Current Affairs Ministry hopes new director will renew Czech Philharmonic
The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra will soon be under new management: specifically that of David Mareček, who the Ministry of Culture appointed to lead the orchestra on Monday. It is hoped that the youthful director of the Brno Philharmonic will bring new vigour to the post and especially an end to years of disputes between the orchestra and its management. Christian Falvey has the story.
David Mareček (left), Czech Minister of Culture Jiří Besser, photo: CTK
The selection of David Mareček to head the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
was not a complete surprise, his name having been in the air since the
competition for the position was announced in September. The Ministry of
Culture made no secret of the fact it was looking for “renewal” in the
choice of director, and the 34-year-old Mr Mareček has shown an ability
for success through innovation at the Brno Philharmonic, where he has been
the director since 2007. An expert in musical interpretation from the
Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, his tenure in Brno was
focused on attracting new and younger audiences, staging performances in an
old factory for example and integrating the work of music schools,
professors and professionals. For an opinion on the selection we turned to
Dr. Petr Veber, the head of classical music at our sister station Vltava.
The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
“He is a relatively young man, and I’ve heard from Brno, where he has
been the director of the Brno Philharmonic, that it’s a pity that he’s
leaving. So that is a signal for me that was probably successful and the
right man for the job there. So my hope is that he will be fine in this
position here as well. On the other hand, this position is very
complicated; there was no stability for many years, there were many strikes
and problems between the director and the orchestra and within the
orchestra and so on. So this is a very difficult position, and my hope is
that Mr Mareček will have enough diplomatic skill to do the job, because
it is not a ‘normal’ position.”
David Mareček, photo: CTK
The post of director of the Czech Philharmonic has unfortunately become a
synonym for discord, with the musicians, artistic council, management and
ministry all having been at odds at various times in the last two years
over matters of finance, ethics and even control of the gallery in the
orchestra’s Rudolfinum concert hall. When he takes up shop on February 1,
David Mareček will be the fifth director since 2008, succeeding deputy
culture minister and provisional crisis manager Radek Zdráhal. According
to Dr. Veber, mending fences within the orchestra will therefore be the new
director’s top priority. Just beyond that will be the pressing task of
finding a new chief conductor when Israeli maestro Eliahu Inbal steps down
in 2012, another choice that should be aimed at reinvigorating the somewhat
fractured institution.
