The 32nd season offers both the taste of musical home and the scent of distant lands, and this dramaturgical thread will also be reflected in the first part of the opening concert. The beginning of the evening belongs to the overture of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, whose choice is not accidental – it is not only an expression of respect for Mozart, whose work has long been close to the orchestra, but also, due to its inspiration from ancient Egyptian symbolism, it anticipates the character of the following piece.
The centerpiece of the first half of the program is Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major "Egyptian" by Camille Saint-Saëns, in which the composer's love for travel and fascination with non-European musical idioms is reflected. The soloist of the evening will be the star Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski, for whom the combination of technical virtuosity and expressive depth is a characteristic feature of his interpretative expression.
The second half of the concert is dedicated to the dialogue between two musical giants – Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert. They are connected not only by temporal continuity and geographical proximity but also by a certain philosophical ethos. The concert block opens with the orchestral introduction "Representation of Chaos" from Haydn's oratorio The Creation. This part of the oratorio naturally serves as a prelude to Schubert's Symphony No. 4 in C minor "Tragic". Its slow introduction bears traces of inspiration from Haydn's work and Beethoven's symphonic aesthetics.
"Even after more than thirty years of the orchestra's existence, we do not forget the foundational legacy of Jiří Bělohlávek, which is why the repertoire of the orchestral cycle includes works by Vienna classics Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, as well as the romantics beloved by the orchestra, such as Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms," presents the 32nd season the orchestra's director Kateřina Kalistová. "However, the Prague Philharmonia is also happy to include works by the younger generation of composers in its program, such as Benjamin Britten and Francis Poulenc this season. We can also look forward to innovative compositions, such as the sound-atmospheric work for string orchestra by composer and conductor Oscar Jockel," adds Kateřina Kalistová.
About the Prague Philharmonia
In 1994, thanks to the joint initiative of Jiří Bělohlávek and a group of young talented musicians, a generational orchestra full of energy and love for music was established – the Prague Chamber Philharmonia. The orchestra's repertoire ranges from classical to romantic to contemporary music. Although the ensemble is rooted in chamber music and a precise approach (a legacy of Jiří Bělohlávek), over its 32 years of existence, it has grown into a flexible symphony orchestra capable of interpreting a wide range of works at a high level. Jiří Bělohlávek gave the orchestra an international dimension. Since 2015, the orchestra has been led by French conductor Emmanuel Villaume. It regularly collaborates with the most prestigious world festivals, such as BBC Proms, Dresden Music Festival, or Prague Spring, and venues like Musikverein in Vienna, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, or Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Since its inception, the orchestra has been approached by the most significant world soloists (Luciano Pavarotti, Mischa Maisky, Maxim Vengerov, Jonas Kaufmann, etc.) and also collaborates with a prominent generation of young world artists (Oscar Jockel, Pene Pati, Jonathan Tetelman, Bomsori Kim, etc.). It has released more than 90 compact discs for prestigious world and domestic music publishers.
The Prague Philharmonia continues to affirm its role as a living interpretative organism that brings thoughtful musical concepts to the public while maintaining its artistic autonomy. As an orchestra without a state founder, it develops long-term artistic and educational projects, publishing activities, and maintains a high interpretative standard thanks to the support of its partners and patrons.
