Accompanying events

Czech Music Week

Music is an integral part of our lives; it affects us and forms and enriches our fantasies, our internal world. It is without a doubt one of the attributes of "The Art of Life" and as such has also become one of the media of the Czech Republic's presentation at EXPO 2005. We decided to present to the Japanese public the best that the Czech Republic can offer in the area of classical music and to continue a rich tradition that Czech performers have developed in Japan.

Czech Music Week, the first of the Czech Republic's accompanying programs at EXPO 2005, began at the exhibition centre in Aichi on May 25th. Japanese people traditionally connect the Czech Republic with classical music - both composers as well as eminent performers. Probably every Japanese person, no matter what generation he is from, will name the star trio of Smetana, Dvořák, and Janáček and most probably has been at a concert of the Prague Philharmonic, Prague State Opera or one of the other ensembles, which give concerts in Japan with great success every year. Even the Japanese crown prince Naruhito himself, as an enthusiastic amateur musician (he plays the viola), is a big fan of Czech music, which he confirmed with his performance with the Talich quartet in 2002.

EXPO 2005 is, however, the first World Exposition of the third millennium, and so we did not want to only draw on past successes but to present new faces as well. The concept of the concerts thus combined already famous interpreters such as Hradišťan and the Martin trio with new faces - the pianist Adam Skoumal, the violinists Roman Patočka and Jiří Vodička and the Heroldovo quartet. These performers are the winners of prestigious domestic and foreign competitions and their names are becoming synonymous with the highest quality.

The concerts took place predominantly in the EXPO Hall concert hall and it was clear that they would be successful long before the start of Czech Music Week: the Czech pavilion was under siege from visitors and we had to deal with many telephone calls daily. The Japanese public television channel NHK also decided to broadcast a 20-minute live feed where we had the unique opportunity to present this accompanying project. We therefore also invited the Prague Conservatory Žesťový Orchestra to the studio, which showed viewers what young musicians are capable of in the Czech Republic. On the day of the concert, the EXPO Hall was hopelessly packed from the morning and viewers did not hesitate to spend long hours waiting for a free seat. The concerts were hugely successful and were attended by over five thousand people during a mere 4 days. We hope that this will not be all. Those who during their performances engraved themselves into the subconscious minds of the listeners in Japan are at the start of their successful careers. These will without doubt lead them again to Japanese podiums, where during a single week they made an unforgettable impression on their new supporters.

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