You are in the archive Go to the current program
Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 5.30 pm
Artium by KKCG, Bořislavka Centre
Soirée at the Bořislavka Centre

Admission is free.

Donations are welcome.

Programme

Mateusz Smoczynski: Manhattan IslandJan Kučera: BirthDjango Reinhardt: Minor SwingÁstor Piazzolla: Ave MariaVladimir Cosma: Le Grand Blond avec une Chaussure NoireDarol Anger: Grant WoodJohn Williams: Schindler´s ListÁstor Piazzolla: Adios Nonino & LibertangoPat Metheny: Jaco

The universal Epoque Quartet will be taking listeners from Manhattan to the Argentine tango and the swinging guitar of Django Reinhardt. Also adding to the relaxed atmosphere of the concert at the Bořislavka Centre will be music by the quartet’s own members, who play with the precision of classical musicians, the lightness of jazz artists, and the energy of a rock band. 

 

The Dvořák Prague Festival at Bořislavka is a new programme series that highlights the connection that binds Karel Komárek and his foundation to the Dvořák Prague Festival, of which he is the biggest patron. Locating a new concert series at the Bořislavka Centre, the new headquarters of the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, is an expression of the foundation’s solidarity with the festival. This symbolic connection is further strengthened by the fact that the programme of this series is devoted predominantly to young performers. The foundation intensively supports their artistic development in cooperation with the presenter of the Dvořák Prague Festival, the Academy of Classical Music.

The format for all these concerts will be a “soirée”, meaning concerts in the early evening with less emphasis on formality but with the intention of offering a musical experience to everyone who lives or works near the Bořislavka Centre.

The opening concert of the series on 13 September 2022 has been entrusted to the Epoque Quartet, whose music speaks to listeners of all generations with its synthesis of classics, pop, and jazz. The other concerts will belong to the youngest stars in the musical firmament: on 15 September we will hear the winners of Concertino Praga 2021, the duo of the violinist Kristian Mráček and the cellist David Pěruška accompanied by the pianist Veronika Jaklová. On Tuesday, 20 September, one of the most promising young Czech ensembles, the Kukal Quartet, will introduce itself with the pianist Matouš Zukal. The whole series will conclude with the very youngest perspective performers who are receiving systematic instruction from the piano virtuoso Ivo Kahánek and the Czech Philharmonic concertmaster Jan Fišer.

Each concert will last about an hour and will take place in the foyer of the Bořislavka Center at 5.30 pm.

  • Dress code: casual
  • End of concert: 6.30 pm

Artists

Epoque Quartet

The Prague string quartet Epoque Quartet was founded at the beginning of the year 1999. Four excellent soloists and chamber musicians with abundant stage experiences brang not only their unanimity in musical opinions and the relationship in their artistic nature together, but even their extraordinary interest in musical genres, which do not belong under the title „classical music“ – jazz, rock and funk. As compositions of the classical quartet literature stay an integral part of the programmes of this ensemble, the sensitive approach to unconventional arrangements brings him new possibilities in using the string instruments and at the same time it enables them to widen the repertoire, which on our and on stages abroad is unique.

The members of the quartet are laureates of several international competitions (for two times the first place in the competition of Liezen in Austria, the first price in the international competition Ludwig van Beethoven for string quartets, the price Jeunesse Musicale) and the ensemble took part in some other competitions (for example the competition Paolo Borciani), too. Abroad the quartet gave among others concerts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, England, Israel, Japan,Brazil, China, Canada, USA, Greece, in the Netherlands, Poland, Bosnia and so on. Regularly the Epoque Quartet performs in the subscription cycles of the Symphonic Orchestra of the Czech Broadcasting, the Czech Nonet, plays for the association for chamber music, cooperates with the Czech television and the Czech Broadcasting and is guest on prestigious music festivals for example the Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival, Concentus Moraviae, the Music Festival of České Krumlov, Chamber music Cycle of the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Metamorphoses (Switzerland), Music Festival Ludwig van Beethoven, Moravský podzim (Moravian autumn) an so on. Last year the Epoque Quartet has its debut on famous Prague Spring International Music Festival.

The members of the Epoque Quartet led a master classes in jazz interpretation  at several places of the world (Jerusalem, Sao Paulo, Belgrade, Prague). In the field of jazz the Epoque quartet came together with personalities like Gregory Porter, George Mraz, Benny Beailey, Yoshiko Kishino, David Braid. Digestedly the ensemble works together with the Trio Robert Balzar and with world famous french horn player Radek Baborak.  As a members of other music formations (Czech Radio Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Orquestrina Baborak, Art Trio Bohemia…) they came together with international stars like Mischa Maisky, Placido Domingo, Jose Cura, Janin Jansen, Maxim Vengerov,Vaclav Neumann, Libor Pesek and others in a places like Berlin Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zürich, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Rudolphnum Prague and so on.

Members

  • DAVID POKORNÝ (vl), VLADIMÍR KLÁNSKÝ (vl), ALEXEY ASLAMAS (vla) a VÍT PETRÁŠEK (vcl)
Epoque Quartet

Artium by KKCG, Bořislavka Centre

Artium by KKCG is a publicly accessible space for art of all genres, breathing artistic life into Bořislavka and enriching the cultural offerings in Prague 6 and the capital more generally. Artium regularly holds exhibitions, concerts, and other cultural events, and the unconventional space allows visitors to explore art across different genres, often intertwined to create a unique experience. During this year’s Dvořák Prague International Music Festival’s concerts at Artium, spectators can also enjoy an extensive exhibition of photographic installations by Jarmila Štuková titled "Us and the Others." 

The concerts presented here as part of the Dvořák Prague Festival are organized for a good cause, with all proceeds supporting talented, young musicians.