Interview with harpist Jana Boušková

When did you decide that the harp would become your constant companion in life?

To be honest, I never really thought about any other profession. The harp has been my companion since birth and, later on, entirely naturally, it also became a part of my life. I suppose it was gifted to me so that I could continue breathing life into it. And that’s what fulfils me and brings me joy.

What do you consider to be the highlights of your rich and varied (and certainly very prominent) career?

The highlights? Perhaps I should say my first concert which I gave when I was seven years old. But there have been so many moments like this. As far as my professional career is concerned, I remember my work as a chamber musician with distinguished artists such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Maxim Vengerov and others who were immensely inspiring for my artistic development. Other milestones include victories at several international competitions and then solo concerts all over the world, with leading orchestras, in beautiful venues and at well-known festivals.

How would you judge the harp’s position in the orchestra? And have you changed your view in any way since becoming a member of the Czech Philharmonic?

The harp is certainly important in the orchestra. It’s a joy to play works by composers who didn’t write anything for solo harp. All the same, it is sometimes difficult to link up my solo work with my commitments in the orchestra and also to get used to two different sides of the coin. But so far I haven’t regretted my time in the Czech Philharmonic, even though it makes for a highly complex schedule at times. However, the pleasure of playing wonderful works and being able to co-create the sound of a large orchestra more than makes up for it.

To add to all this, you also teach – not only in Prague but also at the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels, where you are the only harp professor. What does your workload look like? And how do you manage a commitment like this?

I have seven pupils at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the same number at the Brussels Royal Conservatoire. I generally fly to Brussels at the weekend and I’m very grateful that both the school’s management and my pupils understand just how much I have to fit in and they are obliging in this respect.

Are your pupils enthusiastic?

I have to say that I really do have wonderful pupils who are simply great to work with. They are inspiring, successful and, above all, hard-working. They really make my day.

What are you encouraging them to do?

I aim to teach them independence in their preparatory work, which is something they’ll need in the future, and to develop themselves musically in their own right. I endeavour only to correct them where necessary so that they don’t swerve from the right tracks, but I don’t suppress what they have inside them. And I encourage precision, which is important for everything that should be close to perfection. In particular, I try to awaken in them their enjoyment of music, so they can overcome stress on the concert platform and find the joy which comes with passing on the beauty of music to other people.

Your mother Libuše Váchalová is a harpist, your father Jiří Boušek is a flautist, your husband Jiří Kubita plays the violin in the Czech Philharmonic; you have two sons. One might assume that music is firmly anchored in their genes. Are they cultivating this gift?

It would, indeed, be highly unusual if our sons didn’t have a close affinity for music. Both play the violin and, as to whether they take up music as a profession as well, only time will tell.

Today we’ll be hearing you in Glier’s Concerto. Could you tell us something about it from your position as a performer? What task has Reinhold Moritsevitch entrusted you with?

This concerto means a lot to me. On the one hand, it was one of my husband’s favourite harp pieces during the period we became acquainted, and it also brought me a much longed-for victory at the International Harp Competition in America, where it was the compulsory work for the fourth round. It’s one of the most beautiful concertos written for the harp, full of typically Russian melodies and requiring the performer to master incredibly difficult technical aspects. I’m always delighted to be able to play it and capture the hearts of the audience with its emotionally powerful music.

You have yet to perform with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. What do you anticipate from your concert in the Rudolfinum?

I’m really looking forward to our joint premiere. I know we’re going to create a wonderful atmosphere and the audience will sense our joy in working together, a joy we communicate to others.

Jana, would you be able to say approximately how many concerts you perform a year?

If I don’t count the two concerts with the Czech Philharmonic almost every week, I do between thirty and forty solo appearances every year.

Where do you find the energy to do all this?

I don’t know. So far, I seem to always find the energy from somewhere, but the body always tells you when it’s simply had enough. Sometimes I actually do hear “warning bells” if I’ve been overdoing it, and then I really have to take a break. But I have to say that, without the help and cooperation of my family, I couldn’t handle the workload that I have. I’m exceedingly grateful for the support they give me.

What’s a harpist’s typical nightmare?

I’m probably better just speaking for myself: My nightmare is not stepping correctly on the pedal or the pedal jumping up by itself while I’m playing, sudden loss of memory from exhaustion, painful blisters beneath nails which haven’t been cut properly, or a broken string, or one that’s out of tune, during a concert.

What interesting projects have you got lined up in the near future?

Even though I’ve just had two very demanding months, performing concerts in Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Hong Kong, I’m already looking forward to my solo appearance with the Czech Philharmonic in March, when I’ll be doing the concerto by Joaquín Rodrigo, and also to concerts and a CD recording with Magdalena Kožená next year.