Viktor Ullmann: Liederbuch des Hafis / The Songbook of Hafiz Op. 30 (10´)
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (arrangement for solo piano) (10´)
Josef Bohuslav Foerster: Tale of Longing Op. 101 (18´)
Intermission
Pavel Haas: Seven Songs in Folk Tone Op. 18 (14´)
Jaroslav Ježek: Bugatti Step (2´)
Jaroslav Ježek: Selection of songs
Petr Matuszek received his first engagement at the Opava Opera in 1987; since 1988 he has been a soloist with the opera of the North Bohemian Theatre in Ústí nad Labem and collaborates with other opera companies both at home and abroad. He is a sought-after interpreter of song literature (predominantly from the first half of the 20th century) and contemporary music – many composers write directly for him. He has long focused on the song literature of so-called "Theresienstadt" and Jewish authors. Since 2020, he has also been active as a soloist on the traditional Japanese shakuhachi flute, performing both traditional repertoire (primarily Kinko-ryu) and contemporary music. He has performed at festivals such as Prague Spring, Musica Iudaica, Contrasts, Exposition of New Music Lviv, Janáček May Ostrava, Ars Cameralis Katowice, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Smetana's Litomyšl, Górnośląski Festiwal, Warszawska Jesień, and others. He has given concerts with the Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK), the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, the North Czech Philharmonic Teplice, and the Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc. As a soloist, he has sung in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Italy, etc. He has recorded 10 profile CDs for Supraphon, Indies, ArcoDiva, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (Germany), Symposion (Italy), and others; his recordings are held by Radio Leipzig, and he records for Czech Radio and Czech Television. He has twice won second place in the Classic Awards for his interpretive work. He is currently a teacher and Deputy Director at the Teplice Conservatory.
Jiří Knotte works as a conductor, teacher, pianist, and composer. After studying at the Conservatory in Teplice, he studied choral conducting at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno, conducting at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and musicology at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno. As a conductor, he has collaborated with a number of Czech orchestras (South Czech Philharmonic, North Czech Philharmonic, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, North Bohemian Theatre, Prague Philharmonic Choir, etc.) and with soloists of many genres (P. Šporcl, M. Al-Ashhab, A. Plachetka, I. Kusnjer, A. Briscein, J. Tůma, V. Vonášek, T. Víšek, D. Koller, V. Rédl, B. Basiková, F. Slováček, etc.). He is often invited for piano collaboration both with soloists and at festivals and courses (Opera Studio of the European Music Academy, International Courses of F. Malotín in Jičín and Olomouc, recordings for Czech Radio, etc.). His great passion is piano improvisation. In the genre of concert melodrama, he is the winner of the Zdeněk Fibich International Competition (besides collaborating with acting personalities such as H. Maciuchová, B. Navrátil, J. Lábus, etc., he also worked with V. Šustíková at DAMU). As a composer, he focuses mainly on chamber, choral, and melodramatic works (interpreters of his works have included Soňa Červená, the Stamic Quartet, etc.). Additionally, he works as an arranger of chamber and symphonic music. Currently, he is a teacher of music theory and conductor of the symphony orchestra at the Teplice Conservatory.
Libeň Chateau stands on the site of an original Gothic fortress and recalls the long history of the Libeň settlement, which is first mentioned in written sources as early as the 14th century. In 1595, the noblewoman Eliška Hoffmannová purchased the fortress and had it rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau. Extensive Rococo modifications took place in 1769–1770 under the direction of builder Jan Josef Prachner, creating the decorative façade, double staircase, and chapel with a turret and clock. The chateau interiors have preserved their historical decoration from the 18th century, including paintings and architectural details that have been restored over time. Today, the chateau serves as the seat of the Prague 8 municipal district, and some spaces are used for cultural events and social occasions. The history and architecture of the chateau, from a Gothic fortress through Renaissance modifications to a Rococo chateau, provide visitors with a musical experience in an authentic historical environment.
