Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno, concerts 08. - 15.10. 2008
On October 8th the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra appeared under the baton of their chief conductor Vladimír Válek in the sold-out Music Hall in Herkulessaal in Munich performing the world famous program by Dvorak; My Fatherland. One day later they were acclaimed together with the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno by the concertgoers in Konzerthaus Freiburg. There they introduced another Czech composer; Leoš Janáèek and his Glagolitic Mass, which was conducted by Leoš Svárovský. Great soloists such as Eva Drizgova-Jirusova, Jana Wallingerova, Otokar Klein and Martin Gurbal appeared on this superb evening.
Another enthusiastic audience awaited them and the same program in Brixen, where they appeared in a unique church and created a wonderful festive atmosphere into this peaceful place.
On October 13th and 14th the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra continued their concert trip to Graz in Austria. A concert hall with filled with an amazed audience celebrated this orchestra again in Stephaniensaal where they conclude their tour with their Chief Conductor performing the symphonic poem My Fatherland.
Jukka Pekka Saraste and the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno, November in the Koelner Philharmonie
The men section of the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno and the WDR Choir performed the Oratory Oedipus Rex together with the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Koeln under the baton of their Chief Conductor elect Jukka Pekka Saraste in one of the most remarkable concert halls in Europe; The Koelner Philharmonie in Column.
Alongside these excellent ensembles appeared well known soloists including Jorma Silvasti, Jocastu Michaela Schuster, Benjamin Brust, Jevgenij Nikitin and Philip Ens. Georg Blueml was introduced as narrator.
The ladies section embarked on their concert trip one week later. As a complete Choir they performed in Stuttgart together with the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker the 2nd Symphony by Mahler with their Chief Conductor Gabriel Feltz. All 2000 seats in the Liederhalle Concert Hall were sold out, as they were in the next beautiful town, Aschaffenburg, where the second performance of the same program took place in the City Hall in the Castle square (850 seats).
The concert-goers celebrated this performance with huge applause. Great soloists were introduced to the audience such as Viktoria Kamisnkaite and Manuela Bress. Successful and regular co-operation between Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno has been confirmed until 2012.
HEAVEN AND EARTH – Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno at Gergiev Festival 2008
Heaven and Earth – this was the topic of the 13th Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, held form September 6–13,2008.The festival organizer choose this topic to confront the sacred with the profane and unite the human with the Divine to which the Beethoven´s Missa solemnis, which perfectly suited and invited Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno to participate.
Together with Rotterdam Philharmonic under the batton of young canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who replaced after 20 years Valery Gergiev in position of chief conductor and vocal quartet ((Claycomb, Burggraaf, Güra, Maltman) they got enthusiastic and warm welcome from the fully seated hall.
Vilem Veverka and Katerina Englichova at the Festival Carintischer Sommer
Vilem Veverka and Katerina Englichova performed, on August 21st, various pieces for oboe and harp in Ossiach, in the southern part of Austria at the Bergkirche Tiffen. One of the compositions they presented in the auditorium was a work by Ernst Wally, composed specially for this event. The programme was celebrated as a huge success by the local concert-goers, who filled the hall to capacity.
Puella Trio at the Festival Allegro Vivo
The Puella Trio was invited to play, on September 5th, at the Allegro Vivo Festival held through August and September in several concerts halls and Churches in northern Austria. This time the violin was played by the concertmaster of The Prague Philharmonia, Jan Fisher. On the programme were compositions by Beethoven, Turina and Brahms. The concert took place in Stift Geras, in the wonderful and renowned Marmorsaal, a unique little hall with a remarkable atmosphere perfectly suited for such chamber pieces
The Czech Philharmonic Choir at festival in Grafenegg
Chief conductor Kristjan Järvi led his Tonkuenster Orchestra Niederoesterreich and The Czech Philharmonic Choir as they performed LA DAMNATION DE FAUST by Hector Berlioz. The concert was a feature of the second Grafenegg International Music Festival held in the open air in the Grafenegg Castle grounds.
This dramatic work also featured soloists Iris Vermillion, Guiseppe Sabbatini, Hanno Mueller-Brachmann and Alfred Muffopened. The wonderful performances of choir, orchestra and soloists were rewarded by huge applause marking a fabulous opening of the festival on August 21th.
Brno Philharmonics and The Czech Philharmonic Choir at the Rheingau festival.
The 21st edition of the International Rheingau Festival, considered one of the most important and popular festivals in Germany always presenting great musicians of the world, this year also featured The Brno Philharmonics and The Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno. On August 22nd they performed Listz’s Christus, conducted by Leos Svarovsky with excellent soloist including Jana Wallingerova, Franciska Hirzel and Tomas Cerny and Jiri Sulzenko as well as the organ player Martin Jakubicek. The sold out concert ended with a standing ovation from a thrilled audience.
The Czech Chamber Soloists and the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno performed at two renowned music festivals in Germany
The first concert was for the Mitte Europa festival and took place at the nice chateau of Weesenstein near Dresden. The soloist of this programme was oboist Vilem Veverka.
The second concert, or better series of 3 concerts in one day, was in the monastery St.Marienthal in the town of Ostritz, in beginning of August.
This one day the monastery was visited by numerous visitors and audience of the concerts. The first concert was performed at the monastery courtyard by the Czech Chamber Soloists and Vilem Veverka as oboe soloist.
The second concert inside the monastery building Celsa Pia Haus was a recital of a two brilliant instrumentalists – Vilem Veverka and cembalist Barbara Maria Willi.
The highlight of the whole evening was in the monastery church under the button of Maestro Petr Fiala. The audience listened to the ensembles, Czech Chamber Soloists and Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, and the vocal soloists in programme of sacred pieces by Vivaldi, Mozart and Schubert.
Lada Biriucov staring as Turandot in Germany and Australia
The story of chinese princess Turandot and wonderful music of Giacomo Puccini constantly attract the audiences of all age categories to the opera houses. The same was in Köln Opera and The State Opera of South Australia in Adelaide in passing months, where soprano Lada Biriucov performed glamorously the title role of Turandot. The audiences brought the storm of applause and “ brava” to her after each performance.
Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno Concerts in Italy – Big Success
Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno performed in June at two concerts with a cappella programme in Italy – in the cities of Brixen /Cathedral/ and the Trento /San San Francesco Saverio Church/.The programme included J. Gallus, A. Bruckner a O. Messiaen compositions.
Both the concerts were highly acclaimed by the audience and the press, especially the Bruckner motets. Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno recording of Bruckner Sacred Motets was awarded the Echo Classic 2007 for the best vocal ensemble.
Men's section of the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno in Dresden
The men's section of the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno performed, together with five other choirs, in Dresden's famous Frauenkirche, the church with the unique atmosphere rebuilt from rubble and finished in 2005. The special production of Wagner's piece "Das Liebesmahl der Apostel“ which was first performed in June 1842 by 1200 voices in this very same venue was revived here on June 14th 2008 in co-operation with the Staatskapelle Dresden. The choir and orchestra were conducted by Mark Minkowski.
Czech Philharmonic Choir at the Castle of Kirschtetten,, Austria
On July 11th, as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Kirschtetten Castle Festival, the rewritten piece Carmina Burana for brass orchestra and two pianos was given its premier. The choir performed together with the Austrian Brass Band under the baton of conductor Nassir Heidarian at this fabulous gala opening.
The Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno together with the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra at the Neuberger Kulturtage
It has become traditional that one or both ensembles are invited to this festival, to perform in the dramatic cathedral in the Austrian village of Neuberg. The festival opened this year on July 12th with Stabat Mater by Dvoøák which, as expected, attracted hundreds of concertgoers. The concert was conducted by Stefan Vladar who invited soloists Egils Silins, Carlo Vincenzo Alleman, Sabina von Walter, as well as Karla Bytnarova. The concert was celebrated with standing ovations and many positive media revues.
Igor Ardašev in Teplice
Pianist Igor Ardašev performed very demanding Prokofiev’s Piano concerto No. 2 G minor on May 14th and 15th in Teplice. North Czech Philharmonic Teplice was conducted by Charles Olivieri-Munroe.
Performance of a Lady
Sophia Jaffé amazed all in her performance with the Münchner Symphoniker.
With three sold-out performances in February our star violinist once more demonstrated her wonderful ability to perform Tschaikowsky's Concert in D major with a fabulous range of emotions, great passion and tenderness as well as a technical mastery that continues to draw fabulous reviews.The three Munich performances were her first opportunity to stand beside Georg Schmoehe, the chief conductor of the Münchner Symphoniker, who was so impressed by her that further co-operation in 2009 has already been confirmed.
Bohemian Kolorit
The dynamism of Sophia Jaffé's performance in Maurice Ravel's Concert Rhapsody was such that she set the tempo of the performance. Her confidence empowered her to take risks and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Prague reacted perfectly creating an magical artistic exchange that was balanced and conducted in style by Vladimír Válek.
The December 2007 performance was set perfectly in the grandiose Frankfurt am Main Alte Oper.
Richard Wagner Festival Wels
The Brno Philharmonic Orchestra is this summer performing at the Richard Wagner Fesitval Wels. They are joined by the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno who are making their fourth appearance at the fabulous event which, in its 14th year, is now second only to the Bayruth Festival in the world of Wagner tributes.
Brought together under the baton of Ralf Weikert they are accompanying John Treleaven and Wolfgang Brendel in the title roles performing Parsifal on May 25th and 31st and Der fliegende Holländer on May 27th and 29th.
Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno performed in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf
The Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno performed three concerts at the beginning of April 2008 in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. They commemorated the 30th anniversary of the concert hall which was converted from an old observatory building into a wonderful concert venue with unique acoustics.
The Choir performed together with the local Choir (Städtischer Musikverein zu Düsseldorf) and the Children’s Choir (Kinderchor der Städt. Clara-Schumann-Musikschule Düsseldorf) under the baton of John Fiore accompanied by the Düsseldorf Symphonic Orchestra. All three concerts were celebrated as a huge success by the local concert-goers, who filled the hall to capacity.
Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno staring in Dvoøák Requiem in Brussels and Rotterdam
Foremost belgian orchestra Orchestre National de Belgique (ONB) under the batton of its principal conductor Walter Weller has decided to invite Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno to perform at magnificent but rarely programmed music work - Dvoøák Requiem. Audiences at both concerts either at Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels (March 14) and De Doelen (March 16) in Rotterdam have apparently enjoyed the convincing performance and all artists received the storm of applause.
Vilem Veverka with Kateøina Englichová at the festival in Luxembourg
On Saturday the 15th of March 2008 the Czech renowned duo Veverka/oboe-Englichová/harp performed a rich programme at the festival De klenge Maarnicher Festival in Luxembourg.
