Filip URBAN

At the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, we place great emphasis on supporting young talent. That’s why, for only the second time in our history, we held an open call to select a new assistant conductor. This role serves as a vital link between the orchestra and the conductor—helping to prepare the orchestra for the conductor’s arrival and facilitating communication between the musicians and the conductor. As a result, the quality of concert preparation improves, which has a direct positive impact on the final performance.

Following a three-round selection process, Filip Urban, a representative of the youngest generation of Czech conductors, was chosen for the position. His skills and artistic vision convinced the jury that he is ready to take on this challenge.

Born in 1995 in Ostrava, Filip Urban studied conducting at the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava under Petr Šumník. He continued his education at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno with Prof. Jan Zbavitel and is currently enrolled in the academy’s doctoral program. He is also an alumnus of an international study program at the Carl Maria von Weber College of Music in Dresden. In September 2024, he was the only Czech conductor selected to participate in the prestigious Nordic Masterclass in Denmark under the guidance of the renowned conductor Jorma Panula.

In January 2024, he was named Talent of the Year by the City of Ostrava and became a laureate of the Felix Mendelssohn International Conducting Competition. He also won the 2023 Conducting Competition of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra and was chosen to conduct at Talentinum 2024, a festival organized by the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlín. In 2021, he conducted at the festival The Best of the Best at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU).

As a conductor, Filip Urban has appeared with orchestras in cities such as Odense, Dresden, and Zlín. In 2023, he made his opera debut at the Moravian Theatre in Olomouc with Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito. There, he also conducted Smetana’s The Bartered Bride and is scheduled to conduct Verdi’s La Traviata in the 2024/2025 season. In concert, he has collaborated with soloists such as Josef Špaček, Lada Bočková, and Peter Berger.

Previous Assistant Conductor:
Maroš Potokár (2021–2024)