PraguePhil history
We are an authentic orchestra that brings people unforgettable emotions and pushes the boundaries of classical music. For thirty years we have been a proud ambassador of Prague and the Czech Republic abroad.
30 years of love for music
In 1994, thanks to the joint initiative of Jiří Bělohlávek and a group of talented young musicians, a generational orchestra brimming over with energy and passion for music was formed. In 1996 we went on our first Japanese tour, and in 1999 we recorded our first album for Deutsche Grammophon. In the ensuing years we toured the USA, performed at the BBC Proms and, in 2008, honoured the memory of Luciano Pavarotti with a gala concert in Jordan at the invitation of the Jordanian Royal Family. Our regular appearances at the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman, and a tour of the USA in 2017 were also significant milestones and met with rave reviews.
Jiří Bělohlávek's legacy
We are a small orchestra with big ambitions, whose existence is based on strong friendships between players and a devoted love for music. We will forever be linked with the name of our founder Jiří Bělohlávek, who was not only our teacher and mentor, but also took our orchestra onto the international scene.
Our repertoire ranges from Classical and Romantic to contemporary music. Although we are steeped in the chamber music tradition of precision and attention to detail, we have grown into a flexible symphony orchestra capable of emotive interpretation of a wide range of works.
From Prague to all the world over
Our reputation extends far beyond the borders of the Czech Republic. We regularly collaborate with the world's most prestigious festivals, such as the BBC Proms, the Dresdner Musikfestspiele, the Prague Spring Festival and such venues as the Musikverein in Vienna, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco or the Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
We perform with the very best of contemporary conductors and soloists of international renown, but we also enjoy presenting the younger generation of musical talent, such as conductor Oscar Jockel, violinist Bomsori Kim and tenor Pene Pati.
We have shared a stage with such world stars as Luciano Pavarotti, Renée Fleming, Jonathan Tetelman and Juliana Grigoryan, and regularly invite world-renowned soloists such as violinists Anne Akiko Meyers and Midori, pianist Simon Trpčeski, and conductors Harry Bicket and Louis Langrée. Our discography includes dozens of albums on prestigious labels including Deutsche Grammophon, EMI and Warner Music.
Classics full of innovation
Since our very beginnings we have been innovators, even pioneers, in the field of classical music. We were the first orchestra in the Czech Republic to introduce the concept of concerts for children and their parents at the Rudolfinum, and to establish an auditioned orchestral academy for talented young instrumentalists.
We are also the only orchestra in the country that has been organising its own contemporary music series, and for a full twenty years. Neither do we hesitate to connect with other musical genres, as is evidenced by our collaborations with artists such as Joan Baez, Lou Reed and jazzman Wayne Shorter.
The next movement in our symphony: Emmanuel Villaume
After Jiří Bělohlávek, further conductors of the orchestra were Kaspar Zehnder and Jakub Hrůša. Since the 2015-2016 season, the orchestra has been directed by Chief Conductor and Music Director Emmanuel Villaume, whose dedicated leadership has done so much to take the orchestra to even greater heights on its way to becoming a world leader in the interpretation of Classical and Romantic music, as well as to expand its repertoire and to further increase its passion for collaborating with young talent.
It is our wish to be at the forefront of developing musical trends and to bring the classics to modern audiences in new ways. At the same time, we continue in our socially beneficial activities, such as music education for children and concerts for the elderly.
Our strategy includes engaging leading conductors and soloists, expanding the orchestra's repertoire and international profile, and working with specialists who share our artistic vision.
The orchestra’s goal is to consolidate its permanent position among the world's leaders in the performance of Classical and Romantic repertoire and to further promote the Czech Republic as one of the world’s main cradles of top orchestras.
