Concert for Peace
Spanish Hall, Saturday 8 May 2027 at 8 p.m.
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
Petr Popelka – conductor
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Lukáš Vasilek – choirmaster
Kateřina Kněžíková – soprano
Matthew Newlin – tenor
Peter Kellner – bass
Antonín Dvořák: The Spectre’s Bride, Op. 69 (80′)
To have a beautiful idea is nothing so remarkable. Ideas come of their own accord, and if one is beautiful and great, it is not the merit of man. But to realise an idea beautifully and make something great of it – that is the hardest thing; that is – art!
Antonín Dvořák
A ballad of love, guilt, hope, and redemption – one of the most powerful works in Czech music – will resound in Prague Castle’s Spanish Hall. Antonín Dvořák composed the monumental cantata The Spectre’s Bride in 1884, drawing on Karel Jaromír Erben’s ballad of the same name from his collection Kytice. The gripping story of a young woman who, longing for the return of her beloved, finds herself on the threshold between the worlds of the living and the dead unfolds in music full of dramatic tension, tenderness, and deep faith.
This exceptional work will be performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Philharmonic Choir, and a trio of outstanding soloists. The role of the Girl will be sung by soprano Kateřina Kněžíková, the Narrator will be performed by the American tenor Matthew Newlin, and the mysterious figure of the Spectre will be portrayed by the Slovak bass Peter Kellner. The performance will be conducted by the Chief Conductor of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Petr Popelka.
Petr Popelka,
one of the most prominent Czech conductors, is also active as a composer. He studied double bass at the Prague Conservatoire and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, where he also began to devote himself intensively to conducting. From 2010 to 2019, he was a double bassist with the Staatskapelle Dresden, while simultaneously developing his conducting career and collaborating with a number of European orchestras. Since 2022, he has been Chief Conductor of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and, from the 2024/25 season, he has held the same position with the Wiener Symphoniker. He is a laureate of the Georg Solti Conducting Competition in Frankfurt and a recipient of the Opus Klassik award.
The Prague Philharmonic Choir
is one of the most respected European choirs and regularly collaborates with leading orchestras and conductors. Since 2007, the choir has been led by choirmaster Lukáš Vasilek, under whose direction it has built an exceptional reputation thanks to its cultivated sound, meticulous attention to detail, and expressive depth of interpretation. The choir is a sought-after partner of leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Wiener Symphoniker, and the Czech Philharmonic.
Join us for an exceptional musical evening in which the dramatic story of a Czech Romantic ballad becomes a powerful musical experience. In the unique atmosphere of the Spanish Hall, Dvořák’s work will be heard with a compelling intensity that still speaks to audiences today.
The concert will be broadcast live on Czech Radio Vltava:
Ticket prices range from 250 to 1,300 CZK
