STYLE

Janáček Philharmonic at the Prague Spring Festival Even those who do not care much about classic music know the great reputation of “Pražské jaro”, the Prague Spring International Music Festival. It is this general awareness of the discerning public both in the Czech Republic and abroad that makes the Prague Spring International Music Festival a unique phenomenon. It is indisputably the most famous and most prestigious Czech festival. Leading soloists, conductors and orchestras from home and abroad feel that to perform at the festival is a great honour. The Janáček Philharmonic has played at the festival a few times and is privileged to play, conducted by its chief conductor Mr Heiko Mathias Förster, at this year’s, 73rd year of Prague Spring, featuring this time around exclusive soloists: pianist Martin Kasík, soprano Lucie Silkenová and Norbert Lichý as narrator. The orchestra promotes Czech music in foreign countries. The Janáček Philharmonic is often invited on international tours (recently in the USA, Korea, China, Germany and Austria), featuring young artists as well as famous soloists and conductors. Their repertoire ranges from classic music to unexplored works by contemporary composers. The philharmony’s “home stage”

is the concert hall of Dům kultury města Ostravy (Cultural Centre of Ostrava) where subscriber concert cycles and other festive and popular events and concerts take place. On June 2 in Smetana Hall of the Municipal House in Prague, Chief Conductor Heiko Mathias Förster is going to conduct compositions by Bohuslav Martinů (Estampes H 369), Klement Slavický (Sinfonietta No. 4) and Josef Suk (Symphony in E Major). “Janáček Philharmony has already played Josef Suk’s Symphony in E Major with a great success not only in Ostrava but also on international tours of Poland and Germany. We are planning a studio record of that piece too. I am very happy that we are going to play the composition which traditionally is a great pleasure for us to perform at this very important festival,” says Mr Förster.

Text & foto: www.jfo.cz

POSITIV 1/2018

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