The Closing Concert of the Czech Presidency: Passing the baton to the next generation
For the last concert of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the organisers prepared an evening with outstanding Czech musicians and their students across genres, from jazz to classical music. On December 13, 2022 the Bozar hosted Beata Hlavenková, a widely acknowledged jazz/indie composer and pianist, and her Kapela Snů band; the saxophonist Marcel Bárta with Vertigo and their unique jazz pieces bordering contemporary classical music; and the international French horn star Radek Baborák with his ensemble.
The musicians performed their latest works together with their talented students from the MenART Academy, symbolically passing the baton to the younger generation at the end of the Czech presidency. Together, they presented an extraordinary programme for the occasion - they opened with a tribute to Smetana's famous Vltava in a new arrangement by Nikol Bóková, winner of the Anděl prize. The premiere of L'Orangerie by Radek Baborák was played as well as the concert excerpts of music from the film Zátopek by Beata Hlavenková, and the main theme of Markéta Lazarová by Zdeněk Liška. The Academy's scholarship holders presented their works and the original Christmas carols.
ARTISTS
Beata Hlavenková and Kapela Snů Beata Hlavenková (piano, vocals)
Oskar Törok - trumpet Tomáš Fuchs - guitar, Miloš Klápště - bass Jan Chalupa – percussion
Marcel Bárta and Vertigo Vojtěch Procházka - piano, electronics, harmonium Rastislav Uhrík - contrabass Marcel Bárta - tenor, alto, soprano, saxophone Rastislav Uhrík - contrabass Daniel Šoltis - drums, percussion Dorota Barová - violoncello, vocal Oskar Török - trumpet, vocal
Radek Baborák and his BaborakEnsemble Radek Baborák - French horn Martina Bačová and Milan Al-Ashab - violin Karel Untermüller - viola Hana Baboráková – cello
Students of the MenART Academy Vladimír Slavíček, ped. Radek Škeřík, ZUŠ Střezina, Hradec Králové - composer, piano Tadeáš Syrový, ped. Otto Orany, ZUŠ Zbraslav, Praha - composer, piano Veronika Chamolová, ped. Barbora Kozáková, Konzervatoř Jana Deyla - soprano Vintíř Langášek, ped. Dušan Kovařík, ZUŠ Vítězslavy Kaprálové Brno - violin Nora Lubbadová, ped. Jaromíra Šnederflerová, ZUŠ Olešská, Praha - piano