FEB 26, 2025 7:30 PM
Dirk
Geoff
Drs.
PROGRAMNOTES
SYMPHONY IN D MAJOR, OP. 23 “SINFONIA IN RE MAGGIORE”: I. ALLEGRO CON BRIO JAN VÁCLAV HUGO VOŘÍŠEK (1791-1825)
Czech composer, pianist, and organist Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek (pronounced VORHzheh-shek) was a child prodigy who began performing throughout Bohemian towns at just nine years old. He studied philosophy, piano, and composition at the University of Prague before moving to Vienna to study law at age 22. Immersing himself in Vienna’s vibrant musical culture, he met with several leading composers of the era, most notably Franz Schubert, with whom he formed a fast friendship. While practicing law, Voříšek continued composing and seeking musical employment. In 1822 he at last secured a position as a court organist, a post he held for three years until his untimely death from tuberculosis at the young age of 34.
Unlike his more renowned contemporaries, Voříšek produced only a handful of largescale works in his short life. He composed just one symphony, the Symphony in D major, and it remained unpublished during his lifetime. Regardless, the work is a treasure; it remains Voříšek’s most famous work and the first major Czech symphony to enter the 19th-century symphonic repertoire. With its beautifully crafted melodies with striking dramatic flair, the work has been described as, “The Beethoven symphony which Schubert never got around to writing.”
Tonight’s program features the first of the Symphony in D’s four movements. This Allegro is rich with elegant phrasing and colorful orchestration, evoking the spirit of Beethoven’s early symphonies. Its contrasting dynamics, subtle chromaticism, and sudden shifts between major and minor modes create a captivating listening experience from start to finish.
VIOLIN CONCERTO IN E MINOR, OP. 64
FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
At just 26 years old, Felix Mendelssohn was appointed principal conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1835. One of his first decisions in this role was to name his childhood friend and virtuoso violinist, Ferdinand David, as concertmaster. From this close collaboration emerged one of the most important and frequently performed works in the violin repertoire: Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor.
Mendelssohn first mentioned the concerto in a letter to David dated July 1838: “I should like to write a violin concerto for you…. One in E minor runs through my head, the beginning of which gives me no peace.” Over the next six years, he maintained regular correspondence with David, who provided invaluable guidance throughout Mendelssohn’s composition process. In fact, this was the first major violin concerto written with input from a professional violinist – a collaboration that would influence many later composer-performer partnerships.
Mendelssohn completed the concerto in September 1844 and David premiered it six months later. The work was met with immediate acclaim, earning enthusiastic praise from
audiences and critics alike, and its popularity endures today. Not only does it remain a beloved concert piece with orchestras worldwide, but mastery of the work is considered essential for all aspiring concert violinists. The famous nineteenth-century violinist Joseph Joachim ranked the E minor concerto among the greatest examples of the genre, stating that while Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruch each wrote concertos of immense genius and beauty, “…the most inward, the heart's jewel, is Mendelssohn's.”
The Violin Concerto in E minor follows the traditional “fast-slow-fast” three movement structure, but with several striking innovations. The movements are played without pause, defying the conventional breaks between sections in concertos of the time. Additionally, rather than opening with an extended orchestral preamble, the first movement begins with a mere measure and a half of orchestral introduction before the solo violin enters with its famous theme. A sophisticated interplay between the violin and orchestra unfolds, leading into the celebrated violin cadenza. Here, Mendelssohn once again departure from the norm: rather than leaving it to the soloist to improvise, he fully composed the cadenza himself. Marked by breathtaking speed and virtuosity, this brilliant passage culminates in a spirited coda, which ends with a single sustained bassoon note that seamlessly transitions into the second movement.
The Andante follows a ternary structure, its outer sections characterized by a tender, songlike melody, while the middle section shifts to a darker, minor-key atmosphere. A brief transition for strings and solo violin leads into the lively finale. Vibrantly active orchestral lines set off the dazzling passage of constant sixteenth notes in the violin. While the music seems to effortlessly shimmer, the finale is an extreme technical challenge for soloist and orchestra alike. The speed and energy increase steadily until the concerto concludes emphatically with a high-spirited coda.
PIANO CONCERTO IN G MINOR, OP. 33
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Born in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Antonín Dvořák rose steadily to fame as his nation’s most celebrated composer. Known for his Czech nationalist style, much of his work reflects his heritage in title, form, and/or musical material. Dvořák’s stardom remained largely insulated within his home country until 1875, when he caught the attention of renowned German composer Johannes Brahms. Brahms deeply admired Dvořák’s talent and took it upon himself to help the young composer launch his career, recommending him to a Berlin publisher and even procuring financial support so he could focus solely on composition. Over the next two decades Dvořák’s reputation spread rapidly throughout Europe and beyond, securing his place among the most venerated Czech composers.
Dvořák wrote his Piano Concerto in G minor over the course of one month in 1876. It was the first of his three total concertos – the Violin Concerto, Op. 53 followed in 1879, and the Cello Concerto, Op. 104 in 1894. Despite its significance, the piano concerto remains the least performed of the three, largely due to how unconventional it was for its time. During this time, Dvořák’s compositional style was shifting away from the traditional concept of Romantic concertos established by players like Chopin and Liszt, which emphasized expression driven by dazzling technical displays of virtuosity. Instead, he chose to switch the focus from the prowess of the performer to the content of the music itself, a shift Dvořák himself summed up when he wrote, “I see I am unable to write a Concerto for a virtuoso; I must think of other things.”
While critics and pianists mostly recognized the work’s innovation, many found its piano writing inefficient. Performers tended to deem the work too little reward for such staggering effort; Australian pianist Leslie Howard described it as, “a magnificent piece of music, but one of the most ungainly bits of piano writing ever printed.” Esteemed Czech pianist Vilém Kurz created a heavily revised version, modifying the piano part to be less cumbersome to play as well as much showier in the vein of conventional concertos. For decades, Kurz’s version dominated concert performances, but in recent years interest in Dvořák’s original score has grown. Tonight’s program presents the composer’s own imaginative, richly expressive, and coloristic (if “ungainly”) piano writing in its authentic form.
SYMPHONY NO. 9 IN E MINOR, OP. 95 "FROM THE NEW WORLD" ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
As Antonin Dvořák’s renown spread across Europe and into America, he caught the attention of one Jeannette Thurber – an artistic visionary and one of the first major patrons of classical composers in the United States. Thurber had established the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York City and extended an invitation to Dvořák to become the conservatory’s director. He accepted the offer and in September 1892 sailed to America, where he remained for nearly three years. In addition to overseeing the conservatory, he was expected to contribute to Thurber’s vision cultivating a uniquely American orchestral tradition. It was during this chapter that Dvořák composed his famous Symphony No. 9, subtitled “From the New World.”
While working on the symphony, Dvořák wrote in a letter, “The influence of America in it must be felt by everyone who has any ‘nose’ at all.” Indeed, his experiences in America –particularly his introduction to African American spirituals, Native American music, and the country’s vast open landscapes – all shaped the work. He later reflected, “I would never have written it ‘just so’ had I never seen America.” The New York Philharmonic premiered the symphony at Carnegie Hall on December 16, 1893. It was an instant success, universally acclaimed by critics and hugely popular with both the general public and the musical world at large.
Dvořák begins New World with a slow and pensive introduction that is abruptly shattered by a foreboding motif in the low strings and brass. A timpani roll signals the start of the movement proper, its bold primary theme in the horns and woodwinds succeeded by lighter secondary melodies. The famous second movement features the well-known, exquisite English horn melody that was later adapted by one of Dvořák’s students into the popular spiritual song “Goin’ Home” (1922).
The third movement scherzo reflects Dvořák’s Czech heritage in its dance rhythms and lilting melodic lines. Structured in ternary form, it balances energetic outer sections with a more leisurely, folk-inspired central passage. The grand finale ties the symphony together: following an emphatic statement of the powerful main theme, melodies from prior movements return, bringing Dvořák’s musical journey full circle.
Notes by Laney Boyd
BIOGRAPHY
CZECH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Over the past 30 years the Czech National Symphony Orchestra has grown to become one of the leading Czech ensembles, currently ranking among the most highly sought- after orchestras in Europe. Its glowing reputation can be attributed to the members’ versatility, performing a wide range of genres, spanning classical works, film music and jazz, as well as musicals, which attract large domestic and international audiences.
Notable conductors, composers and film directors who have been collaborating with the orchestra or who worked with them at concerts and in the CNSO Studio in Prague include Lalo Schifrin, Pino Donaggio, Giuliano Taviani, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Quentin Tarantino, Vince Mendoza, Giuseppe Tornatore, Carl Davis, Steven Mercurio, Marcello Rota, Vladimir Cosma, Christian Lindberg and Chick Corea.
We should also mention the valuable and long-standing collaboration the orchestra enjoyed with the legendary Ennio Morricone (1928-2020), involving studio recordings and a series of concerts performed on numerous European tours. In the studio the orchestra has recorded a wealth of wonderful music, including a Christmas album with acclaimed tenors Plácido Domingo and Vittorio Grigolo, as well as music for Tarantino’s Western The Hateful Eight. On the strength of the aforementioned concert collaboration, the composer Ennio Morricone also booked the Czech National Symphony Orchestra for a recording, and they subsequently created a truly exceptional soundtrack together at
London’s famous Abbey Road studio. Morricone’s music went on to pick up a number of awards, among them a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and an Oscar.
In recent years, artists to have performed on several occasions with the orchestra include Andrea Bocelli, Rolando Villazón, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Jonas Kaufmann, as well as Piotr Beczala, while in the field of pop music collaborations have included top names such as Sting, George Michael, Natalie Cole, Dianne Reeves, Angélique Kidjo, Denise Donatelli and Ute Lemper, along with instrumentalists James Morrison, Branford & Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Shew, Joe Lovano, John Abercrombie, John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Chick Corea and many more.
Since 2005, the CNSO has organized the Prague Proms International Music Festival, and it is also its resident ensemble. In 2012, the Prague Proms o. p. s. agency took over the organization of the festival directly. In addition to its subscription series the orchestra also travels abroad on international tours. Alongside almost all countries in Europe, the CNSO has performed in places as far flung as the United States, Japan, Australia, South Korea, China, Dubai, Oman, Canada and Mexico.
In the spring of 2016, the orchestra travelled on a tour of the United States, where (after a successful concert at the 2015 Prague Proms festival) it performed a spectac- ular show Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert.
2017 saw the orchestra head off on a month-long European tour with film composers Ennio Morricone and James Newton Howard. 2018 brought an interesting opportunity for the orchestra to tour Europe with the acclaimed musical La La Land, and notably, as part of the Symphonic Cinema project, they toured the UK for nearly two months, performing a programme of box-office Hollywood evergreens, conducted by Ben Palmer.
In 2019 the orchestra set off on a promising extended tour of the United States, however, at the beginning of 2020, it was forced to scale back its concert activities due to the global pandemic. Nevertheless, the ensemble responded quickly to the changing landscape by arranging its live performances online. The orchestra is currently launching its new internet platform NetConcert.
The CNSO’s activities on the concert platform have now resumed their standard tempo. After accompanying Plácido Domingo at his performance in the Czech Republic during the summer of 2021, it accepted a collaboration with the world-famous writer and composer Dan Brown, performing his Wild Symphony in Prague.
The orchestra is currently based at the above-mentioned recording Studio No. 1, otherwise known as the “Gallery”, where it has earned several gold CDs for the sale of more than 30,000 media, also the Gustav Mahler Prize for the interpretation of the composer’s works and, in particular, prestigious contracts with IMG Artists in London and APM in New York.
A long-term recording project in cooperation with the Japanese publishing house JVC Victor Entertainment stands out as yet another significant achievement, so far resulting in fifty CDs and 8 DVDs.
The notional pinnacle for the CNSO was the Grammy Award it won in April 2022 in the category “Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals”. The award was given for the composition To The Edge of Longing from Vince Mendoza’s record Freedom Over Everything.
The notional pinnacle for the CNSO was the Grammy Award it won in April 2022 in the category “Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals”. The award was given for the composition To The Edge of Longing from Vince Mendoza’s record Freedom Over Everything.Vince Mendoza was nominated twice for two different tracks from this al- bum, which was recorded together with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in the CNSO’s Studio No. 1. Moreover, the orchestra’s director Jan Hasenöhrl was also the initiator of the project and the record’s producer.
Trumpet player Jan Hasenöhrl launched the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in 1993 together with legendary conductor Zdeněk Košler; the ensemble then enjoyed ten wonderful years under the direction of American conductor Paul Freeman (1996–2006).
From 2007 the orchestra was led by chief conductor Libor Pešek. This partnership was exceptional, whether they were working together in concert during their subscription series or on the five hugely successful tours around Great Britain. These concerts have earned the CNSO an enviable reputation with British audiences, and the orchestra regularly returns to the country.
One particularly noteworthy, historic achievement was the recording marathon undertaken between 2007 and 2017 when, led by Libor Pešek, the CNSO made a complete recording of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies.
In the spring of 2019, following the departure of Libor Pešek, the post of conductor was assumed by American artist Steven Mercurio. This outstanding musician, a pupil of Leonard Bernstein, has been working with the orchestra for several years now, a collaboration that continues to deliver a number of exceptional projects.
MAXIM LANDO PIANIST
American pianist Maxim Lando has been described as a “dazzling fire-eater” (ARTS San Francisco) and “a total musical being” (The New Criterion). He was lauded by Anthony Tommasini in the New York Times as displaying “brilliance and infectious exuberance” combined with “impressive delicacy” and a “wild-eyed danger.”
Maxim first made international headlines performing together with Lang Lang, Chick Corea, and The Philadelphia Orchestra led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Carnegie Hall’s 2017 Opening Night Gala. Since then, he has performed with major orchestras around the world including Pittsburgh Symphony, Russian National Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Mariinsky
Theater Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, and many others.
A recipient of the prestigious Gilmore Young Artist Award, Maxim is also First Prize winner in both the 2022 New York Franz Liszt International Competition and The Vendome Prize 2021/22. He continues to garner international attention on the largest stages, this past year returning to Carnegie Hall to perform Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 with Orchestra of St. Luke’s led by Gabor Hollerung. As winner of the 2021 Juilliard Concerto Competition, he made his Alice Tully Hall debut performing Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Juilliard Orchestra led by Xian Zhang.
In 2020 Maxim was named Musical America’s New Artist of the Month, and in 2018 at the age 16, Maxim won First Prize at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. His following soldout recital debuts at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall and the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater included Liszt’s complete Transcendental Etudes and were hailed by the New York Times as a concert “You Won’t Want To Miss!” Maxim has been featured as a Guest Artist at numerous festivals including Gilmore Piano Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Kissinger Sommer (Germany), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival (Germany), Ravinia Festival, Rising Stars Munich, and Musical Olympus International Festival (Russia). Recital highlights include performances at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, Carnegie Hall Presents, Symphony Hall in Shenzhen, Chicago’s Millennium Park, Lied Center of Kansas, Beethoven Haus in Bonn, GRAMMY Salute to Classical Music, and University of Georgia Athens Presents.
He was invited by Lang Lang to perform for the historic opening of Steinway and Sons in Beijing, and performed Rachmaninoff 3rd Concerto for an outdoor audience of 50,000 people with Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in Madison, Wisconsin.
Maxim is a passionate chamber musician, collaborating with artists such as Daniel Hope, Julian Rachlin, Lynn Harrell, and the Danish String Quartet. He was awarded a 2023 International Classical Music Award (ICMA) for “Into Madness” (recorded by Bavarian Radio on Berlin Classics) with German violinist Tassilo Probst.
Maxim is an alumnus of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, and studies with longtime mentor Hung-Kuan Chen at The Juilliard School.
SANDY CAMERON VIOLINIST
Declared “brilliant” by the Washington Post, violinist Sandy Cameron is one of the most strikingly unique artists of her generation. Since her debut at the age of 12 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Ms. Cameron has performed extensively as a soloist throughout the world. Here are some highlights of Sandy’s work:
Places and Orchestras: Ms. Cameron has been recognized on stages worldwide and in a variety of settings. The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Adelaide Festival of the Arts in Australia are among a number of unique performance experiences Ms. Cameron has had. She has appeared at venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany, and the Sydney Opera House. Ms. Cameron has collaborated with numerous orchestras, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Kirov Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, and Tokyo Philharmonic.
On Stage: The most noteworthy, and a truly rewarding experience of Ms. Cameron’s career as a concert soloist is Danny Elfman's Violin Concerto, "Eleven Eleven". Mr. Elfman wrote this concerto for Ms. Cameron, and she had the great pleasure and honor of presenting the world premiere with conductor John Mauceri at the Prague Proms in June 2017. It was received with great success, and Ms. Cameron continues to enjoy performing the piece for audiences worldwide. Other recent special stage appearances include her partnership with Marco Beltrami on Bach by Beltrami, as well as performances for Cirque du Soleil, Tan Dun’s Martial Arts Trilogy, and Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton. Ms. Cameron
has also been a featured guest in performances with renowned jazz trumpeter-composer Chris Botti, with whom she has toured globally. Additionally, Ms. Cameron has written and performed her own musical arrangements for a number of productions at the Hollywood Bowl, including Disney's The Nightmare Before Christmas Live in Concert, Disney's The Little Mermaid Live in Concert, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Live in Concert, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Live in Concert.
In the Studio: Versatile in her abilities as an artist, Ms. Cameron also enjoys musical engagements off the stage. In 2018, she recorded the Elfman Violin Concerto with Maestro Mauceri and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, available on Sony Classical. Currently, she is featured as a soloist in Bear McCreary’s music for Season 1 of Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Ms. Cameron is also featured soloist on soundtracks to John Powell’s Migration and The Call of the Wild, Bear McCreary’s, The Professor and The Madman, Cirque Du Soleil’s IRIS, the video games Call of Duty: Vanguard and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, the History Channel’s Houdini, and more.
The outstanding violin used by Ms. Cameron, crafted by Pietro Guarnerius of Venice, c. 1735, is on extended loan through the generous efforts of the Stradivari Society® of Chicago.
STEVEN MERCURIO
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Maestro Steven Mercurio is an internationally acclaimed conductor and composer who is currently the Music Director of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Notably, Mercurio also served as Music Director of the Spoleto Festival for five years and Principal Conductor for the Opera Company of Philadelphia. A sought after collaborator for many award winning recordings, arrangements and film projects.
For the stage, he has conducted more than sixty different operas in seven different languages. His engagements have taken him to many of the world's best loved opera houses. In addition to Maestro Mercurio's operatic repertoire, his symphonic appearances have spanned the globe appearing throughout Europe, Australia, the Far East and broadly throughout the United States.
Maestro Mercurio has conducted countless operatic and symphonic television broadcasts including the internationally acclaimed, ”Christmas in Vienna" series highlighted by the best-selling “Three Tenors” (Carreras – Domingo – Pavarotti). Distinguished telecasts have also included Maestro Mercurio conducting the RAI's production of “Christmas from the Church of San Francesco in Assisi,” or Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 with his own Czech National Symphony Orchestra for ARTE in commemoration of the Beethoven 250th Anniversary celebration.
As a composer, Maestro Mercurio's compositions include songs, chamber works, and pieces for large orchestra. His large scale orchestral work, ”For Lost Loved Ones," was given its world premiere by Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. "Mercurial Overture," was given its world premiere by the Oslo Philharmonic in a live concert telecast honoring the Nobel Peace Prize winners, Médicins sans Frontières. Maestro Mercurio’s symphony, “A Grateful Tail,” is based on American playwright Eugene O’Neill’s “Last Will and Testament of Silverdene Emblem O’Neill” and premiered in Prague in 2013.
Maestro Mercurio is an acclaimed and sought after arranger and collaborator and has created arrangements for a wide array of performers across multiple genres including Sting and Chick Corea. Most recently, he served as arranger, conductor and producer for Andrea Bocelli’s best-selling recording “Believe.” In 2022, he produced, arranged and conducted superstar crossover cellist HAUSER’s new recording for Sony Masterworks, “The Player.”
CZECH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ROSTER
VIOLIN I
Alexej Rosik
Martin Bialas
Zuzana Bialasova
David Sroubek
Petr Zimanyi
Monika Zimanyi
Richard Valasek
Libor Kanka
Sara Zverinova
Bence Fazekas
VIOLIN II
Stepan Lauda
Jiri Kohoutek
Andrea Astrabova
Ivana Morysova
Katerina Rihova
David Vorac
Iva Jaske Prihonska
David Pleva
VIOLA
Vladimir Paulen
Michal Demeter
Aneta Novotna
Miroslav Novotny
Zuzana Korenova
Irena Stranska
VIOLONCELLO
Daniel Baran
Rudolf Mrazik
Olga Bilkova
Viktor Vondracek
DOUBLE BASS
Silvia Gerykova
Marek Ondrej
FLUTE
Tim Kadlec
Sarah Steffekova
OBOE
Marta Bila
Tserennadmid Boldbaatar
BASSOON
Samuel Bercik
Ondrej Vasku
FRENCH HORN
Ales Janousek
Pavel Chomoucky
TRUMPET
Jan Hykrda
Roman Kubat
PERCUSSION
Lukas Tvrdy
Co Čech, to muzikant!
“Every
Czech is a musician”
The Czech Language Foundation is dedicated to preserving and promoting the beauty and vitality of Czech language and culture at the University of Nebraska.
Taught at the University since 1907, the Czech language program provides students the opportunity to learn about the rich Czech culture and language, guided by a first-class professor.
Music plays a powerful role in the history and culture of the Czech people, as they say, “every Czech is a musician.” If you enjoyed this performance by the Czech Symphony, we hope you’ll consider supporting the Czech Language Foundation to preserve this unique program for generations to come.
Learn more at www.czechlanguagefoundation.org
