Czech Philharmonic

On 4 January 1896, the Czech Philharmonic, most of whose members came from the Prague National Theatre Orchestra, gave its first concert, led by none other than Antonín Dvořák, who conducted his own works. Since then, the orchestra has set standards through its performances of Czech music, including of Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček, and Martinů, as well as through its interpretations of Mahler, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. Mahler premiered his Seventh Symphony in Prague in 1908. The orchestra achieved world fame under the direction of Václav Talich, who was Chief Conductor from 1919 to 1941. Rafael Kubelík, Karel Ančerl, and Václav Neumann continued his work. Semyon Bychkov has been at the helm since 2018, and Jakub Hrůša holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor; he will be succeeded by Sir Simon Rattle starting in 2025. In June 2024, the orchestra celebrated Smetana’s 200th birthday with a series of concerts at the Smetana Festival in Litomyšl, including a performance of the opera Libuše conducted by Hrůša. Under Bychkov it has presented Dvořák’s last three symphonies and all instrumental concertos on a tour of South Korea, Japan, and four European countries. It regularly commissions works, most recently from Detlev Glanert, Julian Anderson, Thomas Larcher, and Thierry Escaich, among others. The orchestra has been involved in educational activities since the 1920s, initially with concerts for the working class and today with projects for schools and socially disadvantaged groups. It also has its own youth orchestra and an orchestra academy for young professionals.

Lucerne Festival (IMF) debut on 26 August 1969 in a program of Suk, Smetana, and Martinů conducted by Václav Neumann.

April 2024