An evening full of music came to life at the KD Plzeňka as part of the Talich’s Beroun 2024 music festival and was the culmination of the third year of conducting courses. Maestros Václav Blahunek and Štěpán Med showed that the conductor’s baton is a musical magic wand in their hands, which they used to create a unique atmosphere full of emotions.

The stage was dominated by the technical brilliance of the clarinetist Ludmila Peterkova and the charming voice of the soprano singer Eliska Tomeňuková. Although the evening was devoted mainly to Czech composers such as Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček and Bohuslav Martinů, the Clarinet Concerto by Philip Sparke, which had its Czech premiere here in Beroun, brought an international touch.

This piece was a great indicator that despite our czech musical icons, we are still open to new compositions from all over the world. The audience received Spark’s concert with open hearts and applause, which lasted long after the last note. And so the NDO concert at KD Plzeňka reminded us that music is the true universal language that connects us all.