Elias Grandy a Lukáš Vondráček
Rudolfinum, Monday 26 October 2026 at 7.30 p.m., Public dress rehearsal at 10.00 a.m.
Elias Grandy – conductor
Lukáš Vondráček – piano
Petr Wajsar: Concerto for Orchestra (15′) – world premiere commissioned by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26 (27′)
Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (33′)
Remember that you do not compose music for your own pleasure, but for the pleasure of the listener.
Richard Strauss
The programme opens with the world premiere of Concerto for Orchestra by the composer Petr Wajsar, a work commissioned by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.
This will be followed by Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major. The composer completed it in 1921 during his stay in France, although some of its musical ideas date back to his student years before the First World War. As the evening’s soloist, we welcome the internationally acclaimed virtuoso pianist Lukáš Vondráček, whose distinctive interpretation of this masterpiece of 20th-century piano literature promises to be a highlight of the concert.
The second half of the evening brings Richard Strauss’s symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra, inspired by the philosophical novel by Friedrich Nietzsche. It opens with the famous introduction “Sunrise”, widely known from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Strauss unfolds a rich palette of orchestral colours, dramatic contrasts, and lyrical episodes, from which a powerful musical statement gradually emerges. The work forms a panorama of emotions and philosophical images that leave space for the listener’s own interpretation.
Lukáš Vondráček
came to international prominence after winning the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2016, a success that launched his intensive global career. He performs with leading orchestras and regularly appears across Europe, North America, and Asia, and is admired for his technical brilliance, tonal colour, and ability to convey deep emotion through his playing. Alongside his concert career, he is also active in recording, and his repertoire ranges from the Classical and Romantic periods to music of the 20th century.
Join us for a musical evening in which a world premiere, a virtuoso piano concerto, and great orchestral mastery come together in a compelling musical dialogue – with Lukáš Vondráček as soloist under the baton of Chief Conductor Elias Grandy.
The concert will be broadcast live on Czech Radio Vltava:
Ticket prices range from 180 to 1,100 CZK
Come early!
A meeting with the artists before the concert
Rudolfinum | Talich Lounge | 1st floor | 6.30 p.m. - 7.15 p.m.
