Wajsar. Mendelssohn. Dvořák

The third evening will start in a very progressive spirit with the world premiere of a new composition for orchestra and solo trombone. Petr Wajsar, a contemporary Czech composer loved by performers and audiences alike, will present his legendary sense of humor and compositional skills. In addition to its wit and theatrical elements, his work is characterized by a crossover between many genres of classical and non-classical music. He regularly collaborates with the members of the Prague Philharmonia, especially in Contemporary Music Series S.

He has had many successful premieres in the field of artificial music and is also the winner of the Czech Lion film award for his music for the film Hastrman. The solo part in this world premiere will be performed by the jazz trombonist Štěpán Janoušek.

The second soloist of the evening, the young but well-known pianist Hyuk Lee, who won the prestigious international Long-Thibaud competition, will take us into the calmer waters of 19th century music. He will perform Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1, which its composer, at the early age of 22, wrote in record time.

The Prague Philharmonia will close the Year of Czech Music 2024 with Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6. This composition occupies a specific place in Dvořák’s oeuvre. It is his first published symphony and one of the first symphonic works that earned him an international reputation. In this symphony, the composer developed his compositional language based on Brahms and Beethoven. After all, the commission came from Vienna, where Beethoven’s music was still very popular. Eventually, however, the work was premiered in Prague in 1881.