Jakub Klecker conducted the Prague Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Jakub Klecker led the Prague Symphony Orchestra in their Sunday concert for families in the end of March. The concert started with Dvořák unique cello concerto, excellent young Czech cellist Domimika Hošková playing the solo. The evening continued with the romantic Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony in F minor in the second half.
This first cooperation of the young conductor Jakub Klecker with the internationally renowned orchestra brought fresh and youthful performance of two often played pieces and vibrant energy to the Smetana Hall in Prague Municipal House.
Verdi Requiem in Hungary
Brno Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, soloists Lada Biriucov (soprano), Galia Ibragimova (alto), Ľudovít Ludha (tenor), Peter Mikuláš (bas) joined the forces under the baton of conductor Aleksandar Marković and prepared famous music piece by Verdi Requiem to perform it at three concerts in Hungary during the first March week 2010. The audience in almost fully sold out halls in Szombathely, Budapest (Palace of Arts) and Szekésfehérvár awarded all artists by warm and long lasting scanned applause.
Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno performed with the Dresden Philhamonic
Dresden Philharmonic fifth concert in one of their concert series was dedicated to commemorate 65 years from bombing of Dresden in the end of the World War II.
Staatskapelle Dresden commemorated the event by concert with Mozart Requiem. Dresden Philharmonic invited the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno to perform A. Dvořák Requiem. The concert was under the baton of Maestro Jiří Kout, with excellent soloists Ľuba Orgonašová, Alexandra Petersamer, Michael König and Rudolph Rosen. The concert was great success.
Leoš Svárovský and Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra explored Smetana’s My Country
In the end of February and beginning March Maestro Leoš Svárovský guest performed at the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra. His concerts with Smetana My Country received great critical acclaim. In one of the press articles we can read: “The Czech conductor, who studied with Václav Neumann, conducts the piece by heart. Besides this, he can recognize every moment, in which he has to act strongly, and in which the mild leadership is better for the orchestra, which played with great pleasure. Maestro Svárovský surprised by his very strong and structured interpretation of the cycle of six symphonic poems, with which Smetana wanted to create a musical monument of his homeland.” jha, Stuttgarter Zeitung
Whole text is here.
Festival Exposition of New Music invites us to the world of contemporary music
This year's program reflects the wide variability of musical space, without pandering to the masses, or following uniformity. Today this space has become a natural environment for a wide range of creative approaches.
This allows juxtaposition of classic works of music of the late 20th century - America's Morton Feldman and John Cage, the Ukraine's Valentyn Silvestrov, famous British music journalist and experimenter David Toop, mysterious sound objects from DAMA DAMA's leader Dan Dlouhý, or music in real time, developed by the American trombonist Nicolas Collins, Dutchman Hilary Jeffery and the Austro-Hungarian Abstract Monarchy Duo.
The absence of integrated subject matter for this music festival does not mean the theme is missing. The theme is the music itself and its variety of forms.
Ticket price: 130,-CZK, students: 60,-CZK
Tickets will go on sale at the concert venue half an hour before the concert begins
or book at ars@arskoncert.cz.
Brno transportation for handicapped is possible to book on +420 537 021 493, +420 777 01 03 31 or info@ligavozic.cz.
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Conductor Jakub Klecker in TV talk show
Young conductor Jakub Klecker will appear as a guest in the popular Czech TV talk show Všechnopárty. The show will be broadcasted March 2nd at 21:10 on Czech TV first channel. Motto of this edition of the show is “Young Hope”, and together with Jakub Klecker were invited actor Vojta Kotek and film director and screenwriter Tomáš Řehořek.
Jakub Klecker ”visited” the northern countries with the Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc
Jakub Klecker latest cooperation with the Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc took place in Olomouc on January 21st 2010.
Sibelius festive Finlandia opened the concert, after which followed Carl Nielsen flute concerto in two movements, performed by the renowned German flutist András Adorján. The soloist came back to the stage after pause, when he performed in Bernstein nocturne Halil. This very demanding piece is based on “dialogues” of solo flute and the orchestra instruments. The Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc members undertook this challenge with a great professionalism and effort.
The evening ended by parts from the Grieg Peer Gynt suites, with the monumental part In the Hall of the Mountain King at the very end.
Bravo for Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno in Mahler‘s „Auferstehung“ in Antwerpen and Brussels
Royal Flemish Philharmonic (deFilharmonie) invited Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno to participate in two concerts in Symphony No. 2 „Auferstehung“ by Gustav Mahler. First concert was held in the Queen Elisabeth hall in Antwerpen and second one in the Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels. Both halls with capacity almost 2.000 seats were completly sold out and the audience gave numeros bravos and ovations to the artists (de Filharmonie, Koorakademie, Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, conductor Jaap van Zweden, Birgit Remmert – alto, Camilla Tilling – soprano) for the superb peformances.
The unique cultural event to celebrate 20th anniversary of the partnership agreement between Brno and Stuttgart
The anniversary of signing the partnership agreement between cities of Brno and Stuttgart was celebrated by several cultural events. The last concert in 2009 in Stuttgart had symbolic programme – Beethoven 9th Symphony with Ode to Joy.
Stuttgarter Philharmoniker with their chief conductor Gabriel Feltz invited the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno to perform with them at this concert. The sold out Liederhalle at that evening was nice closure of the celebrations, and confirmation that both the sides wish to continue the partnership.
Czech artists at Christmas time in Liechtenstein
It's a cold late pre-Christmas afternoon. People from close and far are coming in the beautiful parish church of St. Laurenzius Liechtenstein Schaan.
They are rushing to the warmth of the church, to hear the music of Jacobus Gallus, Anton Bruckner and Franz Liszt. Following czech artists were invited to this artistic performance: Czech Chamber Soloists, Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, conductor Petr Fiala, organist Martin Jakubíček and soloists Hana Škarková and Jakub Tuček.
Outside has got meanwhile almost dark and the audicence is listening carefully in a quiet contemplation. The concert is ending and the audience seem not to want to dare make a stormy applause, after which, it requires three more encores. The whole place resounds with words of appreciatoin and gratefullness for an entracing experience...
Sophia Jaffé’s debut in Salzburg
Sophia Jaffé performed for the first time in Salzburg in the frameworks of „World of Music“ cycle. The concert in great hall of Festspielhaus was on request of the audience - on the programme with Smetana Moldau, Khachaturyan Violin Concerto and Dvořák Symphony No. 7. The concert was third cooperation of Maestro Leoš Svárovský with Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg.
The result of their cooperation was excellent and successful concert, about 1900 excited listeners and very satisfied promoter.
(Foto: Martin Suchánek.)
Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno sang for the King of Thailand
In the first December days the members of the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno for the first time arrived to Thai Bangkok to perform together with Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, their chief conductor Gudni A. Emilsson (Island) and good-sized choirs of Mahidol University, College of Music Beethoven Symphony No. 9.
The audience in the fully seated concert hall of the Mahidol Universtiy, College of Music highly appreciated both concerts and gave storm of applaus to almost 240 performers. Beethoven music fascinated the local audience and the concerts became the part of the grandiose birthday celebrations of the Thai King Rama IX.
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra at concerts in Frankfurt and Munich
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra performed in the beginning of Advent season this year in two important German venues – the Alte Oper in Frankfurt (for 5000 listeners) and in Philharmonia Hall (for 1000 listeners) in Gasteig, Munich.
The audience enjoyed the popular programme – overture to Mozart Figaro Marriage and Grieg Piano Concerto with Jan Simon as a soloist in the first half, and Dvořák Slavonic Dances No. 1, 2, 9, 10 and 8, and Ravel Bolero in the second half. From the very beginning of the concerts was clear appreciative reaction of the audience towards the orchestra and Maestro Leoš Svárovský. Even after the encore – Slavonic Dance No. 15, the audience didn’t want allow orchestra to leave the stage.
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra confirmed that they are leading Czech symphonic orchestra. These concerts were their second invitation from the German promoter.
In the end, we would like to report shortly about one story of helpfulness. During the morning concert in Frankfurt, the drummer of Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra had broken the sticks to play tam-tam. His colleague from Hessen Radio Symphony Orchestra lend his ones for the evening concert. Many thanks.
Concert review in Taunus Zeitung.
Jakub Klecker returned from his second concert tour to Japan
After the successful tour in 2007, Jakub Klecker returned in November to Japan to conduct concerts of the Brno Philharmonic. He conducted three concerts in November 11.–15. 2009 in the cities of Hiroshima, Kagoshima a Yamaguchi. On the programme were highlights of classical music – Smetana The Moldau, Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 and Dvorak 9th Symphony “From the New World”.
You can watch the nice atmosphere of the concerts at short video.
Jakub Klecker conducted two performances of this year Moravian Autumn festival
Conductor Jakub Klecker performed at two performances of this year Moravian Autumn festival. As the only conductor in the forty-four years long history of the festival, he conducted two concerts at one festival year.
The first was the world premiere of Bohuslav Martinů chamber opera The Marriage (Ženitba) in English. The director was Pamela Howard, who did also the stage and costume design.
The second was the closing festival concert with Brno Philharmonic, dedicated also mostly to B. Martinů compositions. At this concert the world premiere of Martinů Balada (Villa by the Sea), and Martinů 5th Piano Concerto with Ivo Kahánek as a soloist was performed, together with Mendelssohn concert overture Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage and Debussy The Sea.
In the last composition, Debussy The Sea, the performers succeeded to lead us through all the colourful tones of Debussy impressionistic music.
Petr Altrichter and Sophia Jaffé in Switzerland
Maestro Petr Altrichter and violinist Sophia Jaffé performed three concerts in concert series with the Symphonic Orchestra Aarau (their chief conductor is Douglas Bostock). The motto of the concerts was “From the Bohemian Country”. On the programme were pieces by Bohuslav Martinů (we reminded that he died 50 years ago, in 1959 in Switzerland, in Liestal near Basel) Intermezzo for symphonic orchestra, and Bruch Violin Concerto. In the second half of concert, the audience enjoyed listening to A. Dvořák Symphony No. 6.
The recording company and label GENUIN classics participated on promotion of the concerts in Switzerland. They introduced on these concerts Sophia Jaffé first recital CD. Sophia Jaffé won the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, which brought her release of her first CD as a prize. The audience of the concerts in Aaarau, and Baden had a chance to obtain Ms. Jaffé CD with her signature.
Sophia Jaffé's first recital CD released November 20th 2009
Sophia Jaffé was awarded the first prize at the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb. As a prize winner, she prepared her first recital CD, with accompaniment of pianist Bjoern Lehmann. On the CD, you can find the compositions of J. Suk, J. S. Bach, E. Ysaÿe and L. van Beethoven. The recording can be obtained on www.genuin.de and in the specialized musicshops.
CD review on das Orchester.
Prague Chamber Philharmonic in Nuremberg Meistersingerhalle
Prague Chamber Philharmonic with their new chief conductor Jakub Hrůša performed for the first time in the concert series Hoertnagel in Nuremberg. The popular programme sold out the venue for about 2000 listeners, who enjoyed really nice evening. The concert started with overture to Smetana opera Bartered Bride, after which followed the passionate Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, in virtuoso interpretation of the violinist Sophia Jaffé.
It is not easy for the artist to play the well known concerto, which all of us know from the famous instrumentalists. Nevertheless, Sophia Jaffé received great ovations and appreciation from the audience, from the orchestra and the chief conductor as well. As encore, she played two parts of Partita in E major by J. S. Bach. In the second half of the concert, the orchestra performed two pieces by F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Overture in E major “Fair Melusina” and Symphony No. 4 “Italian”.
The same programme was performed in Celle to celebrate the 100th anniversary of building the congress and cultural centre.
The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra concert in Munich
The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform in Munich on November 30th 2009, with interesting programme under the baton of Maestro Leoš Svárovský, and with pianist Jan Simon as soloist.
The concert starts at 8 pm in Philharmonie am Gasteig, on the program is Mozart – Ouverture from La Nozze di Figaro, E. Grieg Piano Concerto, A. Dvořák Slavonic Dances and M. Ravel Bolero.
More info about the concert you can find on the web site of the promoter www.musikerlebnis.de.
Sophia Jaffé played the closing concert of the Harmonia Moraviae festival in Zlín
German violinist Sophia Jaffé performed the very demanding Prokofiev 1st Violin Concerto at the closing concert of Harmonia Moraviae festival in Zlín, on October 22nd 2009. This virtuoso piece is not performed very often, and we believe that to put it at this concert is good programme idea. The soloist showed her high technical and expressional qualities, especially in the second movement (Scherzo. Vivacissimo). Conductor Walter Attanasi led the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra with exact gestures and sense for every nuance of the expression, and the orchestra followed him perfectly. The concert ended, as it is usual for Sophia Jaffé concerts, with standing ovations.
