The Prague Philharmonia was established in 1994 upon the initiative of the conductor Jiří Bělohlávek as a chamber ensemble made up of young music school graduates playing with true engagement and passion. Following 1996, when it became one of the first public benefit companies, it gradually came to be ranked among the Czech Republic’s foremost orchestras and built up renown abroad.
The fundamental configuration of the Prague Philharmonia is based on the type of orchestra dating from the period of Viennese Classicism, whose compositions form the cornerstone of its repertoire. In addition to paramount works of this epoch, the Romantic era and the 20th century, the concert programme is supplemented by a special series of concerts featuring modern and contemporary music, still rather exceptional when it comes to the leading Czech orchestras.
The majority of the Prague Philharmonia’s permanent members have performed with the orchestra since the very beginning, which has proved to be crucial in establishing artistic values that have facilitated its long-term success. Owing to the Prague Philharmonia Orchestral Academy, it is possible to perform works requiring a greater number of players without the necessity of supplementing the orchestra with external musicians. The Orchestral Academy is the only project of its type in the Czech Republic to provide orchestral training and experience for selected talented young musicians, who in turn serve to ensure that the Prague Philharmonia maintains its permanently youthful sound.
When it comes to education, the Prague Philharmonia not only dedicates to talented young musicians but children too. It was the first orchestra in the Czech Republic to start organising special concerts for children, which have proved to be very popular among children and adults alike. Owing to their conception, the concerts do not create the impression of being “educational” but, conversely, familiarise children with classical music in an extremely entertaining form. The programme for children is completed by the Notička club for children, which strives to cultivate their aesthetic sensibilities and extend their leisure-time activities.
The Prague Philharmonia frequently performs at prestigious world concert halls, is a regular guest at international music festivals and appears with world-famous conductors and soloists, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Milan Turković, Emmanuel Villaume, Jefim Bronfman, András Schiff, Shlomo Mintz, Sarah Chang, Isabelle Faust, Mischa Maisky, Magdalena Kožená, Anna Netrebko, Natalie Dessay, Rolando Villazón, Placido Domingo and many others. The orchestra has to date recorded more than 60 compact discs for labels of such renown as Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Supraphon, EMI and Harmonia Mundi. One of the most recent Prague Philharmonia albums is the live recording of Bedřich Smetana’s My Country from the opening concert of the 2010 Prague Spring festival.
Jiří Bělohlávek was the chief conductor and artistic director of the Prague Philharmonia until the 2005-2006 season, before taking up the post of chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London. He still holds the position of the orchestra’s honorary artistic director. Jiří Bělohlávek was succeeded as artistic director by the Swiss conductor Kaspar Zehnder, who in the 2008-2009 season was replaced by Jakub Hrůša. And it was under Jakub Hrůša that in 2010 the Prague Philharmonia undertook the gala opening of the jubilee 65th edition of the Prague Spring festival.
Among the interesting projects the Prague Philharmonia has lined up for the 2011-2012 season are a tour of Japan and South Korea, an orchestral concert featuring the violinist and conductor Julian Rachlin, an autumn tour with the violinist Maxim Vengerov and collaboration with Anna Netrebko, Erwin Schrott and Jonas Kaufmann.
The Prague Philharmonia is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the City of Prague.
