The Prague Spring Music Festival goes online

The Prague Spring International Music Festival was expected to welcome the world-renowned soloists, chamber music ensembles, conductors, and orchestras from the whole world during May and June just like every year. The return of the Berlin Philharmonic to Smetana Hall with its new chief-conductor Kirill Petrenko had to be one of the highlights of the 75th anniversary of the famous festival. However, because of the global pandemic, it became impossible to bring them on stage in Prague.

In the beginning of April, the festival director Roman Bělor announced that the Prague Spring Festival will look for an alternative format to satisfy its audience: “The Prague Spring is preparing a whole series of other streamed concerts, with a major role being played by young Czech artists and leading Czech chamber musicians. We are doing everything in our power to allow Czech artists to be given an opportunity in this alternative version of events, and to ensure that cultural life is not brought to a complete standstill. It is our wish that the Prague Spring remain a celebration of music and life even in these difficult times. In this way we also offer our support to Czech musicians.”

This week, the festival revealed its programme. Eleven concerts will be broadcasted from five concert halls in Prague and Brno. One concert will be streamed from the United States – the Canadian violinist James Ehnes will give a solo recital live from Florida. There will be orchestra concerts featuring smaller ensembles of the Czech Philharmonic, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, PKF-Prague Philharmonia or the Prague Symphony Orchestra – FOK. Brno Contemporary Orchestra will perform a world-premiere of a piece by Jan Ryant Dřízal and Collegium 1704’s director Václav Luks has put a programme consisting of Works by Bach and Zelenka.

World class opera singer Adam Plachetka will be joined by pianist David Švec for the famous “Winterreise” by Franz Schubert. Two concerts will involve young musicians – first one, called “Salon ZUŠ”, will welcome talented pupils of primary art and music schools, the second one will bring together four musicians of the upcoming generation – clarinettist Anna Paulová, pianist Jan Čmejla, violinist Eduard Kollert and percussionist Ladislav Bilan jr. All the concerts can be streamed free of charge on the website www.festival.cz; selected concerts will be brought to you by Czech Television and Czech Radio.

Source: festival.cz/en/