send trough email       printer friendly   

       after the premature end of the 60th jubilee concert season in our permanent home, the Reduta building, the Slovak Philharmonic faces new challenges.

The next, 61st concert season 2009/2010 will, incidentally, begin at the same place where the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra entered the music scene sixty years ago to represent the future philharmonic tradition, undoubtedly based on the effort and devotion of many during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. More details of this story can be found in a new publication on the Slovak Philharmonic, one of the key books published in its sixty years existence.

While reconstruction of the Reduta building in Bratislava will be in progress,  the Slovak Philharmonic will temporarily be housed in the historic building of the Slovak National Theatre. Interestingly enough, this is where the first Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra concert was conducted by Ľudovít Rajter on 27 October 1949. It was not until the end of restoration work in 1950 that the  newly- established Slovak Philharmonic moved into the Reduta Building and made it its permanent home. Today, in reverse order, it is the Slovak Philharmonic leaving the Reduta and moving into the historic Slovak National Theatre building, not only to await the completion of inevitable reconstruction, but mainly to continue its work. The imaginary circle has been closed only to be able to open itself later to new challenges and visions.

One of the latest pieces of news regarding the Slovak Philharmonic is the fact that Emmanuel Villaume, the internationally acclaimed music personality, will become the principal conductor for the 61st concert season 2009/2010. This world-renowned conductor introduced himself to Slovak audiences for the first time in 2005 during his first performance with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. His performance at the opening concert of the Bratislava Music Festival in 2006, where he conducted the complete choreographic symphony Dafnis et Chloe by M. Ravel, made an unforgettable impression. In the 60th jubilee season he performed classical works by L.v. beethoven and his French contemporary E. N. Méhul.

Obviously, the upcoming season will neither be easy nor uninteresting as it is charged with a powerful content and exciting programme, aiming to touch all our concertgoers deeply. Despite many possible obstacles our main wish remains not to deprive or disappoint our audience whom we respect and who, we believe, will help us overcome the difficulties brought upon us by time.  

                                               Prof. Marian Lapšanský

                                              General Manager of the Slovak Philharmonic

The Slovak Philharmonic is a state-subsidised organisation