2013 New Year Tour of Prague Philharmonia
Prague Philharmonia's
2013 New Year Tour
Prague Philharmonia:
Prague Philharmonia was established in 1994 upon the initiative of the conductor Jiří Bělohlávek as a chamber ensemble made up of young music school graduates playing with true engagement and passion. Following 1996, when it became one of the first public benefit companies, it gradually came to be ranked among the Czech Republic’s foremost orchestras and built up renown abroad.
The fundamental configuration of Prague Philharmonia is based on the type of orchestra dating from the period of Viennese Classicism, whose compositions form the cornerstone of its repertoire. In addition to paramount works of this epoch, the Romantic era and the 20th century, the concert programme is supplemented by a special series of concerts featuring modern and contemporary music, still rather exceptional when it comes to the leading Czech orchestras.
The majority of Prague Philharmonia’s permanent members have performed with the orchestra since the very beginning, which has proved to be crucial in establishing artistic values that have facilitated its long-term success. Owing to Prague Philharmonia Orchestral Academy, it is possible to perform works requiring a greater number of players without the necessity of supplementing the orchestra with external musicians. The Orchestral Academy provides orchestral training and experience for selected talented young musicians, who in turn serve to ensure that the Prague Philharmonia maintains its permanently youthful sound.
When it comes to education, Prague Philharmonia not only dedicates to talented young musicians but children too. It was the first orchestra in the Czech Republic to start organising special concerts for children, which have proved to be very popular among children and adults alike. Owing to their conception, the concerts do not create the impression of being “educational” but, conversely, familiarise children with classical music in an extremely entertaining form. The programme for children is completed by the Notička club for children, which strives to cultivate their aesthetic sensibilities and extend their leisure-time activities.
Prague Philharmonia frequently performs at prestigious world concert halls, is a regular guest at international music festivals and appears with world-famous conductors and soloists, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Milan Turković, Emmanuel Villaume, Jefim Bronfman, András Schiff, Shlomo Mintz, Sarah Chang, Isabelle Faust, Mischa Maisky, Magdalena Kožená, Anna Netrebko, Natalie Dessay, Rolando Villazón, Placido Domingo and many others. The orchestra has to date recorded more than 60 compact discs for labels of such renown as Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Supraphon, EMI and Harmonia Mundi. One of the most recent Prague Philharmonia albums is the live recording of Bedřich Smetana’s My Country from the opening concert of the 2010 Prague Spring festival; the album titled Libera, on which the orchestra accompanies the Korean soprano Sumi Jo; and, in chamber formation, the CD featuring the violinist Ivan Ženatý performing works by František Benda.
Jiří Bělohlávek was the chief conductor and artistic director of Prague Philharmonia until the 2005-2006 season, before taking up the post of chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London. He still holds the position of the orchestra’s honorary artistic director. Jiří Bělohlávek was succeeded as artistic director by the Swiss conductor Kaspar Zehnder, who in the 2008-2009 season was replaced by Jakub Hrůša. And it was under Jakub Hrůša that in 2010 Prague Philharmonia undertook the gala opening of the jubilee 65th edition of the Prague Spring festival.
Interesting projects Prague Philharmonia has lined up for the 2012-2013 season include concerts with the mezzosoprano Elina Garanča in Prague and Paris, a special benefit project with clarinet soloist Ludmila Peterková, a subscription concert with the cellist Mischa Maisky, conducted by Milan Turković, as well as many others.
Conductor
Ondřej Vrabec
In spite of his age, the conductor and horn player Ondřej Vrabec (1979) is one of the most seasoned Czech artists. Though the majority of his recent musical activities is represented by conducting, he benefits from his rich artistic experience derived from intensive concert career of soloist, chamber and orchestra player dated long before the threshold of his adulthood. In mere 17 years, he sat down for the first time on the first chair of horn section of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and two years later, he was definitely appointed a solo horn player of this orchestra.
He is a graduate of Prague Conservatoire (horn – prof. B. Tylšar, conducting – prof. V. Válek, H. Farkač, M. Němcová, M. Košler) and of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (conducting - prof. R. Eliška, J. Bělohlávek, F. Vajnar and others). He has complemented his studies with frequent master courses (such as London Masterclasses, Hornclass, French Academy in Telč etc.), the most precious impulse for forming his artistic approach was the cooperation with the elite of world wind instrument school (Sergio Azzolini, Maurice Bourgue) and artistic support from some of the very top conductors of today (Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Jiří Bělohlávek, Benjamin Zander and other).
He holds the title of the absolute winner of the competition of conservatories in Ostrava, he has gained several other laureaute titles as a chamber player (Concertino Praga, the competition of the Mozart Society etc.) In 2007, he ranked the 4th place in the Prague Spring International Conducting Competition, he gained a honorary mention of the jury and other two special awards for the most successful Czech candidate.
As a solo player he has performed with tens of Czech and foreign orchestras (among others Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, Sólistes Européenes Luxembourg, Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra, State Philharmonic Košice, Rzeszow Philharmonic, Lviv Philharmonic) under the baton of world famous conductors (Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Vladimir Ashkenazy etc.), he also often presents himself to audience with solo recitals.
He has always been very active on the field of chamber music (especially with the Brahms Trio Prague and the PhilHarmonia Octet, formerly with the Maurice Bourgue Ensemble, the Juventus Quintet, the Czech Philharmonic Horn Club etc.). He created an extensive sound recording library for Czech Radio and several gramophone titles. The profile CD of Brahms Trio Prague, realized in a unique manner in his own music and sound directing, has gained great responses of critics both at home and abroad. The reviewer of the prestigious American magazine Fanfare termed it probably the best world recording of Trio Es Dur, op. 40 by J. Brahms being realized so far. Ondřej Vrabec has inspired, both in direct and indirect ways, the emergence of many contemporary compositions for various instrumental casts in combination with horn. Most of them are dedicated to him and were usually performed or recorded by him in a world premiere.
Also his pedagogic activity has been gaining more and more respect – he leads master courses (Japan, Canada, Czech Republic) and he regularly cooperates with the Japanese educational society And Vision Inc. Tokio. Students from various parts of the world have been coming to his private lessons to the Prague Rudolfinum.
As a conductor, Ondřej Vrabec regularly cooperates with the majority of Czech professional orchestras including the very top Czech Philharmonic and Prague Philharmonia. He also conducted some foreign ensembles (Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra, State Philharmonic Košice - Slovakia, Galeria Wind Orchestra Tokio, London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Denmark National Symphony Orchestra etc).
He presented himself at some international festivals (Prague Spring, Mitte Europa, Český Krumlov). He is a permanent member of the team of conductors of Ostrava Days International New Music Festival, one of the biggest contemporary music events around the globe.
His opera performances include two complete preparations of Figaro's Wedding at the opera in Ústí nad Labem and at the Prague Theatre Komedie.
In 2011 he conducted the first-ever Asian tour of the Prague Philharmonia to South Korea. In 2012 he led the Czech Philharmonic in one of its season highlight programme. It was recorded on CD by the Japanese gramophone company Octavia Records. He also occasionaly leads the rehearsals of the Czech Philharmonic on behalf of world famous maestros as Sir John Eliot Gardiner or Manfred Honeck (on their own request). Together with the Czech Philharmonic Collegium, he recorded two gramophone titles – the DVD „Transformations“ (project of the band Čechomor, published by Universal Music, announced as the disc of the year) and the CD of concertos for violin and viola (Gabriela Demeterová, Supraphon).
Art Photos
