Czech Philharmonic

The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title of the orchestra of the Prague National Theatre. It played its first concert under its current name on 4 January 1896 when Antonín Dvořák conducted his own compositions, but it did not become fully independent from the opera until 1901. The first representative concert took place on 15 October 1901 conducted by Ludvík Čelanský, the first artistic director of the orchestra. In 1908, Gustav Mahler led the orchestra in the world premiere of his Symphony No. 7. The orchestra first became internationally known during the principal conductorship of Václav Talich, who held the post from 1919 to 1931, and again from 1933 to 1941. In 1941, Talich and the orchestra made a controversial journey to Germany, where they performed Bedřich Smetana's My Country in a concert enforced by the German offices.

Subsequent chief conductors included Rafael Kubelík (1942–1948), Karel Ančerl (1950–1968), Václav Neumann (1968–1989), Jiří Bělohlávek (1990–1992), Gerd Albrecht (1993–1996), Vladimir Ashkenazy (1996–2003), Zdeněk Mácal (2003–2007),{{cite news | url=http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/7047.html | title=Angry Over Bad Review, Conductor Zdenek Mácal Abruptly Quits Czech Philharmonic |work=Playbill Arts| author=Matthew Westphal | date=11 September 2007 | access-date=13 September 2007}} and Eliahu Inbal (2009–2012). In the wake of the Velvet Revolution, under new conditions of financial insecurity, the orchestra reorganised in 1991 and controversially voted to appoint Gerd Albrecht its new chief conductor and to dismiss Bělohlávek. Instead of remaining until Albrecht's accession, Bělohlávek resigned from the orchestra in 1992.{{cite news |author=John Rockwell| title=Czech Philharmonic Faces Perilous Times in Dividing Country | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/30/arts/czech-philharmonic-faces-perilous-times-in-dividing-country.html|work=The New York Times| date=30 December 1992 | access-date=24 March 2012}} In December 2010, the orchestra announced the reappointment of Bělohlávek as chief conductor, beginning in 2012,{{cite web|url=http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/sefdirigentem-ceske-filharmonie-bude-jiri-belohlavek/573071|title=Šéfdirigentem České filharmonie bude Jiří Bělohlávek | work=ČTK|publisher=ČeskéNoviny.cz|language=cs|access-date=26 January 2011}} with an initial contract of 4 years.{{cite news | title=Bělohlávek to become Czech Philharmonic's chief conductor in 2012 | url=http://praguemonitor.com/2010/12/23/b%C4%9Blohl%C3%A1vek-become-czech-philharmonics-chief-conductor-2012xml | work=Prague Daily Monitor | date=23 December 2010 | access-date=24 March 2012 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The orchestra's official English name changed from the "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" to the "Czech Philharmonic" at the beginning of 2015. In January 2017, the orchestra announced the extension of Bělohlávek's contract through the 2021–2022 season.{{cite news | author=Daniel Konrád | title=Šéfdirigent Bělohlávek prodloužil smlouvu, Českou filharmonii povede do roku 2022 | url=http://art.ihned.cz/klasicka-hudba-a-opera/c1-65572510-ceska-filharmonie-belohlavek-smlouva-prodlouzeni | work=Hospodářské Noviny | date=1 January 2017 | access-date=5 January 2017}} Bělohlávek continued to serve as the orchestra's chief conductor until his death on 31 May 2017.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/01/jiri-belohlavek-obituary | title=Jiří Bělohlávek obituary|work=The Guardian| author=David Nice | date=1 June 2017 | access-date=2 June 2017}}

In 2013, Semyon Bychkov first guest-conducted the orchestra, which subsequently named him director of its Tchaikovsky Project. In October 2017, the orchestra announced the appointment of Bychkov as its next chief conductor and music director, effective with the 2018–2019 season.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/semyon-bychkov-to-take-top-job-at-czech-philharmonic | title=Semyon Bychkov to take top job at Czech Philharmonic |magazine=Gramophone| author=Martin Cullingford | date=16 October 2017 | access-date=17 October 2017}} In September 2022, the orchestra announced the extension of Bychkov's contract through 2028.{{cite press release | url=https://www.ceskafilharmonie.cz/novinky/sefdirigentnbspsemjon-byckov-prodluzuje-smlouvu-s-ceskou-filharmonii/ | title=Šéfdirigent Semjon Byčkov prodlužuje smlouvu s Českou filharmonií | publisher=Czech Philharmonic | date=28 September 2022 | access-date=30 September 2022}}

Past principal guest conductors of the orchestra have included Sir Charles Mackerras and Manfred Honeck. Jakub Hrůša is the orchestra's current 'permanent guest conductor', as of the 2015–2016 season. In October 2017, the orchestra announced the appointments of Hrůša and of Tomáš Netopil as joint principal guest conductors of the orchestra, effective with the 2018–2019 season. In February 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of Sir Simon Rattle as its next principal guest conductor, for a period of five years, with the title of 'Rafael Kubelík Conducting Chair'.{{cite press release | url=https://www.ceskafilharmonie.cz/simon-rattle-se-stava-hlavnim-hostujicim-dirigentem-ceske-filharmonie/ | title=Simon Rattle se stává hlavním hostujícím dirigentem České filharmonie | publisher=Czech Philharmonic | date=7 February 2024 | accessdate=8 February 2024}}{{cite press release | url=https://askonasholt.com/news/sir-simon-rattle-appointed-principal-guest-conductor-of-the-czech-philharmonic | title=Sir Simon Rattle appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic | publisher=Askonas Holt | date=7 February 2024 | accessdate=8 February 2024}} In April 2024, the orchestra announced that Bychkov is to stand down as its chief conductor and music director at the close of the 2027-2028 season.{{cite press release | url=https://www.ceskafilharmonie.cz/semjon-byckov-po-roce-2028-nebude-pokracovat-na-postu-sefdirigenta-ceske-filharmonie/ | title=Semjon Byčkov po roce 2028 nebude pokračovat na postu šéfdirigenta České filharmonie | publisher=Czech Philharmonic | date=18 April 2024 | access-date=16 December 2024}}

The Czech Philharmonic's first phonograph recording dates from 1929, when Václav Talich recorded My Country for the British His Master's Voice label. The orchestra recordings are most often released on the Supraphon label.

File:Ilona Stepanova Dvorak.jpg's Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 33, Czech Philharmonic conducted by Václav Talich]]

The Czech Philharmonic has won many awards, ten Grand Prix du Disque de l'Académie Charles Cros, five Grand Prix du disque de l'Académie française and several Cannes Classical Awards. The Czech Philharmonic was nominated for Grammy Awards in 2005, and also two Wiener Flötenuhr awards, with Pavel Štěpán, Zdeněk Mácal and Václav Neumann (1971 and 1982).[https://www.supraphonline.cz/album/3262-mozart-koncerty-pro-klavir-a-orchestr "Mozart: Koncerty pro klavír a orchestr (Pavel Štěpán, Česká filharmonie, Zdeněk Mácal)"], Supraphonline It was voted 20th place of the top 20 best orchestras in the world in a 2008 survey by Gramophone magazine.{{cite news | title=The world’s greatest orchestras | url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/editorial/the-world%E2%80%99s-greatest-orchestras|work=Gramophone| location=London | date=2008}}

{{div col}}

• Ludvík Čelanský (1901–1903)
• {{ill|Vilém Zemánek|cs|Vilém Zemánek}} (1903–1918)
• Václav Talich (1919–1931, 1933–1941)
• Rafael Kubelík (1942–1948)
• Karel Šejna (1950)
• Karel Ančerl (1950–1968)
• Václav Neumann (1968–1989)
• Jiří Bělohlávek (1990–1992)
• Gerd Albrecht (1993–1996)
• Vladimir Ashkenazy (1996–2003)
• Zdeněk Mácal (2003–2007)
• Eliahu Inbal (2009–2012)
• Jiří Bělohlávek (2012–2017)
• Semyon Bychkov (2018–present)

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book

| author = Václav Holzknecht

| title = Česká filharmonie. Příběh orchestru

| publisher = SHN

| location = Prague|language=cs|ref=none}}

• {{cite book

| author = Karel Mlejnek

| title = Česká filharmonie

| publisher = Paseka

| year = 1996

| location = Prague|language=cs|ref=none}}

• {{cite book

| author = Vladimír Šefl

| title = Česká filharmonie

| publisher = Czech Philharmonic

| year = 1971

| location = Prague|language=cs|ref=none}}

• {{cite book

| last = Sláma

| first = František

| title = Z Herálce do Šangrilá a zase nazpátek|trans-title=From Heralec to Shangrila and Back Again

| publisher = Orego

| year = 2001

| location = Říčany

| isbn = 80-86117-61-8

| author-link = František Sláma (musician)|language=cs|ref=none}}

• {{official|https://www.ceskafilharmonie.cz/}}
• František Sláma: [http://www.frantisekslama.com/en/czech-philharmonic-orchestra Archive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924015348/http://www.frantisekslama.com/en/czech-philharmonic-orchestra |date=24 September 2015 }}: More on the History of the Czech Philharmonic between the 1940s and the 1980s
• {{YouTube|hyYMsyw17Z8|Film of Czech Philharmonic in rehearsal}}
• {{YouTube|B3DIXsuxPdQ|Václav Talich recording Dvořák's Slavonic Dances with the Czech Philharmonic in 1955|link=no}}, [http://www.frantisekslama.com/en/vaclav-talich-the-czech-chamber-orchestra more about this recording] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924015405/http://www.frantisekslama.com/en/vaclav-talich-the-czech-chamber-orchestra |date=24 September 2015 }}
• {{discogs artist|The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra}}

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Category:Symphony orchestras

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Category:Musical groups established in 1896

Category:1896 establishments in Austria-Hungary