Concertino Praga 2025 – Final I

The Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice was founded in 1969. Shortly after its establishment  it became one of the leading Czech orchestras (then known as the East Bohemian State Chamber Orchestra) under the leadership of its first Chief Conductor Libor Pešek. Since September 2018, Stanislav Vavřínek has served as its Chief Conductor.

The orchestra organizes traditional subscription cycles as well as special concerts and is increasingly focusing on young and the youngest audiences. Its repertoire primarily centres around Classical and 20th-century music but is regularly enriched with multi-genre and crossover projects, demonstrating that high-quality music can be performed at the highest level across different genres and styles.

The Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice performs not only in its home city but also in other towns across the Pardubice region and throughout the Czech Republic. It is a regular guest at the country’s most prestigious festivals, including the Prague Spring International Music Festival, Smetana’s Litomyšl, Leoš Janáček International Music Festival, Český Krumlov International Music Festival, and others.

The orchestra has appeared on prestigious European stages such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Festspielhaus in Salzburg, Musikverein in Vienna, and Tonhalle in Zurich. It has also toured the USA and China and completed three tours of Japan. The ensemble collaborates with leading Czech and international conductors and soloists, and its extensive discography continues to grow with new recordings for Brilliant Classics, Supraphon, Naxos, and ArcoDiva.

source: Komorní filharmonie Pardubice

Vahan Mardirossian, an Armenian-born conductor and pianist based in France, has been appointed as the new Chief Conductor of the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice. He will assume his new role starting from the 2025/2026 season.

Born in 1975 in Yerevan, Armenia, he began his musical education at the Armenian Komitas Conservatory before continuing his studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he graduated with honours in 1996. Initially pursuing a career as a pianist, he later shifted his focus to conducting, giving his renditions a unique and multi-faceted artistic perspective by drawing from both disciplines.

For many years, he served as Principal Conductor of the Caen Symphony Orchestra in France and as Music Director of the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra. Since 2020, he has been Music Director of the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, where he regularly conducts the orchestral rounds of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. He also collaborates with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and has conducted numerous leading orchestras worldwide.

His discography includes an acclaimed recording of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Stéphanie-Marie Degand and the Caen Symphony Orchestra, as well as a recording of Florentine Mulsant’s Music for Strings with the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra.

Alongside his conducting career, Mardirossian is also an esteemed educator. He teaches at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where he shares his extensive experience with young talents. Additionally, he is a frequent jury member at international music competitions, and leads masterclasses worldwide.

He first introduced himself to Pardubice audiences in 2023, when he conducted the opening concert of the Pardubice Spring Music Festival. He also shares a strong connection with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice through an extensive discography for the prestigious Dutch label Brilliant Classics.

source: Komorní filharmonie Pardubice

The names of the finalists and their selected competition pieces will be announced in June.