PRSO in the company of stars and now in the Municipal House

Following the example of other European radio orchestras, it will perform in all of Prague’s traditional concert halls, while remaining in the Rudolfinum, the Bethlehem Chapel and the DOX Centre. The 98th season bears the handwriting of chief conductor Petr Popelka, who has invited conductors such as Wayne Marshall, Renaud Capuçon, Axel Kober, and notable soloists such as violinist Isabelle Faust, the Jussen brothers, cellist Julia Hagen and many others. Three programmes will be conducted by the orchestra’s principal guest conductor Robert Jindra.

Petr Popelka begins his third season at the helm of Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in September. “We will also focus on the rest of the Year of Czech Music. The programme includes Bohuslav Martinů’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Dvořák’s Noon Witch and compositions by Jan Novák and Josef Suk. After a long time, we will also present the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. What I am really looking forward to are the concerts led by our exceptional principal guest conductor Robert Jindra. For the second year, we also invite you to the Bethlehem Chapel, where you will see performances by pianist Jan Bartoš, mezzo-soprano Bella Adamová and George Gershwin’s first American opera Porgy and Bess,” says Petr Popelka.

The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra’s biggest novelty is the upcoming concert series at the Municipal House. “The Smetana Hall in the Municipal House is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and traditional concert venues in Prague. The PRSO does not have its own concert hall, so logically, it is a great opportunity to perform in all the large halls where not only concerts of prestigious festivals such as the Prague Spring and the Dvořák Prague Festival are held, but also where our colleagues from other orchestras perform. We will play eight times in the Municipal House with programmes such as Verdi’s Requiem and Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah”. I believe that the listeners will support us in our efforts,” says Jakub Čížek, director of the PRSO, inviting the public to the Smetana Hall. In addition to the aforementioned artists, pianist Marc-André Hamelin will perform at the Municipal House under the baton of Jonathan Darlington; he will play Franz Liszt’s Dance of Death for Piano and Orchestra and Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. Julia Hagen will perform Edward Elgar’s famous Cello Concerto, the programme will also include Vítězslav Novák’s Moravian-Slovak Suite, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Stravinsky’s Firebird and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

The Rudolfinum hall will host a total of six subscription concerts in the new season. The programme includes, for example, the third act of Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde with Elisabeth Teige and Michael Weinius in the title roles, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and Mass in C minor, and a performance prepared by Robert Jindra with the Songs of Henri Duparc and George Bizet’s Roma Symphony. Violinist Renaud Capuçon will perform in Prague this time not only as a soloist but also as a conductor. He will play Gabriel Fauré’s Violin Concerto on a violin from the Guarneri family workshop, which used to belong to Isaac Stern. At the end of the season, the Radio Symphony Orchestra will welcome a piano duo, the brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen. The popular duo will play the Concerto for Two Pianos by Francis Poulenc.

Premium evenings include the Opening Concert with the phenomenal German violinist Isabelle Faust, who will perform Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in the Rudolfinum. Presenting contemporary composers is an important part of the PRSO’s work, which is why the world premiere of Jan Klusák’s Continuo will also be heard. At the end, chief conductor Popelka will lead Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. The Thousand Voices concert promises to be quite extraordinary. On 22 December, one thousand amateur and professional singers will gather at the Municipal House to pay tribute to Czech composers. It will be the largest choral event for the Year of Czech Music, which will be broadcasted live on Czech Radio’s D-Dur and Vltava stations. The last concert in the Premium series, an operetta gala with Adam Plachetka and Kateřina Kněžíková, conducted by Robert Jindra, also puts singers in the spotlight.

The Bethlehem Chapel, where last year’s subscription concert “B series” was held for the first time, proved to be an excellent concert venue. In the next season, listeners will also be able to enjoy enticing programmes. “We will start performing in the Bethlehem Chapel in September. The first evening will feature pianist Jan Bartoš performing Rejcha’s Piano Concerto under the direction of conductor Vojtěch Spurný. Next, Jan Kučera will take up the baton in a project with the Czech Radio’s Children’s Choir. With conductor Vladimir Kiradjiev, we will perform Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess in concert, and together with Robert Kružík we will present a concert with students of the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College of Music,” adds Jakub Čížek.

A permanent space where other than classical music can be heard by the PRSO is the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. The Prague Radio musicians are planning two concerts in the
multifunctional DOX space: with Ondřej Pivec and Kennedy Administration, as well as with excellent instrumentalists and composers Marcel Bárta and Jakub Zitko.

Chamber concerts will be held in Studio 1 again next season. During six evenings, listeners will experience the atmosphere of the Czech Radio building and meet the PRSO musicians in various chamber ensembles. Studio 1 will also welcome those interested in an open rehearsal. Visitors will be able to sit directly among the orchestra players and watch the PRSO, for example, while preparing for a tour to the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.

All concerts from the Rudolfinum and the Municipal House are traditionally broadcast live by Czech Radio Vltava, and you are welcome to listen to the recordings the following Wednesday on Czech Radio D-dur. Other selected concerts of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, held in DOX, the Bethlehem Chapel, and Studio 1, will be offered by ČRo Vltava as a recording.

Online presale of subscription tickets will start on Monday 8 April. From this date onwards, subscription tickets will be available for the following concert series: R (Rudolfinum), O (Municipal House), R & O (Rudolfinum & Municipal House) and B (Bethlehem Chapel). On the same day, online presales of individual tickets for the P (Premium), D (DOX) and S (Studio 1) concerts and for the public dress rehearsals will also be launched. Individual tickets for concerts from R, O and B series will be available from 29 April.

The support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic is essential for the artistic activities of the PRSO. Other partners include the State Cultural Fund of the Czech Republic, Bohuslav Martinů Foundation, OSA, Prague 2 city ward, DOX Centre, Czech Technical University in Prague, and Aerofilms. Czech Radio Vltava remains the main media partner. Other media partners include Czech Radio D-dur, the specialist magazine Harmonie, the music portal KlasikaPlus.cz, the web audio portal and application mujRozhlas and the news portal iRozhlas.cz.