Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava

Beethoven, Shostakovich, Ligeti, Brahms and other musical giants of the 19th and 20th centuries will be heard in the hall of the former Vesmír cinema. In addition to these, you will have the opportunity to hear world premieres of works by up-and-coming Czech composers written to mark the JFO's 70th birthday. The author of the first one is Ian Mikyska, one of the most prominent composers and organizers in the field of contemporary and experimental music. The second composition is by the talented composer and documentary filmmaker Eliška Cílková, who after initial experiments with electroacoustic works has moved closer to classical music.

Come and listen to works performed by the finest orchestras around the world. The dramaturgy of the JPO's second symphonic cycle is largely based on the piano concertos of musical greats Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Brahms. In addition to these, Tchaikovsky's Second Symphony, Sibelius's Second Symphony and Dvořák's Golden Wheel will be performed in the Ostrava Vesper. It is the last-mentioned piece that will be exceptional this season. It will be the finale of JPO Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Vassily Sinaisky's six-year tenure in Ostrava.

The C Concert Cycle is designed for listeners who are just discovering and exploring the world of classical music with curiosity. The concert guide is the Ostrava actress Markéta Matulová. In an informal way and with exaggeration, she talks not only with the audience but also with the orchestra and the conductor. The conductor for this season will be Maroš Potokár. And we believe that with them you will experience exactly what you like at the concerts. In music which is an endless source of emotions and feelings. In music that, if you listen carefully, reveals a wide range of sounds, rhythms and melodies. In music that brings you into contact with many famous personalities, but also with yourself. And last but not least, in music that is an essential part of everyday and unusual festive situations. You are heartily invited! Recommended for children from the 2nd grade of elementary school.

This year Vláďa will celebrate an incredible ten years with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava. So much has been accomplished in that time! So much beautiful music has been played! So many songs sung and so many wild dances danced! That's a great reason to celebrate. And who else to celebrate with but my talented cousin Ota, the orchestra, the kind conductor and you, our loyal and playful listeners. Each of the concerts will be one big celebration! Recommended for children from 1st grade of elementary school.

Cycle E is marked by the energy of rising musical stars. The Janáček Philharmonic has traditionally given space to talented performers for whom this is often their first performance with a large symphonic body. Four concerts and a varied selection of works from different periods and artistic movements await us. There will be works by Mozart, Debussy, Chopin, Dvořák, Verdi and many others. The soloists will be artists who have successfully passed the JPO Young Talent Competition and young conductors from the Zurich Academy of Music.

Together with Aneta Langerová at the Gong in Ostrava, we will celebrate twenty years of her musical career. Kateřina Marie Tichá, Jan Maxián, and other well-known personalities will commemorate the work of composer Petr Hapka with a concert on what would have been his eightieth birthday. Dan Bárta, with his unmistakable rock voice, renowned for his roles as Jesus and Judas in the most successful Czech production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, along with the most sought-after musical actors of today, will offer a selection of the best from world musicals. The premiere of the author's project Plus/Minus Ro©k will bring a completely new connection between rock music and orchestral sound.

Classical music in its purest form will be performed as part of the K Chamber Cycle. It is characterised by a smaller number of instruments and an almost intimate atmosphere. No mistakes are hidden here and listeners will fully enjoy every note from works by Richard Strauss, Jean-Marie Leclair, Bedřich Smetana and many others. Vesmír will feature some of the world's leading contemporary artists such as Hungarian trumpeter Gábor Boldoczki, Luxembourg violinist Alena Baeva and Ukrainian pianist Vadym Kholodenko. The female vocal ensemble Tiburtina Ensemble will also present itself to the Ostrava audience in an unconventional way in the Evangelical Church of Christ.

Cycle M will be marked by celebration. We will celebrate the arrival of Christmas with compositions of Central European Baroque and Classical music, including the traditional Czech Christmas Mass "Hey Master!" by Ryba. We will then step into the New Year to the sound of compositions by three giants of Czech music - Martinů, Dvořák and Smetana. A significant part of the cycle will be devoted to Bedřich Smetana, because in 2024 we will celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the composer's birth. On this occasion, the cycle of symphonic poems My Country, which is undoubtedly Smetana's most famous work, will be performed. Listeners can also look forward to a concert performance of the opera Libuše, which was first performed at the opening of Prague's National Theatre, and the composer himself expressed his wish that the work would be performed only on special occasions. The celebration of the JFO's seventy years and the arrival of the New Year will then be concluded in three consecutive evenings.

Sit back and be moved by the tones from the works of musical giants. Would you prefer passionate tango or romantic piano literature? In the Opava cycle, you will find both. During the four concerts, the orchestra traditionally plays not only the works of the most famous classics but also the works of extraordinary performers. Among them is the internationally acclaimed pianist Lukáš Vondráček, who will appear in his native Opava as a soloist in one of the most demanding piano concertos. All this in the scenery of St. Wenceslas Church, which will enhance the musical experience.

The R Cycle features the piano and some of the most outstanding performers of the current generation. The promising young pianist Matyáš Novák will perform in front of the Ostrava audience, performing, among other things, his own virtuoso arrangement of Smetana's famous Vltava. Internationally acclaimed pianist and teacher at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York Olga Kern will offer a cross-section of Sergei Rachmaninov's piano works. Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki, who at only twenty-seven years old and one of the world's top virtuosos, will focus on piano preludes written by great musical giants across the centuries. Then, compositions by Russian composers of the late Romantic period will be performed by only sixteen-year-old Alexandra Dovgan.

The Janáček May Festival, the St. Wenceslas Music Festival... these are just two prestigious Czech festivals where music-loving audiences can enjoy the performances of the JPO. The pleasant atmosphere of these festivals is enhanced by the charm of a classical music concert. The also orchestra regularly plays in other cities of the region – most often in Orlová and Nový Jičín, but also in Karviná, Havířov, Frýdek-Místek and Opava.

Every year we perform concert series in Europe, Asia and North America for a number of promoters. The orchestra is especially superb in the world-famous Czech symphonic repertoire such as Dvořák`s symphonies or Smetana`s and Janáček`s opera overtures, and also in opera gala programs. Recent destinations include New York, Seoul, Paris, Beijing, Wien, Hamburg or Munich .