Untraditional classics? The PRSO and Stars for Světluška
Eminent names in classical music and blind artists will light up Prague’s Municipal House for the Světluška (Firefly) charity on 27 February.
Shining on stage will be violinist Václav Hudeček, viola player Jitka Hosprová and guitarist Lubomír Brabec. They will be joined by the blind multi-instrumentalist Mário Bihári, the excellent blind pianist Ráchel Skleničková and a rising star, the blind flautist Eva Blažková. Accompanying all of this will be the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Radek Baborák.
“This season the PRSO is celebrating its 90th anniversary and we decided we’d like to offer people, alongside our season-ticket holders’ concerts, something extra. And just as the PRSO is part of the Radio, Světluška is part of the Radio.
Therefore, we had the idea of putting on a PRSO concert for Světluška. We have asked leading Czech musicians, as well as inviting talented blind artists to play with the PRSO. They will all come together on one stage and together everyone will take part in something worthy,” explains Jakub Čížek, director of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.
All of the participants are waiving their usual appearance fees. The proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Světluška collection to help people with severe sight disabilities. “Světluška will therefore be able to also support the development of talented young blind and sight-impaired musicians. It will not only contribute to their musical instruments, but also the conversion of notation into Braille notation. By attending the concert you may well contribute to the emergence of new stars of Czech classical music, such as Ráchel Skleničková, today a successful Prague Spring soloist,” says Přemysl Filip, director of the Czech Radio Charity Foundation, which organises the Světluška collection project.
The PRSO and Stars for Světluška concert will feature familiar melodies from Mozart, Beethoven, Weber and Tchaikovsky, as well as the beautiful Adagio from Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez.
Concert will be broadcasted by ČRo Vltava.