Dvořák Prague Festival 2019: featuring a star lineup

The 11th season of the Dvořák Prague Festival, held in September 2018, brought the culmination of a period during which the festival's program and overall concept was created by a team headed by Artistic Director Marek Vrabec. His distinctive approach will leave its mark on next year's edition of the event as well because the basic programming axis for 2019 has already been established.

Since 2013, when Marek Vrabec took over the helm of the programming of Dvořák Prague, the festival has established itself as an outstanding event whose importance transcends the borders of the Czech Republic. "I've decided that this extraordinary edition of the festival will be the last season during which I will be in the role of its artistic director. I'm delighted to have had the opportunity to take part in the organization of this magnificent project, and I'm grateful for the creative freedom I have enjoyed thanks to Karel Komárek. It's been a great honor," said Vrabec.

Already now, it is clear that the 2019 edition will allow listeners experience a host of extraordinary performances. Together with announcing changes in the organization team, Marek Vrabec unveiled some of the programming features of Dvořák Prague 2019. Next year's season will see the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which will be conducted by legendary conductor Zubin Mehta on his last tour with the ensemble. Other artists who will attend include violinist Gil Shaham, who will act as the curator of the festival's chamber music series, and pianist Ivo Pogorelich who will perform a recital. Another exceptional event that is certain to delight spectators will be the premiere of the first version of Dvořák's opera King and Charcoal Burner.

On this occasion, Robert Kolář, Director of the Academy of Classical Music, thanked Marek Vrabec for the fundamentally important role he has played in the preparation of the previous seasons of the festival as well as for the artistic quality and prestige in cultural circles the event has gained under his leadership. "I'd like to quote Antonín Dvořák who told students at the Prague Conservatory during one of his lectures, 'Conceiving a beautiful idea is nothing overly special. An idea comes on its own, and if it's beautiful and grand, it is not thanks to an effort on the person's part. However, taking an idea and using it to create something extraordinary, that is the difficult part, that is true art!´ I might add that Marek Vrabec's team has succeeded in transforming a beautiful idea into an exceptional artistic achievement," said Robert Kolář.

He added that the overall concept of the Academy of Classical Music would undergo a change in the upcoming months. "Thanks to the lasting support of the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, we will continue to develop the Dvořák Prague Festival in the years to come, make sure that it is regarded as an important pan-European project, and, at the same time, honor the legacy of one of the world's greatest music composers in a systematic way," explained Kolář, adding that the Academy of Classical Music will announce new activities and projects aimed at honoring the legacy of Antonín Dvořák and much more in the coming weeks.