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Czech National Concert Band Members Attend Music Conference in the USA
Chicago, Illinois – Every December, the city of Chicago becomes a magnet for musicians from around the world thanks to an event known as the Midwest Clinic. This prestigious music education event, held at McCormick Place, attracts thousands of participants and performers each year. It is the largest music education event in the world. This year, ten members of the Czech National Concert Band (CNCB) traveled to Chicago.
The members of our orchestra had the opportunity to attend numerous music lectures as well as concerts featuring top-tier wind orchestras from around the world. Among the performers were the outstanding United States Coast Guard Band, renowned chamber ensembles such as Dallas Brass and Seraph Brass, and big bands including The United States Coast Guard Big Band. The musical highlight of the visit to Chicago was attending a concert by the Chicago Symphony, one of the most highly regarded orchestras in the world, providing an unforgettable experience for the Czech participants.
In addition to musical education and inspiration, the participants also took the opportunity to explore the beauty of Chicago. The city offers a wealth of cultural landmarks. They visited iconic buildings such as the Willis Tower, Chinatown, Millennium Park, the famous Navy Pier, and the Chicago Zoo. The experience was further enriched by tasting typical American cuisine and attending an NHL hockey game.
Participating in the Midwest Clinic is not only a chance for professional growth but also an invaluable experience for young musicians and their educators.
Czech National Concert Band Once Again Enthralls the Beroun Audience
On February 15, 2025, the Czech National Concert Band held its fourth consecutive concert at KD Plzeňka in Beroun. This time, the program, titled “Around the Musical World,” was part of the 43rd edition of the Talichův Beroun International Music Festival, themed “Václav Talich – A Man of the World.” As always, the band prepared for the concert over two weekends at the Elementary Art School in Přelouč.
The concert opened with Triumphal Prelude by Thomas Doss, conducted by guest conductor Jiří Pohnán. Following the opening piece, the orchestra was led by the chief conductor of the Central Military Band of the Czech Armed Forces, Jaroslav Šíp. A highlight of the first half of the concert was the Czech premiere of Ponte Vecchio by Japanese composer Satoshi Yagisawa, performed by Michal Chmelař, director of the Elementary Art School in Přelouč and founder of the Czech National Concert Band. Young and talented flutist Viktorie Pilzová then captivated the audience with Concertino for Flute by French composer Cécile Chaminade, arranged by Roger Niese.
After the more intimate first half, the orchestra unleashed its full potential in the fiery Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez and Cuban Overture by George Gershwin. The audience was completely enchanted by the orchestra’s rich and beautiful sound in Sinatra’s greatest hits, including New York, New York, Something Stupid, Fly Me to the Moon, and My Way, as well as Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade.
The young musicians were rewarded with prolonged standing ovations from the audience.
Autumn concerts
On October 12, the band performed in Suk Hall at the House of Music in Pardubice, joined by its Austrian guests. The Swarovski Musik Wattens Concert Band, which won first place at the international competition in Prague two years ago, accepted the invitation to this joint concert and performed in the first half of the program. Under the baton of their conductor Stefan Köhl, the orchestra, a resident ensemble of the Swarovski company, delivered an outstanding performance. The repertoire included works by Philip Sparke, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Alfred Reed. In the second half, the Czech National Concert Band took the stage under the direction of its chief conductor Václav Blahunek. The highlight of the evening was a performance by trumpeter Jiří Houdek, who presented Vincenzo Bellini’s Concerto for Oboe.
The band’s second autumn performance was part of the inaugural Swing Festival in Pardubice. The orchestra concluded the festival with a gala evening, once again conducted by Václav Blahunek, presenting a special program tailored to the event. The repertoire featured works by George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, and Glenn Miller. The soloist of the evening was clarinetist and saxophonist Felix Slováček Jr., who performed Artie Shaw’s Concerto for Clarinet and, as an encore, played the soprano saxophone with a virtuosic rendition of Waldyr de Azevedo’s Amorador.
The Czech National Concert Band concluded its performances for this year but is already inviting audiences to its next concert at the Talichův Beroun Festival, which will take place at the Plzeňka Cultural House in Beroun on February 15, 2025.
The Czech National Concert Band Paid Tribute to Smetana and Shakespeare with Two Concerts
The Czech National Concert Band didn’t take a break during the summer and accepted an invitation to perform at two significant events.
On Friday, July 26, the band performed at the prestigious Shakespeare Festival in Litomyšl. In the beautiful setting of the riding hall at Litomyšl Castle, they presented a program that combined the works of Litomyšl native Bedřich Smetana with those of the greatest playwright of all time, William Shakespeare. Under the baton of chief conductor Václav Blahunek, the concert opened with Smetana’s majestic March for Shakespeare’s Festivities. This was followed by the world premiere of Sonnet 18, a composition by Jiří Kabát, which skillfully set Shakespeare’s verses to music. The solo part was performed by soprano Irena Pohl Houkalová, founder of the ZUŠ Open festival and director of the Magdalena Kožená Endowment Fund.
The event in Litomyšl was organized under the auspices of the ZUŠ Open festival. The program continued with the energetic Skočná and Mařenka’s aria from the opera The Bartered Bride, and the finale featured two Slavonic Dances by Antonín Dvořák. On Saturday, July 27, the band performed in the picturesque southern gardens of Prague Castle. Once again with soprano Irena Pohl Houkalová and conductor Václav Blahunek, they presented the same concert program from the previous day, this time enriched with additional arias and overtures by Smetana and Dvořák. The performance concluded with Fučík’s Florentine March and Kmoch’s Music, Music.
The band will return to the stage in autumn with two concerts in Pardubice. On October 12, they will perform in Suk Hall at the House of Music, where they will accompany trumpeter Jiří Houdek. On November 2, everyone is warmly invited to the swing festival at Ideon Hall, where the band will take part in the final gala concert with Felix Slováček Jr.
Concerts for the Year of Czech Music
On May 20 and 21, the Czech National Concert Band performed in five concerts titled “Treasures of Czech Music.” Four of the concerts were designed as educational programs for children, and the final one was a gala concert in Přelouč for the general public. The concerts were organized by NIPOS Artama in cooperation with the Přelouč School of the Arts.
The orchestra played under the baton of its chief conductor, Václav Blahunek. The soloist for the concerts was soprano Eliška Tomeňuková.
The first two concerts took place in the Suk Hall of the House of Music in Pardubice, and on the second day, the orchestra moved to the Civic Hall in Přelouč. Nearly one thousand listeners, mostly young people, attended the concerts. The program featured works by Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, and Bohuslav Martinů.
The Czech National Concert Band thanks NIPOS Artama for their significant assistance in preparing these exceptional concerts.