The Janáček Philharmonic of Ostrava as a gorgeous export article

STYLE 65 let existence navštívila Janáčkova filharmonie téměř celou Evropu, Japonsko, Koreu, Čínu, USA, ale prezentovala se i v Austrálii. Operní galakoncerty „Z poslední doby bych zmínil především naše koncerty s vynikajícími operními zpěváky. Nepochybným vrcholem pak z tohoto pohledu byla vystoupení s jednou z největších hvězd současnosti Annou Netrebko. To první se odehrálo v roce 2014 v Paříži a Anna orchestru po koncertě vzkázala – Děkuji, drazí! Jste třída! Podruhé ji orchestr doprovázel o rok později na megakoncertě v Mnichově spolu s Jonasem Kaufmannem a dalšími skvělými pěvci,“ říká ředitel Jan Žemla. Sezóna začne ve Švýcarsku Ostatně i sezónu 2018/2019 zahájí JFO v zahraničí – jako rezidenční orchestr se hned třikrát představí na festivalu Murten Classics 2018. Kromě dalších zájezdů se orchestr v listopadu vydá i na spanilou jízdu po polských koncertních sálech. Janáčkova filharmonie si od svého vzniku vydobyla výlučné postavení nejenom mezi českými profesionálními hudebními tělesy, ale také na mezinárodní hudební scéně. The Janáček Philharmonic of Ostrava as a gorgeous export article The Janáček Philharmonic of Ostrava, (PO), one of the most influential Czech orchestras, celebrating its 65th anniversary in the 2018/2019 season, has, since its conception, performed on the Czech stage, but has also often exported its performances around the world. The recurring invitations of foreign agencies for concerts, tours and festivals testifies to the interpretive qualities of the orchestra. As the director of the JPO, Jan Žemla, says: “...for listeners to enjoy the sounds of the Ostrava orchestra, they will have to travel elsewhere to hear it.” This is because Ostrava does not have a proper venue for symphonic music. The closest venue appropriate for this type of music was opened 4 years ago in the nearby Polish city of Katowice. The grand opening of this modern venue was held, symbolically, on the first of October 2014, a day that was named the international day of music, thanks to the initiative of some of the biggest names is music of the 20th century (amongst which were: the composers D. Šostakovič and Y. Menuhin), and has been celebrated since 1975. The New Concert Hall in Ostrava The Janáček Philharmonic had the honor to play at the venue in Katowice twice already, and a third performance is scheduled for January of next year. It is said, that this venue is not only an architectural, but, most importantly, an acoustic jewel, which is important in terms of the musical experience of the listener. Any seat in the audience offers a perfect musical experience. However, the city of Ostrava has already announced an architectural competition for the design of a new concert hall, which would become the home for the Janáček Philharmonic in the future, so the Ostrava audience will finally be able to listen to their city’s orchestra in their home city. The town government promised to provide financially support for the project, however, due to its the costly nature, we will still have to wait a couple years. “One of our long-term goals in the field of culture is the building of a new concert hall, a full-scale hall with topnotch acoustics,” said Mayor Tomáš Macura. JPO plays Australia Until the new extension for the House of Culture in Ostrava is finished, listeners have no other choice but to travel abroad for their musical experiences. In almost 65 years of its existence, the Janáček Philharmonic has visited virtually the entirety of Europe, Japan, Korea, China, the USA, and also Australia. Opera Gala Concerts “From our recent performances, I would say that our collaboration with some incredible opera singers is worth mentioning. Out of these performances, the shining star among them is our concert with one of the most well-known contemporary opera singers, Anna Netrebko. The first took place in Paris 2014, and after the concert, Anna told the orchestra: ‘Thank you, my darlings! You are the best!’ The second concert was held in Munich in collaboration with Jonas Kaufmann, and other incredible opera singers,” Želma said. The Season will begin in Switzerland The JPO will, yet again, begin the new season, 2018/2019, abroad as a resident orchestra, performing 3 times at the Murten Classics 2018 festival. Excluding other trips, the orchestra will go on a tour across Polish concert halls in November. Since its conception, the Janáček Philharmonic has built itself a reputation not only amongst Czech professional music bodies, but also on the international music scene. Text: www.jfo.cz Foto: Ivan Korč POSITIV ǀ 2/2018 75