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Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho has died

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho died this morning. “One of the most inspiring composers in the history of music, Kaaija Saariaho, has left us. I am delighted that we were able to welcome this world music personality to the Janáček Opera and to perform her fascinating opera Love at a Distance. Her music is and will be with us forever. Honour her memory!” – Jiří Heřman, Artistic Director of Janáček Opera National theatre Brno

https://slippedisc.com/…/great-sadness-kaija-saariaho…/

Join us in remembering her visit to Brno, during which she spoke about her opera in the Czech television programme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPTl8JAra0g

The Czech premiere took place on 24 March 2017 at the Janáček Theatre, directed by Jiří Heřman and with musical direction by Marko Ivanović.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zae6bMh5b5E

Photo from the production of L’amour de loin, photographer Marek Olbrzymek

Preview of the opera Salome

Come and hear the production team and soloists of the new production of Richard Strauss’s SALOME!
The premiere will take place at the Janáček Theatre on 17 June 2023.
The work will be directed by David Radok.

Admission to the preview sneak peek is free.

You can also watch the sneak peek online HERE.

Audition for the opera orchestra for tutti in the 2nd violin group

The director of the National Theatre Brno, a contributory organisation, announces an audition for the position of tutti in the 2nd violin group in the opera orchestra.

1.0 hour; expected start as soon as possible
held on 27 February 2023 at 10:00
at the Janáček Theatre, 7 Rooseveltova Street, 657 70 Brno
Round I: A. Mozart: Violin Concerto in G major KV 216, or D major KV 218, or A major KV 219, always 1st movement with cadenza

Orchestral part: Smetana: The Bartered Bride (overture), G. Verdi: Otello, G. Smetana, G. Verdi, G. Dvorak, G. Dvorak. Otello: Otello, G. Puccini,

Round II: a movement of any violin concerto from the Romantic or 20th century.

Orchestral part. Verdi: Nabucco, Janáček: The Little Vixen, P. I. Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty,

Round II will also include a play from the page

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Duly registered participants will be invited.

The material of the orchestral parts will be sent upon request to the registered participants by e-mail.

The NdB does not provide the accompanist.

Applications together with a brief artistic CV, work experience, address and telephone contact should be sent electronically by 24 February 2023 at the latest to schuster@ndbrno.cz

Contact person: Petr Schuster, Secretary of the JO NdB Orchestra, tel: +420 724/344365

 

 

MgA. Jiří Heřman, Artistic director of Janáček opera of the National Theatre Brno

MgA. Martin Glaser a.s. Director of the National Theatre Brno

 

Audition for the opera orchestra for the position of tutti in the 1st violin group

The director of the National Theatre Brno, a contributory organisation, announces an audition for the opera orchestra for the position of tutti in the 1st violin group for two full-time positions, to be held on 17 February 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Janáček Theatre, Rooseveltova Street 7, 657 70 Brno.

Round I: A. Mozart: Violin Concerto in G Major KV 216, or D Major KV 218, or A Major KV 219, always 1st movement with cadenza

Orchestral part: Smetana: The Bartered Bride

Round II: World Violin Concerto – fast movement

Orchestral part: S. Prokofiev: Cinderella, G. Puccini: La Bohème, A. Dvořák: Rusalka, G. Verdi: Otello, A. Mozart: The Magic Flute, L. Janáček: Jenůfa, P. I. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake

*************************************************************************************************************

Duly registered participants will be invited.

Material for orchestral parts will be sent upon request to registered participants by e-mail.

The NdB does not provide the accompanist.

Applications together with a brief artistic CV, work experience, address and telephone contact should be sent electronically to schuster@ndbrno.cz by 14 February 2023 at the latest.

Contact person: Petr Schuster, Secretary of the JO NdB Orchestra, tel: +420 724/344365

 

 

MgA. Jiří Heřman, Artistic director of Janáček opera of the National Theatre Brno

MgA. Martin Glaser, Director of the National Theatre Brno

 

ALCINA is the production of the year 2022

ALCINA is the production of the year 2022 according to Divadelní noviny! The competition was really huge and we are all the more pleased that our Alcina, directed by Jiří Heřman and scored by Václav Luks, took first place. Thank you, we appreciate it very much!

Luboš Mareček, theatre publicist and critic, Brno: ,,The superb music by the masterful performance of the Collegio 1704 led by Václav Luks, the inventive direction by Jiří Heřman, which guides the audience clearly through the muddled plot and is incredibly action-packed, but also the breathtaking set by Dragan Stojčevski as an imaginative tribute to the illusionism, principles and practices of Baroque theatre. Crème de la Crème: top singers from around the world – the superb Karina Gauvin as the magician Alcina alternating with the magnificent local Pavla Vykopalova, the incomparable Doubravka Součková as Morgana and the breathtaking Kangmin Justin Kim as Ruggiero, and a host of other delicious voices. Another extraordinary quality of Heřman’s production is the choreography by Jan Kodet and the excellent performances by the ballet company. I would like to express my great appreciation to the Brno opera company, which in difficult times of the covid managed to produce such a top opera production of European parameters. Brno’s Alcina is a true theatrical miracle!

Alcina returns to the Janáček Theatre once again and we are already looking forward to the February and March performances. Once again, you can also look forward to the Collegium 1704 orchestra, which is one of the best ensembles in the field of historically informed interpretation today. The French theatres in Caen and Versailles, where Janáček Opera also staged Alcina last year, are also partners in the production and it was a great success. Brno audiences will thus be able to see the same production as audiences in leading French opera houses.

100th anniversary of the birth of opera singer Marie Steinerová

Marie Steinerová, a soloist of the National Theatre Brno and a key representative of the Janáček roles in particular, would have celebrated her 100th birthday on 10 January 2023. The National Theatre Brno will dedicate a performance of Puccini’s Tosca to the singer on 10 February 2023 at the Janáček Theatre. A portrait of the artist will also be on display in the first order foyer of the Janáček Theatre from 10 January.

Marie Steiner, née Štrosová, came from an artistic family. Her father was the actor and musician Miroslav Štros, and her mother Marie Minářová-Štrosová was an opera singer, among others a soloist at the NdB Opera in 1929-1931. Marie Steinerová studied at the State Conservatory under professors Hilbert Vávra and Bela Chalabalová-Rozumová, and as a student she made her debut on the stage of the Ostrava theatre with the title role of Dvořák’s Rusalka (1943). During her studies she gained experience at the Vlasta Burian Theatre, in the opera company of the 5 May Theatre and in the opera of the Ostrava Theatre, where she was engaged from 1946-1948. She regularly appeared as a guest artist in a number of Czech theatres, including the National Theatre in Prague, but her home stage from 1948 until her retirement in 1981 was the National Theatre in Brno.

Her repertoire included heavy dramatic roles, among the most successful of which were Milada in Smetana’s Dalibor, Gretel in The Bartered Bride, Libuše, the Foreign Princess in Rusalka, the title role of Aida in Verdi’s opera, Tosca in Puccini’s opera, Ortrud in Wagner’s Lohengrin and Marina in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. A separate chapter are the characters in Leoš Janáček’s operas, which were the singer’s domain: Emilia Marty in The Makropulos Affair, Míla’s mother in Fate, Kabanicha in Kate Kabanová, Jenůfa and especially her beloved Kostelnička in Her Shepherdess. She also often chose Janáček repertoire for her concert performances.

In addition to her own artistic activities, she was a teacher, teaching singing at the Brno Conservatory and the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts. Marie Steinerová is the recipient of numerous awards. In 1954, she won first place in the singing competition for the Emma Destinova Prize, she also received the Senior Prix, the DIVA Prize and the Thalia Prize for lifetime mastery in the field of opera. Until her late teens she was actively interested in cultural, political and sports events, participated in meetings with the audience in the programmes of the Friends of Opera and Ballet Club and worked as a voice consultant.

Jitka Nováková

 

Co chcete vědět o opeře a nebojíte se zeptat aneb Diskuze s tvůrci po představení

Odcházíte z přestavení opery nejen plni hudby, ale i otázek, na které byste rádi znali odpovědi? Pak je náš nový projekt přesně pro vás. Od nového roku začínáme s řadou diskusí s inscenátory, které se budou konat přímo po představení ve foyer Janáčkova divadla. Budete mít jedinečnou možnost se setkat se členy inscenačních týmů a diskutovat s nimi o tom, co jste právě zhlédli. Začínáme 21. 1. po představení Z mrtvého domu / Glagolská mše.

“Ježíškova vnoučata” at today’s The Miracles of Mary

Today we will have a rare visitor at the Janáček Theatre. “Ježíškova vnoučata” are coming to see the performance of the play about Mary! “Ježíškova vnoučata” is a year-round project of the Czech Radio (Český rozhlas) Foundation, the main highlight of which is the pre-Christmas collection. On the website jeziskovavnoucata.cz, people have the opportunity to choose from thousands of wishes of seniors, which are then fulfilled. Alongside the wish list, a fundraiser is also open to pay for expensive wishes on the list that individuals cannot afford. But also subsequently for the rest of the year the activities and needs of seniors in the thousand participating facilities of the Czech Republic. So that their lives are happier, easier and more fulfilled.

And today, on behalf of the National Theatre Brno, we would like to make the festive season more pleasant for one such group. In addition to a beautiful performance, guests will meet the artistic director of the opera, Jiří Heřman, the commercial director, Robert Štěrba, and enjoy snacks in one of our beautiful lounges.

“Ježíškova vnoučata” will be accompanied by Czech Radio editor Eliška Mádrová, who will be recording the whole evening.

We hope that everyone will enjoy the evening and make their pre-Christmas time more enjoyable.

 

Janáček Brno festival has had another successful year and record sales

Once again something quite extraordinary has been achieved in Brno – the internationally highly acclaimed Janáček Brno festival brought a world-class programme from 2 to 20 November, to which both the Czech and foreign public reacted positively with large audience numbers. The city where Leoš Janáček lived and worked, and which is essentially linked to the festival is making full use of its assets and with an ever-increasing standard. The festival has proven that even the coronavirus restrictions of last year did not diminish the interest of the audience, which has been demonstrated by the highest sales in the history of the festival. But Janáček Brno 2022 is not over yet – the last “echo” in the form of the performance From the House of the Dead / Glagolitic Mass on 26 November is still scheduled, so the numbers will grow even higher.

In numbers, Janáček Brno 2022 surpassed many limits: an example is the sales of festival tickets, which totalled a record of CZK 4 269 249. The festival was attended by 10 744 paying spectators, so the average attendance was 73,3 %.

During the 19 days, a total of 36 productions were performed, some of which were world premieres or constituted a programme specially created for the festival. The younger generation, led by the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno and the Brno Conservatory, was also given space.

Selected festival photos are available for download on the festival FLICKR.

The Janáček Brno 2024 festival will take place between 1 and 24 November 2024. Pre-sale of tickets for the festival will be officially launched on 4 November 2023. All information about the festival, including archives of past years, can be found on the website www.janacek-brno.cz

Konkurz na externí role do opery Salome

Konkurz na externí role do opery Salome

Soubor Janáčkovy opery Národního divadla Brno vypisuje konkurz na externí role v připravované opeře Richarda Strausse SALOME (režie: David Radok, choreografie: Andrea Miltnerová), která bude mít premiéru v Janáčkově divadle, dne 17. 6. 2023.

Požadavky:

  • hledáme 10 externistů – muže i ženy s hereckým a pohybovým nadáním – schopnost vyjádřit různé kvality pohybu, schopnost improvizace
  • požadovaný věk 18-75 let
  • časová flexibilita – zkoušky pondělí-pátek v dopolední (10-13.00) a večerní frekvenci
    (18-20.00)
  • zkoušky budou probíhat v období 17.4.2023-15.6.2023 v Janáčkově divadle
  • 3 představení v červnu 2023, 3 představení v sezóně 2023-2024

Konkurz se bude konat dne 12. 12. 2022 od 15.00 hodin na zkušebním jevišti v Janáčkově divadle.
Registrace přihlášených bude probíhat od 14.30 h na zkušebním jevišti v Janáčkově divadle.

Své životopisy společně s fotografií (portrét+celá postava) zasílejte do středy 7. 12. 2022 na email: kaane@seznam.cz (Kateřina Prášková, vedoucí komparsu NdB). Tel.: 775 094 482.

Na konkurz si přineste cvičební/taneční oblečení a boty.

Royal Opera House appoints Jakub Hrůša as Music Director

The Royal Opera House announces the appointment of Jakub Hrůša as Music Director of The Royal Opera. Hrůša will assume the position of Music Director Designate with immediate effect and will begin his tenure as Music Director in September 2025. We are really happy, that this so talented artist is now working on our new production of Glagolitic mass / From the House of the Dead with our artistic director Jiří Heřman.

The Greek Passion is nominated for The International Opera Awards

We are delighted to be shortlisted in this year’s #OperaAwards2022, taking place at the stunning Teatro Real! Huge thanks to everyone who submitted a nomination The International Opera Awards. We are nominated with our production of The Greek Passion directed by Jiří Heřman.

Among the other nominees in our category are: Bregenz Festival: “Madama Butterfly” (d. Andreas Homoki); English National Opera: “The Handmaid’s Tale” (d. Annilese Miskimmon); Festival d’Aix-en-Provence: “L’incoronazione di Poppea” (d. Ted Huffman); Glyndebourne: “La Voix humaine/Les Mamelles de Tirésias” (d. Laurent Pelly) & Salzburg Festival: Il trittico (d. Christof Loy)

 

photo: Marek Olbrzymek

REVIEW

Read our beautiful review of La traviata, which we performed in August at the Mikulov amphitheatre. Review HERE.

Summer with Opera 2022 will be played in Mikulov Amphitheatre

Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno is preparing a spectacular summer programme in the open air. The popular open-air performances by the Janáček Opera’s renowned soloists, choir and orchestra will take place at the Mikulov Amphitheatre, which will host the famous operas La traviata (30 August) and Carmen (31 August).
Since last year, the summer atmosphere of the Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno has been based in the picturesque Mikulov, in addition to Brno’s Špilberk Castle. The local amphitheatre invites to a pleasant, informal sitting under the open sky, with a view of Mikulov’s attributes and a glass of local wine in hand. Buses from Brno and the surrounding Czech and Austrian villages will be available to Mikulov from the ČEBUS travel agency.
“Summer evenings with the Janáček Opera are undoubtedly among the most inspiring and unforgettable. The surroundings of Špilberk Castle and the Mikulov Amphitheatre are for our company an environment in which we have been a little closer to you, the audience, for seven years now. This year’s programme brings works of world opera classics with exceptional performers from our successful company,” describes the artistic director of the opera Jiří Heřman.
Among the soloists to be presented in Mikulov are Jana Šrejma Kačírková as Violetta, Jana Hrochová as Carmen and Peter Berger will sing both Don José in Carmen and Alfredo Germont in La traviata.
The best soloists of the Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno will perform in Mikulov.
The event is under the auspices of the Mayor of Mikulov Rostislav Koštial.

You can get your tickets here and here.