catalogue

By all his works Antonín Dvořák contributed to the national and international music a respected original value. He composed three concertos, the first of them being the Piano Concerto written in 1876. This poetical concerto is noted for its original musical fantasy. In the first sonata movement Allegro agitato, the balladic-heroic main theme is contrasted with the double-edged side theme, combining a singing cantabile with lively motion. The second slow movement Andante sostenuto is lyrical and deeply emotional, and the third movement Allegro con fuoco alternates various moods. In the end, the joy and happy cheer prevail.

Martin Kasík (1976) studied at Prague´s Academy of Music. He has won a number of awards, one of them being the prestigious international competition “Young Concert Artist” in New York in 1999, which launched his international career with concerts in some of the world´s most important music centres and concert halls, such as the Concertgebow in Amsterdam, the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, the Auditorio in Barcelona, the Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington and Tokyo´s Suntory Hall. Alongside recital programmes, Kasík is also a sought-after soloist for orchestral concerts. He has appeared with orchestras such as the New York Chamber Orchestra, Singapore Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and others. In 2003 he toured the USA twice and had his debut in the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Jiří Kout launched his musical career at the Tyl Theatre in Pilsen. He was dismissed from the theatre after publicly expressing his opposition to the military intervention of Czechoslovakia in 1968. After several years he was allowed to work in the National Theatre. After a successful guest appearance in Düsseldorf he decided to stay abroad. During his long carrier he has worked in the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, he has been Music Director of the Saarbrücken Opera House, he has collaborated with Deutche Oper in Berlin, has worked as General Music Director of the Leipzig Opera House. Apart from Czech music, especially Janáček, he specialises in the operatic works of Richard Strauss and Wagner for which he is a sought-after conductor in leading opera houses in Europe and overseas. Kout is also a superb symphonic conductor appearing with the leading orchestras all over the world. Since 1998 he has been the Chief Conductor of the St Gallen Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland.