SOČR to open the 52nd Smetana’s Litomyšl Festival
Just like last year, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (SOČR) will be the main players at the opening concert of the International Opera Festival Smetana’s Litomyšl. In the presence of President of the Republic Václav Klaus, Minister of Culture Václav Riedlbauch and Governor of Pardubice Region Radko Martínek, under whose auspices the 52nd edition of the festival is being held, on Friday 11 June at 8pm the orchestra will perform the works of Smetana, Chopin, Eben and Dvořák. They will be joined by pianist Jan Simon, soprano Lívia Obručník Vénosová, baritone Roman Janál and the Prague Philharmonic Choir headed by Lukáš Vasilek; the conductor is Peter Feranec.
This gala evening taking place in the 2nd courtyard of the Renaissance castle will be broadcast live by Czech Radio 3 – Vltava. During the interval you will hear interviews with the interim director of Czech Radio Peter Duhan, director of the Smetana’s Litomyšl festival Jan Pikna, pianist Jan Simon and choirmaster of the Prague Philharmonic Choir Lukáš Vasilek.
The 52nd Smetana’s Litomyšl festival offers audiences twenty works spread over twenty-eight programmes. The festival will run until 5 July. Its main media partner is Czech Radio, which has also assumed patronage of the Opening Concert and, on the day of the concert, it will be organising a Czech Radio Open Day in Litomyšl.
PROGRAMME FOR THE OPENING CONCERT:
Bedřich Smetana: Shakespeare Festival March
Fryderyk Chopin: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
Petr Eben: Homage to Charles IV, cantata for male choir and orchestra
Antonín Dvořák: Te Deum, Op. 103 for solos, choir and orchestra
Soloists:
Jan Simon, piano
Lívia Obručník Vénosová, soprano, Roman Janál, baritone,
Prague Philharmonic Choir, choirmaster Lukáš Vasilek
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductor Peter Feranec
