I. Allegro assai

II. Andante

III. Allegro

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Horn Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Hob.VIId: 3

I. Allegro

II. Adagio

III. Allegro

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) The Magic Flute – Overture

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Concerto for Cello in D major no. 2, Hob. VIIb: 2

I. Allegro moderato

II. Adagio

III. Allegro

Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic

The Baťa Symphony Orchestra was established at the end of the Second World War on 1 June 1945.  The orchestra first performed on 30 April 1946. At that stage, Rudolf Kvasnica was the orchestra’s Artistic Director of the orchestra, which comprised almost 50 members, In May 1950, the Philharmonic played its first spa season in Luhačovice – five summer months of productions for spa guests, which established a long-lasting tradition.

Over time, the name of the orchestra has changed several times; from the Baťa Symphony Orchestra, to the Workers’ Philharmonic, then to the State Symphony Orchestra of the Gottwald Region. At the beginning of 1989 it was renamed to the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic.

Gradually it grew to become a significant Czech orchestra whose artistic profile has shaped many outstanding chief conductors and permanent or guest conductors – Rudolf Kvasnica, Richard Týnský, Eduard Fischer, Jaroslav Opěla, Petr Altrichter, Miloš Machek, Peter Lücker, Kirk Trevor, Tomáš Koutník, Jakub Hrůša Stanislav Vavřínek and many others. Since the 2015-2016 season, Vojtěch Spurný has been Chief Conductor and the main guest conductor has been Leoš Svárovský. Several outstanding soloists have performed with the orchestra including: Mstislav Rostropovič, Magdalena Kožená, Daniel Schafran, Mischa Maisky, Vadim Repin, Jennifer Larmore, Libuše Domanínská, Eduard Haken, Dagmar Pecková, Eva Urbanová, Václav Hudeček, Ivan Moravec, Eugen Indjic Rolando Villazón, Joseph Calleja and others. Pianist Fazil Say played at a concert om 28 April 2016 commemorating the 70th anniversary of the orchestra’s founding.

Their repertoire includes large symphonic works but also songs from a wide range of genres including even jazz, chanson and pop. The orchestra’s concert activity is currently based on three subscription series, but in addition the orchestra is performing in other concerts in Zlin and the surrounding region. The also appear at all the major festivals of the Czech Republic, including the Prague Spring, Smetana’s Litomyšl, Janacek May – Ostrava, Špilberk Brno, and the Prague Music Festival. Foreign tours have taken the orchestra to Italy, Denmark, Hungary, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Austria, Romania, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine and the USA (Carnegie Hall). In 2016, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic was the first Czech Orchestra to perform in India for 57 years.

Since 1972, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic – Zlín has organised Talentinum, the unique international festival of young concert artists, and also organises the autumn Harmonia Moraviae International Music Festival.

The orchestra regularly works with radio and television, and records audio media.

Since January 2011, the Philharmonic has been based in the newly-built Zlin Congress Center, whch was designed by renowned Czech architect Eva Jiřičná.

VOJTĚCH SPURNÝ – Conductor

Born in 1964, Mr Spurný is a leading Czech conductor, pianist, harpsichord player and teacher.  He studied piano and flute at the Prague Conservatory, and later opera direction, conducting and the harpsichord at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. The also studied the Interpretation of ancient music and the harpsichord at the Hoogeschool de Kunsten in Utrecht.

His operatic conducting experience includes working with the Drottningholm Palace Baroque Theatre. The J.K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen, the Gothenburg Opera, the Oslo Opera House, Staatstheater Hannover, the Prague Chamber Opera, the National Theatre and the Prague State Opera.

From 1999 – 2004 he was the permanent conductor of the Prague State Opera and in the 2002 – 2003 season he served there as Opera Artistic Director.

He has worked as a conductor with the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the FOK Prague Symphony Orchestra, – Prague Philharmonia, Chursaechsische Kammerphilharmonie, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the North Bohemia Philharmonic in Teplice, and the Janacek Philharmonic – Ostrava.  He as also worked with major artists including S. Brill, P. Bernold, V. Hudeček, M. Hundeling, S. Kam, Š. Margita, M. Maisky, D. Pecková and others.

KATEŘINA JAVŮRKOVÁ – French Horn

She began playing the French horn at the age of nine with Tomáš Krejbich at the Na Popelce Elementary School of Music.  She continued her studies at the Prague Conservatory in the class of Professor. Bedřich Tylšar. Since 2011, she has studied with Zdeněk Divoký and Radek Baborák at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.  During her studies, she has interned at the Conservatoire Nationale Superieur de Musique et Danse in Paris under Professor Andre Cazalet.

She has won several international interpretative competitions including the International Wind Competition in Brno, the “Federico II di Svevia” International Competition in Italy (2011). However, her most important achievements have been winning second prize in the ARD International Competition in Munich (2016) and first prize in the 2013 Prague Spring International Interpretation Competition. She has been a member of the horn section of the Czech Philharmonic and in the past, she was a member of PKF – Prague Philharmonia. Her performances include as a soloist with the Czech Philharmonic, PKF – Prague Philharmonia , the Münchener Kammerorchester, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, and NOSPR Katowice, with which she performed in the premier of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Horn Concerto in Prague. In the Chamber arena, she plays in the Belfiato Quintet.  As part of this ensemble, she won third prize at the 6th International “Henri Tomasi” Brass Quintet Competition in Marseille, France.

JIŘÍ BÁRTA – Violoncello

He is the leading cellist of his generation.  He studied with Josef Chuchr and Mirko Škampy in Prague, with Boris Pergamenschikow in Cologne and with Eleonore Schoenfeld in Los Angeles. In 1991, he was awarded the Europäische Förderpreis für Musik prize in Dresden and the Rostropovich – Hammer prize in Los Angeles. He works with leading Czech and international orchestras including the Czech Philharmonic, the Slovak Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Berliner Symphoniker and with conductors inlcuding Jiří Bělohlávek, Charles Dutoit, Libor Pešek, Gennady Rozhdestvenski, and Maxim Šostakovič.  He is regularly invited to leading festivals and concert halls, including in Barcelona, Berlin, Bratislava, Buenos Aires, Edinburgh, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Munich, Newport, New York, Paris, Prague, Salzburg, Tokyo, and London. Harmonie magazine has twice ranked his recordings for Supraphon the best in category (Harmonie Prizes 1995, 1999).  This included his critically acclaimed recordings of Bach’s cello suites and the Shostakovich concertos with conductor Maxim Shostakovich and the Prague Symphony Orchestra and two Dvorak concertos in A Major (with pianist Jan Cech) and in H minor (with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Jiří Bělohlávek). Barta’s CD of Kodály’s solo sonata was awarded “Editor’s Choice” by the London magazine, The Gramophone. The same award was given to Barta’s most recent CD of Bohuslav Martinů, J.Foerster and Jan Novák Cello Concertos. This CD was made in cooperation with the Prague Chamber Philharmonia and conductor Jakub Hrůša. Jiří Bárta also worked with Magdalena Kožená on her album “Songs” for Deutsche Grammophon, which won the Gramophone Award in 2004. He made a CD for London Hyperion of cello sonatas by Ignaaz Moscheles and Johan Nepomuk Hummel.  His most recent CD is of Anton Rubinstein Sonatas (both with pianist Hamish Milne). He worked with the Milan Svoboda Jazz Quartet on the classical – jazz CD ” Znamení Střelce ” (Lotos, which was nominated for the annual Academy Popular Music and Jazz Prize, 2007).

In 2008, he co-founded the International Festival of Chamber Music in Kutna Hora. Last year he became the curator of the Dvorak Prague Festival. Since 2012, he has played a newly-built cello built by German master Dietmar Rexhausen.

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