The Last concert of 2023

The Czech National Concet Band’s (NDO) Christmas concert was once again one of the highlights of the musical calendar this year. Under the baton of chief conductor Václav Blahunek, the concert opened with the Hussite chant “Who are God’s warriors”, which became a symbol of pride and courage during the Hussite wars and was used in the works of several important Czech composers, including Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák. This was followed by “The Rise of the Quetzal” and “Divertimento for Brass and Percussion”, with which the orchestra is preparing to compete at next year’s Flicorno d’Oro international competition in Italy, a major opportunity for every wind ensemble from around the world. An energetic performance of Alexander Carlin’s “Epic Variants” with a solo by Petr Valášek on bass clarinet ended the first half of the evening.

The second half of the concert brought a change of conductor, with Ondřej Mejsnar taking the baton. This part of the evening was mainly dedicated to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Disney. There were pieces such as ‘Symphonic Highlights from Frozen’, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘A Home Alone Christmas’, each with its own unique atmosphere and charm.

The whole evening was a celebration of music that can not only evoke memories and emotions, but also connect the past to the present and show how deeply music can reach into our hearts.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to more musical encounters together.