Where Does Music End and Vision Begin?
84 ǀ POSITIV MAN
milestone for me is that, during my tenure,
we succeeded in getting approval for
the construction of the concert hall. To me,
that feels like a small miracle.
What are your main goals and vision for
the coming years? What do you see as the
greatest challenge at this current stage?
The key is not to become complacent, not
to stagnate, not to stand still. It’s about
having the ambition and energy to move
forward, especially artistically. I realise
that over these thirteen years, we’ve come
a long way with the JFO and achieved
a great deal. Still, I approach it all as if
it were only just beginning – constantly
thinking about how we can make the most
of our current position, and how we can
go even further. Right now, a lot of energy
is being invested into the concert hall
project, which remains our greatest
ambition. And in the near future, I’ll
be taking over the leadership of the Leoš
Janáček International Music Festival,
where there are high expectations that
our approach will leave a clear imprint. All
of this is driven by the desire to cultivate
the environment in which I work, to bring
high-quality projects to life, and to enrich
the lives of Ostrava’s residents.
How do you choose the repertoire? How
do you balance classical works with new
or experimental projects?
The process of selecting the repertoire
cannot be easily defined by a single
formula. There are many criteria
to consider – you must take into account
the audience’s taste and expectations,
while also striving to challenge them
continuously. I also consider the strengths
of our orchestra. We carefully select guest
artists and evaluate the repertoire in which
they truly shine – and we try to reflect
this in the programme. Personally, I tend
to favour less traditional or entirely new
projects. Of course, these need to be
balanced with the classical repertoire –
pieces that are timeless and indisputably
of high quality. However, even with such
well-known works, I strive to ensure
that each performance is distinctive.
We seek out interpreters who bring fresh
perspectives to these classics, who have
something meaningful to say through
them. That’s how we avoid falling into
monotony. We also have clearly defined
target groups based on age and genre
preferences, and we adapt both our
programming and the promotion of our
concert series accordingly.
You collaborate with various
conductors and soloists from around
the world. What do you see as the key
to a successful collaboration?
I’ve already touched on this a bit earlier.
The most important thing is that the guest
artist has something meaningful to express
through the piece – that they can inspire
and, in doing so, help move our orchestra
forward. Of course, there are certain
objective criteria that we aim to maintain.
Generally speaking, we have achieved
a high international standard, and I have
no intention of compromising on that. It’s
practically impossible for an average artist
to appear in our season. It simply doesn’t
happen. On the contrary, I’m increasingly
hearing the question: “How on earth
did you manage to bring such an artist
to Ostrava?”
You‘re working to make the philharmonic
more appealing to younger generations.
What do you think attracts young people
to classical music today – and what can
it offer them?
It’s important to break down the clichés
that are still deeply rooted in our field.
We genuinely try to put ourselves in the
shoes of a young listener – we think about
Jan Žemla a kanadský klavírista Jan Lisiecki
na koncertu z cyklu R, 22.1.2024