Orchestral Academy
Adventurous, challenging, lifelong!
Partner
A project for talented musicians
The Prague Philharmonia Orchestral Academy was established in 2008 as the first project of its kind in the Czech Republic.
Each year, the orchestra welcomes 12 to 14 young, talented musicians into its family.
Its players help them gain valuable orchestral experience and enthusiastically pass on the foundations of the orchestra’s philosophy of performance: precision, a sense of ensemble and detail, artistic humility, friendship and respect.
From the very beginning, members of the Orchestral Academy become involved in artistic projects. They take part in concerts not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad, have the opportunity to perform in chamber music series and participate in recording projects.
The very first year of the Orchestral Academy attracted enormous interest. Just one year later, in 2009, several of its members took part in the unique YouTube Symphony Orchestra project.
Two of them — Jakub Fišer and Ondřej Martinovský — performed under the baton of conductor M. Tilson Thomas, together with 90 other selected musicians from around the world, at Carnegie Hall in New York.
In 2023, many participants in the Orchestral Academy took part in a recording project featuring works by Krzysztof Penderecki with flautist Stathis Karapanos for Warner Classics. In the same year, they also participated in tenor Jonathan Tetelman’s album The Great Puccini for Deutsche Grammophon, which was enthusiastically received by critics and the wider public alike.
The students of the Orchestral Academy bring a fresh surge of energy to the orchestra and help ensure that Prague Philharmonia remains a symbol of youth and enthusiasm for music.
For whom is project intended
Students of secondary and higher music schools and graduates whose music education is completed by a school-leaving exam or graduation at secondary or university level, from the Czech Republic, EU countries and other countries, aged 18 to 30 years. The basis of a successful audition is the artistic aptitude to perform in Prague Philharmonia or another orchestra of comparable quality.
Project organiser
The Orchestral Academy is organised by PKF — Prague Philharmonia, o.p.s.
The project is realised with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
Conditions of membership
Eligibility
Musicians from the Czech Republic, EU countries and other countries may apply for the audition who, by 1 September of the year in which the course begins, have reached the age of 18 and have not exceeded the age of 30, and whose music education is completed by a school-leaving exam or graduation at secondary or university level in the Czech Republic or abroad.
The orchestra does not arrange accommodation or other formalities connected with the artist's participation in the course.
Selection procedure
The opportunity to perform in the Prague Philharmonia Orchestral Academy and to receive a one-year scholarship is offered to applicants on the basis of an audition announced by Prague Philharmonia.
The admission of members to the Orchestral Academy is decided by the orchestra. It is under no obligation to fill the position for which the audition is announced, nor is it obliged to carry out the OA project.
Applications
To apply for the audition for the Orchestral Academy, candidates should send their CV to sopkova@prgphil.cz.
Studies
Throughout the course, students follow a comprehensive educational programme that includes 2 × 45 minutes per month of individual part tuition under the guidance of the concertmasters and principal players of Prague Philharmonia. At the same time, the players gain orchestral experience by taking part artistically in Prague Philharmonia projects on home stages and abroad, in chamber and contemporary music concerts; they take part in recording projects and a range of other activities, such as seminars with soloists, conductors and other internationally renowned guest artists.
Termination of membership
The course may be terminated by the orchestra if a lack of interest on the part of the student becomes apparent or if it transpires that the student does not meet the artistic criteria. If a candidate has already completed the OA course and a vacancy is announced for the given instrument for the following season, they may apply for the selection procedure (the OA may be completed a maximum of three times). The upper age limit also remains a restriction on entry to the academy.
Members 2025-2026
Ester Müllerová — violin, Rebeka Kotar — violin, Miriam Minkova-Rogalska — violin, Markéta Prudilová — cello, Maximilián Heinrich — double bass, Ondřej Kamenický — double bass, Eliška Michálková — flute, Tereza Vodáková — flute, Jana Slavíková — oboe, Natálie Hrdová — clarinet, Alicja Oleksak — clarinet, Jan Čurda — bassoon, Viktor Sabol — bassoon, Jindřich Zýka — French horn, Armando Giordano — trumpet, Michael Vittoriobell — trumpet, Tereza Čapková — trombone, Tomáš Pavíček — trombone, Milan Dotlačil — percussion, Jakub Hřebíček — percussion
Tutors
Ševčík Jiří — flute, Vašina Zdeněk — French horn, Špačková Romana — violin, Pavliš Jindřich — clarinet, Hoznedr Ivan — percussion, Klečka Pavel — double bass, Zaal Svatopluk — trumpet, Fürbach Václav — bassoon, Svoboda Stanislav — viola, Pospíšil Lukáš — cello, Adam Jan — violin, Vrba Miloslav — violin, Penk Stanislav — trombone, Souček Jan — oboe
Audition for the Orchestral Academy
The application deadline is 3 May 2026.
Audition dates:
12 May 2026 – strings and 13 May 2026 – winds + percussion.
Audition venue: KD Ládví, Burešova 1661/2, 182 00 Prague 8 - Kobylisy (Metro Line C, Ládví)
Additional compulsory pieces
In addition to the compulsory parts, candidates should prepare the following pieces:
Violin
W. A. Mozart – Concerto No. 3, 4 or 5 (1st movement with cadenza)
1st movement of a 19th- or 20th-century concerto or a comparable piece of a concertante character
Viola
1st and 2nd movements with cadenza from a concerto of the Classical period (e.g. Stamitz, Hoffmeister)
Cello
J. Haydn: Cello Concerto in C major or D major, 1st movement
First movement of a Romantic concerto OR P. I. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra
Double bass
1st and 2nd movements of a concerto from the Classical or Romantic period
Flute
W. A. Mozart: Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, K. 313, 1st and 2nd movements
Oboe
W. A. Mozart: Concerto in C major, K. 314, 1st and 2nd movements
Clarinet
1st and 2nd movements of W. A. Mozart's Concerto in A major, K. 622
Bassoon
1st and 2nd movements of W. A. Mozart's Concerto in B-flat major, K. 191
OR
C. M. von Weber's Concerto in F major, Op. 75
Trumpet
J. N. Hummel: Concerto in E-flat major, 1st and 2nd movements
OR
J. Haydn: Concerto in E-flat major, 1st and 2nd movements
French horn
W. A. Mozart: Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major
Trombone
Ferdinand David: Concertino for trombone and piano, 1st and 2nd movements (download score: 1st movement, 2nd movement)
Percussion
compulsory parts only
