CZECH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Rudolfinum, Alsovo nabrezi 12,110 00,  Prague  1  

The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) gave its very first concert on 4 January 1896 in the Rudolfinum, conducted by no less than Antonín Dvořák. In 1901 Ludvík Čelanský became chief conductor of the now-independent orchestra, and from 1903 to 1918 it was led by Dr. Vilém Zemánek who despite considerable financial difficulties managed to maintain the orchestra and stabilize its position on the Prague musical scene.

In 1919, the first year after the war, the post of chief conductor was taken by the legendary Václav Talich who led the orchestra until 1941, apart from an interruption between 1931 and 1933. Talich conducted a total of 924 concerts with the Philharmonic and is rightly considered the founder of its interpretational tradition. After the short but artistically-fruitful term of Rafael Kubelík at the head of the CPO from 1942 to 1948 the role of chief conductor was taken over for eighteen years by Karel Ančerl, under whose leadership from 1950 to 1968 the orchestra gained a reputation as a first-class ensemble on the world musical scene. In his programming focus on Czech music - classical and especially contemporary - Ančerl continued in the tradition of his predecessors, but he also enriched the repertoire to include works by foreign composers such as Stravinsky, Strauss, Bartók, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev. The years of Ančerl's leadership are considered the orchestra's greatest period of artistic development. After his emigration to Canada the chief-conductor's position was assumed by Václav Neumann, who presided over a long period of stable high quality and successful maintenance of tradition until 1990.

ADDRESS: Rudolfinum, Alsovo nabrezi 12,110 00,  Prague  1

PHONE: 227 059 227
FAX: 227 059 327
e-mail: vstupenky@cfmail.cz

e-mail: info@cfmail.cz

http://www.ceskafilharmonie.cz