Czech Philharmonic

ASIA TOUR: SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN & 27 September – 10 October 2017 Petr Altricher, conductor

The under Petr Altrichter will make a ten-city tour of Asia this autumn. Starting with two concerts featuring Czech repertoire in South Korea, the tour continues with seven concerts in Japan, and ends with a concert in Taiwan.

The 121 year-old Czech Philharmonic gave its first concert – an all Dvořák programme which included the world première of his Biblical Songs, Nos. 1-5 conducted by the composer himself - in the famed Rudolfinum Hall on 4 January 1896. Acknowledged for its definitive interpretations of Czech composers, whose music the Czech Philharmonic has championed since its formation, the Orchestra is also recognised for the special history it has with the music of Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Mahler, who conducted the Orchestra for the world première of his Symphony No. 7 in Prague in 1908.

The Czech Philharmonic’s extraordinary and proud history reflects both its location at the very heart of Europe and the ’s turbulent political history, for which Smetana’s Má vlast (My Homeland) has become a potent symbol. In 1929, under its then Chief Conductor Václav Talich, Má vlast was the first work that the Orchestra committed to disc. During the Nazi occupation, when Goebbels demanded that the Orchestra perform in Berlin and Dresden, Talich put the entire Má vlast on the programme as an act of defiance. Four decades later in 1990, Má vlast was the work chosen by Kubelík to celebrate Czechoslovakia’s first free elections. On this tour, the Orchestra under Petr Altrichter – who made his debut with the Czech Philharmonic in 1979 - will perform the entire cycle in Yokohama, and selected poems from the work in both Yamaguchi and Taipei.

In South Korea, German-Korean cellist Isang Enders makes his debut with the Orchestra for performances of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in Suwon and Seoul. The programme in Suwon will end with a performance of Dvořák Symphony No. 9 From the New World, while in Seoul, it will be Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. Music Director of Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie (1993-2004), Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (1997-2001) and Chief Conductor of the Brno Philharmonic (2002-2009), Altrichter has guest conducted orchestras on three continents including the London Philharmonic, the Japan Symphony Orchestra and the RTL Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared at festivals in Athens, Cheltenham, Chicago, Edinburgh, Madrid, Paris, Vienna, Zurich and with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at the BBC Proms.

The Czech Philharmonic made its debut tour to Japan in 1959 under Chief Conductor Karel Ančerl with soloists and Jan Panenka. Part of a 3-month tour that included concerts in New Zealand, , China, India and the Soviet Union, the Orchestra gave 19 concerts in Japan, including a televised concert in Tokyo. The tour marked a considerable shift towards the acceptance of Czech music in Japan, and a second tour conducted by Václav Neumann featured almost exclusively Czech repertoire. The Czech Philharmonic has returned to Japan almost every year since the 1990s and for this tour, in addition to music by Smetana and Dvořák – including his Cello Concerto performed by Jean-Guihen Queyras in Tokyo and Kitakyushu - the Orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with soloist Alice Sara Ott in Tokyo, Kurume and Osaka, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4.

For further information: Ginny Macbeth/Moë Faulkner: 020 7251 9448 [email protected] Czech Philharmonic

ASIA TOUR: SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN & JAPAN 27 September – 10 October 2017 Petr Altricher, conductor

SOUTH KOREA, Suwon, Samsung Concert Hall Wednesday 27 September 2017, 7pm Dvořák Carnival Overture, Op. 92 Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 From the New World Soloist: Isang Enders, cello

SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, Seoul Arts Center Thursday 28 September 2017, 8pm Smetana Overture to The Bartered Bride Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 Soloist: Isang Enders, Cello

JAPAN, Yamaguchi, Shunan City Cultural Hall Saturday 30 September 2017, 3pm Dvořák Carnival Overture, Op. 92 Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 Smetana Vyšehrad, Vltava, Šárka from Má vlast

JAPAN, Yokohoma, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall Sunday 1 October 2017, 2.30pm Smetana Má vlast

JAPAN, Tokyo, Suntory Hall Tuesday 3 October 2017, 7pm Dvořák Carnival Overture, Op. 92 Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 Soloist: Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

JAPAN, Tokyo, Suntory Hall Wednesday 4 October 2017, 7pm Smetana Overture to The Bartered Bride Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 Soloist: Alice Sara Ott, piano

JAPAN, Kurume, Kurume City Plaza Grand Hall Friday 6 October 2017, 7pm Smetana Overture to The Bartered Bride Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 Soloist: Alice Sara Ott, piano

Czech Philharmonic/Asia Tour 2017 Press Release: 2 JAPAN, Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu Soleil Hall Saturday 7 October 2017, 3pm Dvořák Carnival Overture, Op. 92 Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 From the New World Soloist: Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

JAPAN, Osaka, Osaka Symphony Hall Sunday 8 October 2017, 2pm Dvořák Carnival Overture, Op. 92 Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor Dvořák Symphony No. 9 From the New World Soloist: Alice Sara Ott, piano

TAIWAN, Taipei, National Concert Hall Tuesday 10 October 2017, 7.30pm Smetana Vyšehrad, Vltava, Z českých luhů a hájů from Má vlast Dvořák Symphony No. 9 From the New World

For further information: Ginny Macbeth/Moë Faulkner: 020 7251 9448 [email protected]

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