Belfiato Quintet: 20 Years Together
Twenty years is a remarkable milestone for a chamber ensemble—one that demands not only musical but also personal harmony. Join us in celebrating this special occasion!
Ticket prices:
490 – 2 090 CZK
Date
21/9/2025
Location
St Agnes Convent
Time
11 am
Doors Closed
10.55 am
End of Concert
12.40 pm
Dress Code
Dark suit
Programme Series
Programme
Antonín Rejcha
Luciano Berio
Ludwig van Beethoven
Jean Françaix
Artists
Belfiato Quintet was founded in 2005. The ensemble studied at the Prague Conservatory in the class of Ondřej Roskovec (Czech Philharmonic, Afflatus Quintet) and subsequently at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Prof. Štěpán Koutník. Belfiato also collaborated with Prof. Gottfried Pokorný (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien).
Belfiato Quintet is formed by prominent Czech French horn player Kateřina Javůrková, clarinetist Jiří Javůrek, bassoonist Jan Hudeček, oboist Jan Souček, and flutist Oto Reiprich, who are also members of leading Czech orchestras (such as the Czech Philharmonic, PKF – Prague Philharmonia, and the National Theatre Orchestra). The members of the quintet have received prizes at numerous international competitions, including the ARD Munich, Prague Spring, and Concertino Praga.
The ensemble has won awards at international competitions, such as 1st prize at the Antonín Rejcha Competition at the International Festival in Semmering, Austria. At the International Woodwind Quintet Competition “Henri Tomasi,” held in Marseille in 2011, Belfiato Quintet was awarded 3rd prize along with a special prize for the best interpretation of Henri Tomasi’s composition.
The ensemble performs regularly in the Czech Republic and abroad. In 2024, they appeared at the East Neuk Festival in Scotland. They also showcased Czech repertoire in the chamber music series of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice and at the Czech Embassies in London and Tokyo. They have been part of the concert seasons of the Czech Philharmonic, the Czech Chamber Music Society, and the chamber music series of the Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK) and PKF – Prague Philharmonia. Their collaborations include projects with Czech Television, Czech Radio, the Afflatus Quintet, and mezzo-soprano Dagmar Pecková. At the 2014 Prague Spring Festival, the ensemble performed a recital featuring works by Czech composers, earning high praise for their dedication to the Czech musical tradition.
In June 2017, Belfiato Quintet released its debut CD under the Czech label Supraphon. This was followed by a second, highly successful album, Antonín Rejcha: Wind Quintets (Supraphon, 2019). For their performance of Rejcha’s music on this recording, Belfiato won the 2019 Classic Prague Awards in the category “Chamber Music Performance.” In March 2022, their third album, Elements, was released by Supraphon. In the same year, Belfiato Quintet won the prestigious Prize of the Czech Chamber Music Society.
About the Programme
A festival wouldn’t be complete without a delightful, entertaining, and brilliantly performed morning concert. The Belfiato Quintet takes the stage at the St Agnes Convent, offering a programme where freshness and delight abound. Antonín Rejcha’s music blends Czech musicality with French elegance, while Italian innovator Luciano Berio reveals his gentler side with humorous pieces paired with animal poems. Early Beethoven appears without his later brooding intensity, and Jean Françaix concludes with cheerful neoclassicism that seems to breathe relief after wartime hardship. This is music to make you dance out of the hall.
We thank our partners for supporting the concert
St Agnes Convent
The Convent of St Agnes in the 'Na Františku' neighbourhood of Prague's Old Town is considered the first Gothic structure not only in Prague but in all of Bohemia. It was founded by King Wenceslas I in 1233–34 at the instigation of his sister, the Přemyslid princess Agnes of Bohemia, for the Order of Saint Clare which Agnes introduced into Bohemia and of which she was the first abbess. The convent was preceded by a hospital. The 'Poor Clares' originated as an offshoot of the Order of St Francis of Assisi, and the convent was at one time known as the Prague Assisi. Agnes was an outstanding figure in religious life of the thirteenth century. Besides this Clarist convent she also founded the only Czech religious order – the Hospital Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. She was canonized in 1989.