sound. The conservatory

served as a springboard in the careers

of many great musicians, dancers and

actors whose names are now plastered

across concert and performance

posters not only in Czechia, but all

over the world. I am also very pleased

that not only does the conservatory

concern itself with the education of

young talent, but it also serves as

the cultural heart of Ostrava. We host

our own performances where new faces

can be seen performing in tandem with

Ostrava is stereotypically referred to as

the city of steel, hard work and miners.

However, the city has been brimming

with culture, artistic creations and

architectural marvels since the early

20th century. Ostrava has also had the

honor of being visited by personalities

such as Paul Hindemith, Sergei

Prokofjev and Igor Stravinskij. The city’s

cultural sphere remains strong even

today, as it regularly hosts contemporary

and experimental music festivals such

as the Ostrava Days and the NODO

music festivals, the latter of which is

Moravian-Silesian Region is essentially an incubator for talent,

many great musicians, dancers and actors.

a medium to stage new-age operas.

Ostrava attracts innovators, pioneers

and artistic personalities from a myriad

of artistic fields. The city offers these

artists support, understanding, and

most importantly, an educated audience

that actively supports its actors, singers,

the most acclaimed professionals. In

essence, I am glad to have the honor to

stand with our students at the dawn of

their artistic careers

Soňa Javůrková,

Director of Janáček

Conservatory in Ostrava

POSITIV 3/2022 ǀ 9