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Press Release for the 82nd Season
Prague, 7 April 2016
The Prague Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming 82nd season will provide maximum “FOK”
“The abbreviation FOK has been with the orchestra for over eighty years, from its very beginning.
And throughout the eighty years, generations of people who have a connection with the orchestra
have been explaining to others what the abbreviation stands for. The 82nd concert season, whose
programme we are now presenting, will be much more FOK than the previous seasons.
Not long ago, we returned to Film music in a significant way, and because of its popularity, it won’t
be left out this season. Add to that, José Cura’s projects representing Opera and the capital K for
Konzert (“concert” in Czech) doesn’t even need mentioning.” writes FOK Director Daniel Sobotka in
his foreword to the season programme.
CHIEF CONDUCTOR PIETARI INKINEN
Pietari Inkinen will again conduct twelve concerts with the Prague players. The concerts in Prague
will include Czech, Finnish and other world repertoire, with Czech and international soloists foremost
among the performers; Vadim Repin, the soloist of the opening concert among them. “Being a
conductor of an orchestra is an honour, pleasure, and also a great undertaking. The chief conductor
cannot hide behind his programmes and has to choose the most demanding repertoire.” Thus
Pietari Inkinen explains why he has chosen such challenging pieces for the 82nd season. Under his
baton, FOK will return to Sibelius, Beethoven, Grieg and Bruckner. The January performance of
Smetana’s Má vlast as part of the subscription series will be a great occasion; it hasn’t been part of
the Prague Symphony Orchestra’s series for thirty-five years.
JOSÉ CURA - ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
José Cura continues his role as artist in residence, and will take on several roles. In October, he will
sing with participants from his master classes, he will be conducting symphonic repertoire at the
Advent concert for UNICEF, and he will premiere another of his own compositions in Prague, in which
he’ll take on the main role of Jesus Christ.
PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR JAC VAN STEEN
Dutch conductor Jac van Steen continues as FOK’s Principal Guest Conductor. In October, under his
baton, the orchestra will give a Czech-American programme titled The Discovery of America and in
April they will perform a piece by Gustav Mahler.
PREMIERES
In the 82nd season the Prague Symphony Orchestra intends to concentrate on the systematic
enlargement of its repertoire. The Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, ‘The Gothic’, by American
composer Kerry Turner, with FOK principal horn Zuzana Rzounková, will have its European premiere
in October, in the presence of the composer. More premieres will take place in concerts of our artist
in residence José Cura, including the world premiere of his oratorio Ecce Homo. Under his baton we
will hear the film music from The Night of the Mayas by Silvestre Revueltas, for the first time in the
Czech Republic. In June, the orchestral version of the popular Celebration Jazz Mass by Karel Růžička
will be performed as the world premiere.
TOURS
In the 82nd season, the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK will undertake a number of prestigious
concert projects, both at home and abroad. Among the most significant will be the engagement with
the Vienna Konzerthaus with Pietari Inkinen, and the tour to Japan in connection with the opening
of the Slav Epic exhibition, followed by Prague Days in Kyoto. The orchestra will also take part in the
prestigious Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany, the Bratislava Music Festival and will perform in
Spain. In the Czech Republic, the orchestra will perform at all of the important music festivals and will
also give a concert during the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
82nd SEASON’S PARTNERS
FOK is governed by the City of Prague, with the Municipal House as the orchestra’s residence. The
Obecní dům Corporation remains FOK’s Premium partner. The Prague Symphony Orchestra’s 82nd
season partner is the building construction company YIT – Finnish housing with a heart.