PRESS RELEASE Brno, 4 July 2019
The Sunday concert at the Musikfestwoche festival in Meiringen, Swityerland, and our performance at the Pohoda festival close the curtain next Thursday on Brno Philharmonic’s 63rd season. And it was a groundbreaking season, beginning with the appointment of our new Chief Conductor, Dennis Russell Davies, to head the orchestra. “I learned in my very first concert that the orchestra loves to perform, and the more dramatic the setting, the better! Live Czech Radio, sold out houses, completely new and challenging repertory, all this only stimulates our musicians’ adventurous spirits,” says Davies of his first season in Brno.
Average concert visitor numbers, audience sizes and number of sold-out concerts again rose compared to the 62nd season. “There was such great interest in some concerts that there weren’t even enough standing tickets, including our celebrations of Bernstein’s 100th birthday, Dvořák’s New World Symphony, and also more adventurous programmes such as Ives – Harrison – Dvořák and Čiurlionis – Martinů – Beethoven,“ says Director of Filharmonie Brno, Marie Kučerová. She stresses that she really appreciates the way the audience received newer compositions. Here, she is in agreement with our Chief Conductor. “I was thrilled to meet an audience that responds to music by Adams, Harrison, Kabelac, Winbeck, and Corigliano with ovations and listens to Mozart, Berlioz, and Dvorak in rapt stillness,” says Davies.
There are two experiences which have most embedded in his memories. “I will never forget watching Balduin Sulzer acknowledging the warm applause in Besedni dum after hearing his cadenza to Mozart‘s C Minor Piano Concerto. Balduin sadly passed away just a few weeks later – it was the last premiere performance he would hear. And the second experience was the applause following Dvorak‘s 1st Symphony in Vienna‘s Musikverein,” says Davies.
The orchestra performed eight Czech premieres during the past season, with five concerts broadcast live by Czech Radio Vltava, and also played by the Euroradio network (EBU).
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63rd season (at the hall at the Stadium]: In total 58 concerts, audience of 22 185, 20x Standing+ tickets
62nd season (at the hall at the Stadium): In total 57 concerts, audience of 20 799, 19x Standing+ tickets
61st season (at Janáček Theatre): In total 59 concerts, audience of 23 416, 13x Standing+ tickets
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Media contact:
Kateřina Konečná, Head of PR and Marketing, Filharmonie Brno
+420 775 426 040, katerina.konecna@filharmonie-brno.cz