Coburg: Rusalka

29 April 2018, Landestheater Coburg, Coburg, Germany (following the cancelled performances on April 22 and 25) Antonín Dvořák: Rusalka (premiere) directed by: Tobias Heyder, music director: Roland Kluttig Cast: Judith Kuhn / Betsy Horne (Rusalka), Milen Bozhkov (Prince), Michael Lion (Water Goblin), Kora Pavelic / Gabriela Künzler (Witch), Kora Pavelic / Marlene Lichtenberg (Foreign Princess) … Read more

Lukáš Sommer: Gala Violin (world premiere)

25 April 2018, Smetana Hall, Municipal House, Prague Violin Gala. Special concert for the 60th anniversary of Kocian Violin Competition Lukáš Sommer: Gala Violin (world premiere) Pavel Šporcl, Stefan Milenković, Josef Špaček, Bohuslav Matoušek, Pavel Hůla, Pavel Eret, Leoš Čepický, Petr Matěják – violin, Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, cond. Jessica Cottis

A Russian premiere of Bohuslav Martinů’s Greek Passion

For the first time ever, Bohuslav Martinů’s operatic masterpiece The Greek Passion was performed in Russia, at the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ekaterinburg. The premiere took place on 19 April with reprises over the following three days. The first of the opera’s two versions was directed by Thaddeus Strassberger and conducted by the theatre’s chiefconductor … Read more

Kryštof Mařatka: Fables pastorales (world premiere)

At the opportunity of releasing his new album by the French Arion Music label, Kryštof Mařatka, Czech composer permanently living in Paris, presented the world premiere of his piece Fables pastorales. The concert took place on 16 April in Salle Cortot, Paris, under the auspices of Czech Republic’s ambassador to France Petr Drulák, and, as a reminder … Read more

Miroslav Pudlák: Intonarumori Concerto for Howler, Sraper, Crackler and Orchestra (world premiere)

An attractive musical programme was presented on 9 April in Studio Hrdinů (Trade Fair Palace, Prague) by the BERG orchestra. The concert named Archeology of the 20th century introduced John Cage’s renowned Radio Music, a Czech premiere of Graffiti, a piece by an internationally acclaimed Korean composer Unsuk Chin, Archeologia del telefono. Concertante for 13 instruments by Salvatore … Read more

Ivan Acher: Sternenhoch (world premiere)

On 7 April, the New Scene of the National Theatre in Prague presented the long-awaited premiere of the opera adaptation of Ivan Klíma’s mystery novel The Sufferings of Prince Sternenhoch. Its author, primarily a scenic music composer and musical autodidact Ivan Acher (*1976) had already written music for the book’s theatre adaptation at Divadlo Komedie eleven years ago; … Read more

Frankfurt: From the House of the Dead

On 1 April, Oper Frankfurt introduced their new production of Leoš Janáček’s last opera From the House of the Dead. It was created by Italian conductor Tito Ceccherini and German-French director David Hermann, who had for the last time worked with Janáček’s music only two years ago, directing The Makropulos Affair in the renowned Deutsche Oper Berlin. … Read more

Lukáš Sommer: Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra

On 28 and 29 March in St Anna’s Church, České Budějovice, the South Czech Philharmonic presented the world premiere of Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra by the Budějovice-born composer and guitarist Lukáš Sommer (*1984). The solo part was performed by a leading Czech oboist Vilém Veverka. The four-movement concerto was a perfect choice for the Easter time – optimistic, … Read more