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The Prague State Opera ballet ensemble is bringing onto the stage another classic of the genre: in less than a week’s time, on April 7, 2011, you are invited to the premiere of the ballet Giselle, one of the best-loved works of the Romantic repertoire. The production’s choreography is the work of Hana Vláčilová, the former prima ballerina and current head of the Prague State Opera ballet ensemble, who herself has to her credit more than a few creations of the ballet’s title part. The Prague State Opera ballet ensemble is presenting Giselle in its traditional version, as it is best known to audiences worldwide.

A few tickets still remain for the Gala Concert commemorating Angelo Neumann, the first director of the New German Theatre (today’s Prague State Opera), the centenary of whose death will be marked on December 20. A programme of arias and overtures by Richard Wagner (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Tannhäuser; Rienzi; Lohengrin; Tristan und Isolde), Ruggiero Leoncavallo (I pagliacci), Gioacchino Rossini (Guillaume Tell), Giuseppe Verdi (Il trovatore), and Arrigo Boito (Mefistofele) will be performed by PSO soloists Anda-Louise Bogza, Christina Vasileva and Svatopluk Sem, and the orchestra and chorus of the Prague State Opera. The conductor will be Oliver Dohnányi.

Apart from the concert, another two commemorative functions will be taking place on the same day: namely, an act of remembrance at Angelo Neumann’s tomb at the Protestant Cemetery in Prague-Strašnice (161, Vinohradská Str.), at 2:00 p.m.; and the opening of the exhibition A Tribute to Angelo Neumann, in the PSO dress circle foyer, at 5:00 p.m.

You are warmly invited to join us in rendering tribute to this outstanding artist and man under whose helm the New German Theatre rose to its status as a major European stage.

The Director General of the Prague State Opera, conductor Oliver Dohnányi, will receive the prize of the European Union of Arts. The award ceremony will take place on the stage of the Prague State Opera before the start of the performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka, at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 3, 2011. The laureates of the European Union of Arts prize (besides Oliver Dohnányi also Jiří Pokorný, CEO of IFB Bohemia a.s.) will be presented the new symbol of the award, a bronze statute created by academic sculptor Štefan Pelikán and named Golden Europea.

The Oliver Dohnányi nomination letter states, inter alia: “The European Union of Arts appreciates highly your unique art of conducting, reflected in the captivating conception and performance of compositions by many world renowned composers. Conducting prominent orchestras and soloists, you have succeeded to execute in a new and interesting manner the works of, especially, the classics of European music. You have captured the attention of the expert art community with your productions and performances of works by Verdi, Lehár, Bizet, Dvořák, Smetana and Mozart in the most famous opera houses of Europe and other continents. You have thus enriched, in a systematic, long-term and distinct manner, the social and cultural life on all the continents”.

The European Union of Arts (EUA) was founded in 1999 as an international independent and non-for-profit organisation. From its very foundation one of its pivotal missions has been awarding artists, significant personalities and institutions of the world of culture, and also of towns and benefactors of culture. According to the statute, two types of prizes are awarded: The European Prize for Artistic Activity and The European Prize for Support of Art and Culture. By the end of 2010, approximately 250 such prizes had been awarded to laureates from more than 30 countries on all continents. The most famous laureates include, for example, fashion designer Blanka Matragi, Austrian noblewoman and renowned sculptress Gabriela von Habsburk, painter and also Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood, American painter of Russian descent Yuri Gorbachev, English writer Dick Francis, Russian prima ballerina living in France Maya Plisetskaya, the German city of Stuttgart, and others.

On Wednesday, December 8, 2010, for operational and technical reasons, the ballet by S. Prokofiev Cinderella will take place instead of the planned performance of the Verdi’s opera La traviata. Purchased tickets can be returned or exchanged at the ticket offices of the Prague State Opera and BTI. All who will attend the performance with the original tickets will be refunded the price difference between the opera and ballet tickets.

We apologize to all visitors to the State Opera for the programme change.

We would like to remind the audience that the concert of Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecień on November 25, 2010, has been relocated from the Prague State Opera to the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House (Obecní dům). The concert now begins at 7:30 p.m. (originally scheduled for 7 p.m.).

Mariusz Kwiecień, the star of all leading opera houses in Europe and North America, will make his Prague debut with the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK under conductor Lukasz Borowicz.

On the occasion of her major anniversary, Ms Soňa Červená will receive from the Prague State Opera an honorary membership which will be handed over to her on Saturday, September 4, 2010, before the performance of Bizet’s Carmen, by the PSO’s General Director, MgA Oliver Dohnányi.

• Further information on Soňa Červená

From June 27 to July 8, 2010 the 1st Korean Opera Festival was held in Seoul Arts Centre. The soloist and the guests of the Prague State Opera – conductor Jiří Mikula, Galia Ibragimova, Sylva Čmugrová, Klára Džuganová, Rafael Alvarez, Svatopluk Sem, Jiří Hruška and Václav Sibera – performed in the production of Bizet’s Carmen together with Korean soloists, orchestra, dancers and an excellent children’s choir. The choreographer and dancer Petr Jirsa and the guarantor of the event Milena Vraná from the international relations department of the Prague State Opera also participated in this tour.

All the soloists, and in particular Galia Ibragimova singing Carmen, received standing ovations from the local audience and the recognition of the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea H. E. Jaroslav Olša jr. who also attended the performance and emphasised the importance of the cultural co-operation between both countries.

The tour was organised at the invitation of Ms Wha-ja Kang, the president of Beseto Opera, who signed an agreement on co-operation between the two opera houses on the occasion of the guest performance of the Korean soloists in the production of Carmen at the Prague State Opera in 2004. This has been the fourth visit of the Prague State Opera soloists to Korea. In 2005 they performed in the Korean production of Mozart’s Magic Flute, in May 2006 and August 2007 in Bizet’s Carmen together with the Korean choir and soloists.

As part of the 20th Anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Korea and the Czech Republic, Korean soloists will perform in the production of Carmen at the Prague State Opera in October 2010.

Prague State Opera is currently preparing its production of Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde whose premiere on May 20, 2010 is making its comeback onto the PSO stage after a hiatus of 76 years. The staging is in the hands of an international team – stage director Marcelo Lombardero, set designer Diego Siliano, and costume designer Luciana Gutman –, with a cast of international soloists for the title and main parts: Maida Hundeling and Catherine Hunold (alternating as Isolde), Leonid Zakhozhaev (Tristan), Richard Wiegold (King Marke), Tomasz Konieczny (Kurwenal) and Amber Wagner (Brangäne). Tristan und Isolde was undertaken by the prominent British conductor, Jan Latham-Koenig, who considers this title still very actual:

„I know of no other love duet that expresses the unbridled passions of lovers that must be kept secret, and that can moreover only end in death. The harmonic complexity and sheer range of orchestral colour create a tension in this music that ensures that those who attend a performance leave the theatre afterwards in a catatonic state“.

On Monday, May 24, the Prague State Opera is mounting a special concert programme featuring two exceptional artists, the soprano Anda-Louise Bogza, and the pianist Jan Simon. Anda-Louise Bogza is known to opera-lovers not just from her appearances on her home turf at the Prague State Opera, but also on the international circuit, where she has been a regular guest of many major opera houses (during the 2009/2010 season including for instance the Arena in Verona, Dresden’s Semperoper, or the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma). She has been equally busy on the concert platform, a field where she has scored numerous triumphs in this country and abroad (at Vienna’s Musikverein, Salzburg’s Festspielhaus, London’s Royal Albert Hall, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Brucknerhaus in Linz, the Anfiteatro in Madrid, and elsewhere). She is likewise an outstanding interpreter of songs, the facet of her art she will present at the Prague State Opera on May 24. Accompanied on the piano by Jan Simon, she will deliver songs by Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninov, Dvořák, Richard Strauss, Respighi, and George Enescu.

Jan Simon, the laureate of several prestigious contests (including the Chopin Competition of Mariánské Lázně, 1983; the Chopin Competition in Mallorca, 1985; the Prague Spring Competition, 1988; or the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels, 1991), will contribute to the concert programme his accounts of piano works by Frédéric Chopin, a composer whose anniversary is being marked worldwide this year and whose piano concertos he recorded with the Prague Philharmonia under Jiří Bělohlávek’s baton. Jan Simon appears regularly with some of the most widely renowned Czech and international orchestras (of his recent commitments, one shouldn’t fail to mention a concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, on April 4, 2010), and is a sought-after soloist. Active in various chamber formations, he has worked most notably with the cellist Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, or with the violinist Josef Suk.

• Further information
• Tickets

On Friday, April 2, 2010 the PSO will introduce a new cast for its production of Puccini’s Tosca.

Making her debut in the title role will be Prague State Opera soloist Christina Vasileva. Ranking safely among Europe’s top singers, the soprano already has to her credit an impressive gallery of previous creations on the PSO’s stage, including the parts of Elena (I vespri siciliani), Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly), Manon Lescaut, Rusalka, Desdemona, and Mimi (La bohème), the last of which earned her a Thalia Award nomination in the autumn of 2008. In the course of the current year, she is preparing for a major guest appearance at the Prague National Theatre, as Káťa Kabanová in Robert Wilson’s staging of the Janáček opera. In the PSO Tosca, she will sing opposite tenor Tomáš Černý, likewise making his debut in the role of the painter Cavaradossi. Černý has been a permanent guest on the Prague State Opera’s stage for many seasons delighting audiences in wide array of creations, including among others the Prince (Rusalka), the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Alfredo Germont (La traviata), Erik (Der fliegende Holländer), and Rodolfo (La bohème). He is the winner of the Thalia 2000 Award for his account of Prince Su-Chong in Lehár’s Das Land des Lächelns, apart from which he has scored two Thalia Award nominations, for the parts of Laca in Janáček’s Jenůfa (2005), and Jeník in The Bartered Bride (2008).

The production of Tosca, using Josef Svoboda’s sets from 1947 (for the then Fifth of May Opera) has been acclaimed as unequivocally a tour de force of Czech postwar stage design. The Prague State Opera orchestra and chorus will be conducted by Ondrej Lenárd.

As a replacement for the initially scheduled performance The Phantom of the Opera, the Swan lake is going to be performed on the April 20.

Thursday, March 18, 2010, was the first night at the Prague State Opera of a new production of Massenet’s Don Quichotte. A rarely staged opera, it was conducted by Heiko Mathias Förster (Germany). In a staging by Jiří Nekvasil, with sets by Daniel Dvořák and costumes by Josef Jelínek, the leading male parts were created by Prague State Opera guests Ivan Tomašev (Don Quichotte) and Noé Colín (Sancho Panza), while Prague State Opera soloist Andrea Kalivodová was Dulcinée. The first night audience applauded the soloists during the performance, and after its ending rewarded also the conductor, chorus and orchestra with spontaneous ovations.

Opera Plus, March 22, 2010: „Nekvasil’s and Dvořák’s professional skills in tackling a challenge that’s as far from simple as is Massenet’s Don Quichotte, yielded doubtless a palpable result on stage… Nekvasil lets the opera take its course on a virtually empty stage, and yet there’s always something there to watch, be it the light effects, the brilliantly choreographed chorus, the enigmatic headlights of the car that actually rides around the stage, the aura of sparks emitted by its engine (here, Daniel Dvořák stands true to his renown of a truly fine stage designer).“

The photo gallery below shows the guest artists involved on stage during the first night gala.

• Don Quichotte on schedule

On April 13, the Prague State Opera will be hosting Oksana Kulchytska and Jan Váňa, as Odette/Odile and the Prince in that night’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Oksana Kulchytska followed up her studies at Kiev’s State Ballet Conservatory by an engagement as soloist of the National Theatre in Kiev. Since 1995, she has been engaged with the Leipzig ballet company, where she became principal ballet dancer in 2004. Her repertoire encompasses leading parts in ballet classics including Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora, the Lilac Fairy), Giselle (Myrthe, Giselle), Cinderella, La Sylphide, and Paquita (the Grand Pas). Jan Váňa, former student of the City of Prague Dance Conservatory, embarked on his professional career as first a member, and subsequently soloist of the Ukrainian National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kiev. His gallery of creations has so far comprised the parts of Prince Siegfried and Rotbart (Swan Lake), Albert and Hilarion (Giselle), Prince/Nutcracker (The Nutcracker), Solor (La Bayadère), or Bluebird (The Sleeping Beauty). He has toured with the Ukrainian Ballet in several European countries, as well as in Japan, Argentina and Azerbaijan.

As a replacement for the initially scheduled performance The Phantom of the Opera, the Swan lake is going to be performed on the March 30.

On October 19 the Prague State Opera’s embarked on its ninth visit to Japan. The company will present to Japanese audiences its new production of Verdi’s Aida, staged by Massimo Gasparòn (who also designed the sets and costumes). The staging was originally conceived for the Sferisterio Opera Festival at Macerata, Italy, and was also performed several times on the Prague State Opera’s home stage (in June and August 2009). In the course of the nearly month-long visit, till November 15, the PSO ensemble will give eighteen performances in fifteen cities (Tokyo, Fuchu, Omyia, Yokosuka, Musashino, Toyama, Ina, Sasebo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, Mito, Obihiro, Sapporo, and Nerima). The performances will be conducted by Giorgio Croci. Alternating in the title role are Anda-Louise Bogza and Jitka Svobodová, apart from whom the cast includes Efe Kislali and Gianluca Zampieri (Radames), Galia Ibragimova, Daniela Diakova and Jolana Fogašová (Amneris), Miguelangelo Cavalcanti and Jakub Kettner (Amonasro), Oleg Korotkov and Miloš Horák (Ramphis), Lukáš Hynek-Krämer (King), Dagmar Vaňkátová (Priestess), and Jiří Hruška (Messenger). Several performances feature guests of the Japanese agency, sopranos Michèle Crider and Dimitra Theodossiou (in the title role), and tenor Mario Malagnini (Radames). The Prague State Opera has visited Japan regularly since 1996.

An exceptionally warm reception was given to the two performances of the Prague State Opera’s production of Verdi’s Aida at the Large Festival Hall in Salzburg (Oct. 9 and 10, 2009), as part of the traditional autumn festival, the Salzburger Kulturtage. This particular staging of Aida, directed by Petar Selem, with sets by Hafez Abdel Fargali, and costumes by Josef Jelínek, has stayed on the PSO’s repertoire without an interruption since 1994 (as to June 6, 2009, it has received 219 showings). On both nights at Salzburg, the PSO orchestra, chorus and ballet played under the baton of Italian conductor Giorgio Croci, a guest of the PSO. The cast included Prague State Opera soloists and guests: Jordanka Derilova and Maida Hundeling (Aida), Sanja Anastasijevic and Galia Ibragimova (Amneris), Mario Zhang and Efe Kislali (Radames), Martin Bárta and Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Amonasro), Milan Bürger (King), Miloš Horák (Ramphis), Jana Sibera (Priestess), and Lubomír Havlák (Messenger).

The venue’s outstanding acoustics, coupled with an excellent audience who gave the company many rounds of mid-show applause, doubtless contributed in the whole PSO ensemble’s rendering a performance above its standard. The prominent guest of the first performance was the Czech ambassador to Austria, H. E. Jan Koukal.

The Prague State Opera has been a regular guest in Salzburg, Austria, since 2005. Operas performed by the company in the previous years were La traviata, Tosca, Il barbière di Siviglia and Turandot. This year, Aida will be the fifth production the Prague State Opera will bring to the Salzburg Festival House, on October 10 and 11, 2009. Leading roles will be sung by PSO soloists and guests Iordanka Derilova, Mario Zhang, Miguelangelo Cavalcanti, Efe Kislali, Maida Hundeling and Galia Ibragimova. Giorgio Croci will be the conductor.

As part of its project entitled Martinů Revisited, the Prague State Opera is mounting a Gala Concert on October 1 and 2, 2009, marking 50 years from the composer’s death. Rendering homage to Bohuslav Martinů, the concert’s programme aspires to recall the continuity of today’s Prague State Opera with the glorious history of its premises. The era of the New German Theatre (1888 – 1938) will be represented on the nights of the gala by the symphonic prelude The Rock, a composition commissioned from Bohuslav Martinů at the behest of its principal conductor, Georg Szell (previously long-time head of the New German Theatre’s opera company), by the Cleveland Orchestra, on the occasion of its own 40th anniversary. In its turn, the era of the Smetana Theatre will be brought back by the Saltarello from Martinů’s opera Mirandolina, which was given its world premiere fifty years ago on this stage (May 17, 1959). A special feature of the programme will be the world premiere of Martinů’s Nocturne No. 1 in F sharp minor for large orchestra, of 1915, whose edition is being prepared by Editio Bärenreiter Prague.

The State Opera Prague Ballet Ensemble is starting the new season with the Swan Lake performance by Tchaikovsky on September 6. This classically conceived production of Pavel Ďumbala and Hana Vláčilová, based upon the original choreography of Lev Ivanov and Mario Petipa, became a viewers’ hit soon after its premiere.

On Thursday August 20, 2009 State Opera Prague opened the new season traditionally with an Italian Opera Festival. In the course of the current, already 17th festival year, visitors may enjoy works by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioacchino Rossini.

As part of the Festival, State Opera Prague will present a number of foreign guests, such as German soprano Maida Hundeling (Friday August 21 and Wednesday August 26 in the title role of Tosca by Puccini), Gianluca Zampieri (August 27 in Aida), Efe Kislali (August 29 in Aida). Especially the new production of Aida by Verdi is attracting opera goers’ attention. State Opera Prague ensemble is going to tour Japan with the production in October 2009. On Thursday, August 27, the SOP orchestra will be led by popular Japanese conductor Tomomi Nishimoto, on August 29 by Italian Giorgio Croci.

The Festival will conclude with La Bohème by Puccini on Saturday September 5, 2009.

For the 2009/2010 season, the Prague State Opera has prepared the dramaturgy project Great Stories of Romanticism, consisting primarily of new productions of three magnificent works by representatives of 19th-century musical romanticism, Richard Wagner (1813–1883), Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) and Jules Massenet (1842–1912). The chosen works deal with subject matter from various period of history.

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The Prague State Opera will launch its new season on Thursday August 20, 2009, traditionally with its Festival of Italian operas. This year’s seventeenth annual event will offer to the Prague State Opera goers the staging of the operas by Giuseppe Verdi (Nabucco, Rigoletto, Aida and La traviata) and Giacomo Puccini (Madame Butterfly and Tosca) performed by soloists and guests of the Prague State Opera.

Since 1993, the Prague State Opera has started its seasons with a cycle of Italian operas (originally called the Verdi Festival). This extraordinary event is an endorsement of the New German Theatre tradition when, 110 years ago in 1899, the then director Angelo Neumann organised the first so called Maifestpiele which were soon to become very popular. Almost year after year, Verdi opera cycles featured the greatest opera stars of the day. In 2005, the Prague State Opera decided to extend the festival to works of other famous Italian composers.

The celebrated Requiem by W. A. Mozart, with the Prague State Opera soloists, orchestra and chorus, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23 at 7 pm to top off the 2008/2009 season.

The PSO artists will be joined by guests from Japan: the Haruka Women’s Chorus, which will add a variety of Japanese songs about the four seasons, entitled Furusato no Shiki, arranged by Shunichiro Genda. The soloists are Yukiko Kinjo Šrejmová, Kateřina Jalovcová, Josef Moravec, Pavel Švingr, the Prague State Opera orchestra and chorus. The conductor is Yu Miyadera, the principal conductor of the Saitama Chuo Philharmonic Orchestra and chief conductor of the Haruka Women’s Chorus.

Due to operational reasons, the Programme of State Opera Prague changes as follows: on Friday June 19, 2009, La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi will be given instead of the planned Tosca by Giacomo Puccini.

We thank all viewers for their understanding.

The only performance of Verdi’s Aida in a production which takes the Prague State Opera to its ninth Japanese tour this autumn (October 19 to November 15, 2009) is scheduled at the State Opera for Saturday, June 20 at 7 pm. The new show, a co-production with the Sferisterio Opera Festival in Macerata, Italy, is produced by director, set and costume designer Massimo Gasparòn. The Prague State Opera’s principal mezzo Galia Ibragimova will be Amneris, and Italian tenor Gianluca Zampieri will sing Radames. The Prague State Opera’s orchestra will play under conductor Giorgio Croci.

The tour, lasting almost a month, will take the State Opera to fifteen major cities, with four performances scheduled at the Bunka Kaikan, the famous Tokyo concert hall. The title role will be sung by house members, sopranos Anda-Louise Bogza and Jitka Svobodová, and guests Michele Crider and Dimitra Theodossiou. Other roles will be taken by Efe Kislali, Gianluca Zampieri and Mario Malagnini (Radames), Martin Bárta and Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Amonasro), Galia Ibragimova, Daniela Diakova and Jolana Fogašová (Amneris), Oleg Korotkov (King/Ramfis), Lukáš Hynek-Krämer (King), Ladislav Mlejnek (Ramfis), Dagmar Vaňkátová (High Priestess) and Jiří Hruška (Messenger).

The last performance of the Swan Lake in this season is scheduled for Sunday, June 21, featuring our regular guests, Nikola Márová and Michal Štípa dancing Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried. Nikola Márová, the National Theatre’s principal dancer, was awarded the prestigious Thalia Award 2007 for her guest performance in our production: “Since I was a child, Odette/Odile has been my dream role, and although I have danced the role in various productions, it was only at the Prague State Opera that I was scheduled for the premiere. I have different feelings in each performance in your theatre, but it always makes my day,” says the leading Czech dancer. And the State Opera’s audiences can admire Ms Márová and Mr Štípa in their superb renditions of Odette/Odile and the noble Prince in the following season, too.

Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello brings the season to a close at the Prague State Opera, as the first night on May 28, scheduled as part of the Prague Spring International Music Festival, attracted a number of personalities from political and cultural life.

The musically demanding work is conducted by renowned German conductor Heiko Mathias Förster, and Lubor Cukr led the team reconstructing a 1991 production by Dominik Neuner, with sets by Vladimír Nývlt and costumes by Josef Jelínek. Turkish tenor Efe Kişlali is Otello with a unique dark-timbred voice. The first-night audience especially loved the Prague State Opera member, soprano Christina Vasileva singing Desdemona, whose vocal performance and deep-felt acting received terrific applause as well as breathless silence as the opera approached its cathartic close. And Ivan Kusnjer received spontaneous ovation for his vocal and acting performance as Iago. The long final ovations went to the conductor, orchestra, chorus, and the entire production team.

The renewed premiere of Otello by Giuseppe Verdi at the Prague State Opera on Thursday, May 28, 2009, is one of the events of the Prague Spring International Music Festival. The highly acclaimed 1991 production by director Dominik Neuner will now be reopened by a team under director Lubor Cukr. Featuring the 1991 set design by Vladimír Nývlt and costumes by Josef Jelínek, the production will star guest singers Efe Kislali and Sergej Ljadov (Otello), Ivan Kusnjer and Richard Haan (Iago); the three members of the Prague State Opera singing Desdemona are Anda-Louise Bogza, Christina Vasileva and Marina Vyskvorkina. One of the highlights of world opera, Otello will be conducted by Heiko Mathias Förster, a German conductor of world renown.

The Phantom of the Opera, an original dance production of composer Petr Malásek and choreographer Libor Vaculík, has been a regular part of the Prague State Opera’s ballet repertoire since April last year. Each performance has met with warm reception from the audiences, the greatest acclaim going to Richard Hlinka and Zuzana Hvízdalová dancing as the demonic Phantom and gentle Christina respectively. On May 19, Yevgen Lisovyk, a new member of the ballet company, will be Raoul, the Phantom’s love rival. Following the solo dancing in the Time of Pain and von Rothbart in the Swan Lake, Raoul will be another great opportunity for Mr Lisovyk at the Prague State Opera.

The Prague State Opera regrets to announce that the ballet performance of Les Noces, The Firebird originally scheduled for April 20, 2009, has had to be cancelled for operational reasons.

We thank all viewers for their understanding.

After a year-long break one of the most progressive staging Time of Pain / Čas bolesti, whose choreographer is Bronislav Roznos, is coming back to the stage of the Prague State Opera. The suggestive spectacle consisting of six contrasting scenes (Passion, Birth and Death, Witch-Hunting, Uniformity, And if you are not willing to, Delight) achieved a vivid and favourable response of the audience at all the previous performances. This time, the ballet has been introducing modified cast and the new members of the ensemble will be given an opportunity to perform too. The only two performances of Time of Pain will be held in this year’s season, respectively on April 28 and on May 4, 2009.

The ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera looks for dancers for the posts of principal dancers.

Requirements: at least three years of experiences as soloists with the classical repertoire. Individual auditions can be arranged with the Ballet Management via e-mail: dumbala@opera.cz or by mail at the following address:

The Chief of Ballet
Mr Pavel Ďumbala
Státní opera Praha
Legerova 75, 110 00 Praha 1

Successful applicants may commence engagement immediately.

The premiere of a new title in the repertoire called Vivat Operetta! having been prepared by the opera and ballet ensemble of the Prague State Opera and led by the conductor František Drs and the stage director Petr Kracik (set designer Peter Čanecký, costume designer Josef Jelínek) proved enormously popular with the viewers. The premiere audience appreciated protagonists in the main parts (Jitka Svobodová and Tomáš Černý) and the soloists of the Prague State Opera Jana Levicová and Jan Sibera were given a tremendous ovation for an excellent performance; at the conclusion the audience rewarded the ballet ensemble of the Prague State Opera with thunderous applause for the Emperor Waltz and final cancan.

The joint opera and ballet project Vivat operetta! is going through final rehearsals. The show is targeted at all those who miss productions of traditional operettas in Prague. Directed by Petr Kracik and conducted by František Drs or Pavel Šnajdr, the show will feature principal singers and dancers in the greatest hits from operettas by Franz Lehár, Emmerich Kálmán and Johann Strauss II. Director Petr Kracik says:

“Thinking about how best to design the Vivat operetta! project, I did a private research into operetta classics, and I decided upon three big issues. My intention was to bring together different acts from three famous operettas in an original way. First, the opening act of Countess Maritza as a lively romantic drama of a man and a woman in the Hungarian Puszta, with water and gypsies always close at hand. Next come the highlights from the Land of Smiles, acts two and three showing a dramatic story of lovers who become husband and wife despite cultural differences. And the night will be rounded off with act two from The Bat, the famous ball scene.”

The production of Britten’s opera Death in Venice, staged in the Prague State Opera within the framework of the Opera 2009 9th Festival of Music Theatre, was awarded two honorary festival prizes:

The Best Production Prize awarded by a jury of critics and the Prize for the Outstanding Role Rendition, awarded by a jury of honorary soloists of the National Theatre to Alan Oke for the role of Gustav von Aschenbach. Alan Oke was presented the prize after the last performance of Death in Venice on March 12, 2009; the Best Production Prize was conferred to Mgr. Jaroslav Vocelka, Intendant of the Prague State Opera, at the Opera 2009 gala concert in the Estates Theatre on March 17, 2009.

“Britten’s Death in Venice of the Prague State Opera was a clear artistic highlight of this year’s biennial event due to the perfectly synergetically welded unity of the staging approach and top performances, led by the riveting Alan Oke. It also drew the attention to the importance of co-productions with prestigious partners. For those who continue to challenge the utility of two opera houses in the capital, it hopefully served as a practical example of the purposefulness of the independent existence of both ensembles.”

Helena Havlíková, March 13, 2009, Lidové noviny

“Britten’s Death in Venice of the Prague State Opera is an international production that, due to its exclusive literary theme, unity of style, concentration, theatre poetry, atmosphere and comprehensive perfection of singing creations, made an amazing impression within the Czech context.”

Petr Veber, March 13, 2009 Hospodářské noviny

Ukrainian bass Taras Stonda won the hearts of Prague audiences during his appearances at the Prague Autumn Festival (Sept. 12, 2003, in Mussorgsky’s song cycle, Without Sunlight; and September 25, 2006, in the same composer’s cycle, Songs and Dances of Death). We are now being offered a chance to get to know this outstanding artist on the operatic stage as well, as Zaccaria in Verdi’s Nabucco. The Kiev Opera soloist has guest appeared since 2002 at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, where he has been for instance a hugely successful Boris Godunov. He has been hosted by festivals in Ljubljana (Prince Galitsky in Prince Igor; and Boris Godunov), Savonlinna (Boris Godunov), Palma de Mallorca (Great Inquisitor in Don Carlos), Avignon (Zaccaria), Warsaw (Dossifey in Khovanshchina), as well as on the stage of London’s Covent Garden (Pimen in Boris Godunov). The role of Abigaille will be sung by the Prague State Opera soloist, eminent soprano Anda-Louise Bogza, winner of the prestigious Thalia Award in 2007. She made her first appearance here as Abigaillle on January 15, 2009. Anda-Louise Bogza has created at the PSO stage the parts of Tosca, Aida, and the Foreign Princess in Dvořák’s Rusalka.

The premiere of Britten’s Death in Venice, held on February 26, 2009, has met with unprecedented acclaim. The first night drew the attention of a number of prominent personalities of political and cultural life as well as reviewers from international opera monthlies and European dailies.

The first-night audience, visibly fully concentrated and overwhelmed by the unique aesthetic power radiating from the production, rewarded the orchestra, chorus, and the entire production team led by director Yoshi Oida with robust ovations. The star of the show, British tenor Alan Oke, was greeted with repeated bursts of applause, and huge ovations were awarded to baritone Peter Savidge and conductor Hilary Griffiths.

Critics praise the production of Death in Venice as a unique initiative and the season’s highlight (Hospodářské noviny, Právo). Five stars – the highest possible evaluation of the Lidové Noviny daily, were awarded to the production by the renowned reviewer Helena Havlíková:

“...Anyone who doubts whether there is any sense in having two opera companies in Prague should be made to go and see Death in Venice at the State Opera. In this project, the company follows the long series of productions that shaped our recent opera history. This is another proof that there is sense and justification in having two separate opera houses in a Central-European capital. In art, competition is always healthier than monopoly. The new director of the Prague State Opera, soon to be elected, will be responsible for maintaining and developing the independent position of this opera house by employing a wise selection of opera titles and ensuring first-rate productions.”

Daria Klimentová, the star of the English National Ballet enjoying the greatest world renown of today’s Czech dancers, is soon to give guest appearances at the Prague State Opera in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, dancing opposite Carlos Pinillos from the National Ballet of Portugal on March 8, and opposite Jan-Erik Wikström from the Swedish Royal Ballet on March 17.

The Prague audience will see you on March 8 dancing opposite Carlos Pinillos, whom you have never danced with before. How difficult is it for you to adapt to a new partner?

I am not made to spend my whole career with a single dancing partner. I love change. Each new partner brings me inspiration as I always learn a lot of new things. Getting used to a new partner is sometimes difficult, sometimes pleasant, depending on the mutual cooperation in the technical, physical, and psychical sense. I really look forward to Carlos as he is an excellent dancer.

Are you giving any other appearances in the double role of Odette/Odile in this season?

I have two performances of Odette/Odile in Sweden in February, and then I shall be looking forward to Prague.

How do you feel as you return to the State Opera where you started your dancing career years ago?

I am happy that Pavel Ďumbala, the director of ballet, makes regular invitations to me. My heart still belongs to the Prague State Opera. It is the largest stage in the city, absolutely ideal for ballet. Whenever I enter the theatre now, I can feel the same smell as twenty years ago, and this immediately brings back all the wonderful moments that I had here in the first three years of my professional career.

Rehearsals are currently under way at the Prague State Opera for The Death in Venice, an opera by Benjamin Britten, with an international production team led by Japanese director Yoshi Oida, including stage designer Tom Schenk, costume designer Richard Hudson, and choreographer Daniela Kurz. The composer’s masterpiece, based on the famous novella by Thomas Mann, which also provided inspiration to Luchino Visconti for his film, is a reflection on the essence of art, the ideal of beauty, the power of love and death.

The opera’s Czech debut is scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2009, in a co-production of the Prague State Opera and the festivals in Aldeburgh and Bregenz, and Opéra de Lyon. There is a limited run of four March performances (on March 1, 4, 10, and 12, 2009). Hilary Griffiths is the conductor leading the Prague State Opera orchestra and chorus, and Tvrtko Karlovič and Adolf Melichar are the chorus masters. The cast features renowned international singers Alan Geoffrey Oke (Gustav von Aschenbach), Peter Savidge (The Traveller and six other roles), and William Towers (The Voice of Apollo).

Britten’s Death in Venice is a significant insight into the role of artists in society, the nature of creativity and arts, and the dichotomy between the emotional and rational aspects of humanity. It seems quite logical to see this opera as a crystalline summary of the composer’s entire oeuvre: this opera avoids the orchestral extravagance typical of some of his previous music, becoming a straightforward work, even austere in its mood, putting across Britten’s last message as an opera artists.

Hilary Griffiths

The double role of the virginal Odette and the sensuous Odile in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is the dream of every classical dancer. And Zuzana Hvízdalová, a young soloist of the Prague State Opera, is no exception. Supervised by the legendary dancer Hana Vláčilová, the young ballerina has been rehearsing the challenging role since last year, and will make her debut on February 27, opposite the Prince of Michal Štípa, one of the top Czech dancers of today.

Daria Klimentová, the leading Czech ballet dancer, is to make a special guest appearance at the Prague State Opera in the double role of Odette/Odile in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Ms Klimentová, the principal dancer of the English National Ballet, has appeared in a number of roles in classical and contemporary repertoire, and has been awarded major ballet awards including the gold medal from the International Ballet Competition in Pretoria, South Africa. Her wide renown brought her among the principal Czech personalities representing the country in a campaign promoting the Czech Republic’s European Union presidency this year. The State Opera will see the famous dancer on two nights. On March 8 at 7 p.m., Ms Klimentová will dance opposite Carlos Pinillos, the principal dancer of the National Ballet of Portugal. On March 17, Jan-Erik Wikström, the principal dancer of the Swedish Royal Ballet, will be the Prince.

For the fourth time, the Prague State Opera will host the greatest stars of the ballet world. The special show will star leading dancers of world-renowned ballet companies and theatres such as the Paris Opera Ballet, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

The unique ballet gala event will consist of fragments from various ballet works, and will show the audience both the technical mastery and the unique personal input of each of the performers, introducing dance styles from classical ballet, neoclassical works to contemporary dance in original versions by top choreographers.

The project takes place under the auspices of Prague mayor Pavel Bém and of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. The world premiere is scheduled for January 9, 2009 at 7.30 P.M. Tickets are available from the Prague International Ballet and from the booking service Bohemia Ticket.

The Prague State Opera Ballet Ensemble and The Prague Chamber Ballet   is holding an audition to complete vacant posts in its ensemble on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at 3:00 pm. The address: Legerova 75, 110 00 Praha 1, 1st floor, the operation (glass) building of the Prague State Opera   entrance for employees, dance hall no. 1. Connection: Metro line A / C   Muzeum station.

More detailed information is available from Pavel Ďumbala, Art Director of the Prague State Opera Ballet Ensemble.

Telephone: +420 296 117 316, mobile: 724 215 964
e-mail: dumbala@opera.cz, ozima@opera.cz

As part of the Prague State Opera’s marking 120 years from the opening of its premises, we have prepared a unique offer to all our friends and fans: namely, subscription to Opera quarterly magazine for nothing but the postal delivery charge.

The magazine appears four times a year (Spring; Summer; Autumn; Winter), bringing up-to-date information about the company’s pending programmes; articles on newly prepared opera and ballet productions; interviews with production team members, singers and dancers; portraits of PSO opera and ballet ensembles’ permanent members as well as of visiting artists; surveys of press reviews of new productions; series of articles on various aspects of the Prague State Opera building’s 120-year-old history; and a plethora of photographs from performances, the PSO’s international tours, and major social functions.

One year subscription for addressee from the Czech Republic and Slovakia costs 120 CZK, whereas for addressee from abroad 240 CZK. Please direct your orders via ljaskova@opera.cz, or to Prague State Opery, Lucie Ljašková sales department, Legerova 75, 110 00 Prague 1.

Ms. Andrea Kramešová and Mr. Filip Veverka, the soloists of the Deutche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, will appear as Odette/Odile and Prince in Swan Lake on January 2, 2009. After dance conservatory Ms. Andrea Kramešová danced in the National Theatre in Prague and then spent two years in the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma, the USA. Today, she is a ballet soloist in Düsseldorf, where she appears as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or as Wedding Couple in Giselle. Mr. Filip Veverka was engaged in the National Theatre in Prague after his graduation. He enjoyed the opportunity to work with Jiří Kylián and Jury Grigorovitch, the famous choreographers. In 2003 he left to the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma. As a soloist in Düsseldorf he appears as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, as Albert in Giselle or as Demetrio in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

As a replacement for the initially scheduled performance A Midsummer’s Night Dream, the Swan lake is going to be performed on the January 7. Thanks for your understanding.

Between 14-17 November 2008, the Prague State Opera ballet company gave a guest performance of My Country in Dortmund, Germany. The guest performance in Theater Dortmund took place on 16 November 2008, on the eve of the 19th anniversary of the fall of communism in what was then Czechoslovakia. The special event was initiated by the Czech Republic’s Honorary Consul to Germany, Mr. Heinz Fennekold, and the Auslandsgesellschaft Deutschland. Guests to the show included leading personalities of Dortmund’s public and political life, the Vice-President of the Czech Parliament, Lubomír Zaorálek, and visitors from other European countries.

The performance of My Country starred leading members of the Prague State Opera Ballet, Anna Ščekaleva, Richard Hlinka, the ballet company, and the Prague State Opera Orchestra was conducted by Pavel Šnajdr. The performance of the dancers and orchestra earned long applause including a standing ovation at the end of the show. Ján Ďurovčík’s ballet version of Smetana’s masterpiece is thought to be a great artistic initiative in Germany. The Czech Republic’s Honorary Consul to Germany, Mr. Heinz Fennekold, said he would like to promote further cooperation with the Prague State Opera Ballet as part of multilateral cultural exchange programmes.

The Prague State Opera ballet company is now busy preparing for a guest performance of My Country in Dortmund, Germany. This is the first ballet performance of the complete cycle of symphonic poems by the Czech national composer Bedřich Smetana. The show   which was opened in 2005 and will be revived in the Prague State Opera in December this year   was choreographed by the renowned Slovak artist Ján Ďurovčík, sets were designed by Boris Kudlička, costumes by Martin Černý. The guest performance in Theater Dortmund is scheduled for 16 November 2008, on the eve of the 19th anniversary of the fall of communism in what was then Czechoslovakia. The special event was initiated by the Czech Republic’s Honorary Consul to Germany, Mr. Heinz Fennekold, and the Auslandsgesellschaft Deutschland. The personalities representing the Czech Republic include the Minister of Education, Ondřej Liška, and the Vice-President of the Czech Parliament, Lubomír Zaorálek. The performance at the Theater Dortmund will star leading members of the Prague State Opera Ballet. The Prague State Opera Orchestra will be conducted by Pavel Šnajdr.

Making her second appearance as Abigail in Verdi’s Nabucco, on the night of November 8, 2008, will be the famous Georgian soprano, Nana Miriani, a regular guest of leading Italian opera houses, including Milan’s La Scala. Her first account of the part on the stage of the Prague State Opera, on October 31, 2008 earned her an exceptional acclaim. Don’t miss this new chance to see and hear this fantastic Abigail!

In the 2007/2008 season, the Prague State Opera launched a project called Hurray to the Opera (Hurá do opery) which invited pupils from the junior classes of primary schools to get acquainted with the works of opera and ballet composers and to visit the backstage of the opera house. Our young guests were asked to paint the things that made the biggest impression on them, and some of the paintings can be seen in an exhibition currently on display on the second balcony of the Prague State Opera.

Featured in the part of Abigaille will be on October 31 the celebrated Georgian soprano, Nana Miriani, a regular guest of major Italian opera houses, including Milan’s La Scala where she presented herself as Tosca in the opera’s production directed by Luca Ronconi, with Lorin Maazel conducting. Her other international commitments have included guest appearances in France, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Apart from Abigaille, her repertoire encompasses other major Verdi roles (Amelia in Un ballo in maschera, Lady Macbeth, Aida, and Leonora in Il trovatore), as well as Giordano’s Fedora, Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, and Puccini’s Tosca. In 2008 she created Odabella in Verdi’s Attila on the stage of the Zakharia Paliashvili State Opera in Tbilisi. Nana Miriani was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she studied voice at the Music Academy. She pursued her studies at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena (1995–96), with the legendary tenor Carlo Bergonzi at the Arturo Toscanini Accademia di Canto in Parma (1997), and with the famous soprano Renata Scotto at the Verdi Opera Studio (affiliate of the Fondazione Verdi Festival) of the Teatro Regio di Parma (2000–2001). She currently works with the soprano Gianfranca Ostini.

The  performance of Nabucco on October 31 will be conducted by British Maestro Hilary Griffiths, permanent guest of the Prague State Opera.

On Saturday, January 31, 2009, the Prague State Opera will host its Opera Ball again. This unique event aims primarily to build and strengthen relationships among people and among nations. The guests of honour, who have supported the idea in the past years, include Alain Delon, Sir Peter Ustinov, Michael York, Ivana Trump and the world famous opera singer Edita Gruberová.

The Opera Ball will take place under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Tereza Maxová Foundation.

• More information: www.plesvopere.eu

An exceptionally warm reception was enjoyed by each of the two performances of the Prague State Opera’s production of Turandot at the Large Festival House in Salzburg (October 10 and 11, 2008), during the traditional Salzburger Kulturtage autumn festival. This particular staging of Turandot, directed by Václav Věžník, with sets designed by Ladislav Vychodil and costumes by Josef Jelínek, has been a permanent fixture on the PSO’s repertoire since 1995 (with a score of 101 showings as to October 4, 2008). Both Salzburg nights featured Italian conductor Enrico Dovico, the PSO’s permanent guest artist, the PSO orchestra, chorus and ballet ensemble, and the Pueri Gaudentes children’s choir. The cast included Prague State Opera soloists and guests: Jordanka Derilova, Magda Málková (Turandot), Igor Jan, Mario Zhang (Calaf), Jitka Burgetová, Christina Vasileva (Liù), Oleg Korotkov (Timur), Josef Moravec (Ping), Richard Samek (Pang), Ondřej Socha (Pong), Nikolay Vishnyakov (Altoum), and Miloš Horák (Mandarin). Notwithstanding the current economic depression, both nights were very nearly sold out (at an auditorium capacity of 2,179 seats!).

The hall’s superb acoustics, coupled with a truly appreciative audience who never hesitated to offer an open-stage applause, and last but not least, Maestro Dovico’s inspired conducting, doubtless all contributed to the whole Prague State Opera ensemble delivering a performance above its average standard. “This was an evenly balanced musical experience which was well worth the visit!”, is the final sentence of a laudatory review by the critic of the Drehpunktkultur Salzburg daily, of October 12, which corresponds with the opinion of the audience who topped off the first night with a storm of applause. The second performance was no less successful.

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake continues to be one of the major audience drawers in the Prague State Opera’s new season. The October 7 performance featured stars of the Portuguese National Ballet, Ana Lacerda and Carlos Pinillos in the roles of Odette/Odile and Prince. The full house was quick to reward both guests with warm applause several times during the performance, and it was especially the Prince’s variation from the famous Black Pas de Deux in a perfect rendition by Carlos Pinillos that sent the Prague audience into a frenzy. The final standing ovation was a thank-you to the guests from Portugal as well as to the local ballet company and orchestra conducted by Pavel Šnajdr.

The October 11, 2008 the Swan lake is going to be performed instead of initially scheduled A Midsummer Night’s Dream due to a company member’s disease. We thank all viewers for their understanding.

Ms. Ana Lacerda and Mr. Carlos Pinillos, principal dancers of the National Ballet of Portugal, will appear as Odette/Odile and Prince in Swan Lake on October 7, 2008.

Ana Lacerda began her studies of dance at five years of age in the School of Vocational Training Centre of the National Ballet Company of the National Theatre of S. Carlos and joined the cast of that company in 1988. Promoted to Principal dancer in 1995, danced most of the repertoire presented by the National Ballet Company. In 2003, received the Award of Excellence given by the Association of Friends of CNB for the “Best Dancer of the Year.„ In February 2006 recevived by Excellency the President Dr. Jorge Sampaio the Order of Merit. The artistic versatility earned her endorsements prominent from her interpretations of roles at both classic and modern: Swan Lake, Raymonda, Paquita, Nutcracker, The Camellian Lady, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Concerto (K. MacMillan).

In 1995, Carlos Pinillos begins his path as professional dancer with the Ballet of Victor Ullate and in 2000 he becomes Principal Dancer. In 2001 Carlos joins the National Ballet of Portugal, where he still performs today under the direction of Mehmet Balkan. In his classical repertoire we find ballets such as Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Lady of Camelia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Allegro Brillante, Theme and Variations, Apollo and Who Cares? make his Balanchine repertoire.

Ms. Andrea Kramešová and Mr. Filip Veverka, the soloists of the Deutche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, will appear as Odette/Odile and Prince in Swan Lake on September 23, 2008. After dance conservatory Ms. Andrea Kramešová danced in the National Theatre in Prague and then spent two years in the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma, the USA. Today, she is a ballet soloist in Düsseldorf, where she appears as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or as Wedding Couple in Giselle.

Mr. Filip Veverka was engaged in the National Theatre in Prague after his graduation. He enjoyed the opportunity to work with Jiří Kylián and Jury Grigorovitch, the famous choreographers. In 2003 he left to the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma. As a soloist in Düsseldorf he appears as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, as Albert in Giselle or as Demetrio in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

From the start of the 2008/09 season until the end of this year, members of the PSO’s audience are welcome to visit, in the dress-circle corridor, an exhibition focused on the famous native of Kaliště near Jihlava, the great composer and conductor Gustav Mahler. The show, entitled Gustav Mahler and Vienna, which was first mounted on the premises of the Vienna State Opera, is on loan here from the Austrian Cultural Forum. It falls ideally within the broader framework of this year’s celebrations of the 120th anniversary of the Prague State Opera building.

• Further information

On September 3 and 6, the Prague State Opera will host the tenor Luca Lombardo, who will appear in the production of Puccini’s Tosca as the painter Cavaradossi.

Luca Lombardo was born in France. He received a number of international awards, e.g. in the Enrico Caruso Competition in Milan and the Georges Thill Prize in Barcelona. He made his debut in 1989 as Gabriele Adorno in Simon Boccanegra. His repertoire includes, amongst others, the role of Rodolfo in La Bohème, Alfred in La traviata, Don José in Carmen, Faust in The Damnation of Faust, Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliette, Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly and Herod in Salome. In the near future he will appear in performances of the operas Louise in Paris, Carmen in Rome and Massenet’s Arianne in Saint-Etienne.

The young soloist Zuzana Hvízdalová made a flying start in her first year with the State Opera Ballet. Following the Pas de Trois in Swan Lake, the Wicked Sister in Cinderella and her solo in Time of Pain, she gave a spectacular performance as Christina Daaé in the premier of the Phantom of the Opera. She got glowing reviews; the audience rewarded her with rapturous applause. Christina will appear early in the new season, on September 9.

How would you rate the premier of the Phantom now, after a several-months interval?

In spite of the minor differences we had with the choreographer during rehearsals, I remember the premier very fondly. With every new performance I feel my relation to Christina developing and I understand her conflicting feelings for the Phantom and Raoul. The more I absorb the choreography, the more I can focus on the internal experience and let myself be carried by the plot.

A key requirement for somebody in the role of Christina is acting in unison with the partner dancing the role of the Phantom. What is it like to dance with him?

I have a lot of admiration for Richard Hlinka, because it is certainly not easy for him to dance with such a tall partner, but he copes marvellously. I can absolutely rely on him.

Last season you started to study yet another exceptional role...

For several months now I have been rehearsing Odette/Odilia in Swan Lake with my teacher Hana Vláčilová. Ms Vláčilová danced this role many times and she has been initiating me into the smallest details. I believe the audience will see me as Odette/Odilia already this season.

The Prague State Opera will launch its new season on Friday August 22, traditionally with its Festival of Italian operas. This year’s sixteenth annual event will offer to the Prague State Opera goers the staging of the operas by Giuseppe Verdi (Nabucco, Rigoletto), Giacomo Puccini (Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Turandot) and Gaetano Donizetti (Lucia di Lammermoor), performed by a number of international guests: Dmytro Popov (23 August, Duke – Rigoletto), Luciano Mastro (August 24 and 28, Pinkerton – Madama Butterfly), Michele Kalmandi (August 26, Nabucco – the title role, August 29, Scarpio – Tosca), Igor Borko (August 27, Edgar – Lucia di Lammermoor, August 30, Duke – Rigoletto) and Luca Lombardo (September 3 and 6, Cavaradossi – Tosca).

A dramaturgical project of the Prague State Opera for the 2008-09 season

In the 2008-09 theatrical season, the Prague State Opera is presenting the dramaturgically targeted, thematic project Three Forms of Love, offering audiences premieres of three masterpieces representing the development of the opera genre while introducing three different faces of love as captured in famous works by composers Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) and Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) and Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901).

• More information

Since 1993, the Prague State Opera has started its seasons with a cycle called the Verdi Festival. This extraordinary event is an endorsement of the New German Theatre tradition when, a 109 years ago in 1899, the then director Angelo Neumann organised the first Maifestpiele, which was soon to become very popular. Almost year after year, Verdi opera cycles featured the greatest opera stars of the day. In 2005, the Prague State Opera decided to extend the festival to works of other famous Italian composers. During the current sixteenth year of this tradition the Prague State Opera audience will be able to enjoy operas by Giuseppe Verdi (Nabucco, Rigoletto), Giacomo Puccini (Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Turandot) and Gaetano Donizetti (Lucia di Lammermoor).

• More information

On Wednesday, the August 6, at 7:30 pm. the State Opera Prague will host the French Theatre Company La Fabrique à théâtre which specializes in original and authentic baroque theatre productions. There will be one evening performance – Molière’s comedy The Doctor in Spite of Himself (Le Médecin malgré lui), directed by Jean-Denis Monory, stage designed by Charlotte Smoos. The performance will be in French with Czech subtitles. The Project is the result of long-time cooperation between Collegium Marianum and stable French partners, especially the French Institute Prague and the Sablé Festival. The Performance takes place within the framework of the 9th international music festival Summer Festivities of Early Music.

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For the second season in a row, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, in the classical choreography by Ivanov, Petipa, Ďumbala and Vláčilová, has been one of the Prague State Opera performances with the highest audience rates. That is why a mini-series of four summer repeats of Swan Lake, which are to take place at 7 p.m. on July 2, 3, 4 and 5, 2008, has been included, exceptionally, on the list of planned performances.

The ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera will start off its new season on Tuesday September 9 with the spectacular staging of The Phantom of the Opera by composer Petr Malásek and choreographer Libor Vaculík. The horror love story in dance was inspired by the well-known story by Gaston Leroux. The gala première, which took place in April, attracted much attention. The critiques unequivocally appreciated the outstanding performances of the soloists dancing the main as well as episode parts, and the show was immediately ranked among the greatest hits among its audiences. The tickets to the September repeat of The Phantom of the Opera (on Septemnber 9 and 16 at 7 p.m.) have already been on sale!

In keeping with tradition, the Prague State Opera ensemble will perform at the Smetana Litomyšl International Opera Festival. The last time it appeared here was in 2006 when it presented, to great viewer acclaim, Zdeněk Troška’s staging of Dvořák’s opera Rusalka. This year, the Prague State Opera ensemble will offer festival guests three performances including a concert performance of Edvard Grieg’s incidental music to Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt (June 22) and Verdi’s Nabucco (June 23 and 24, 2008).

On June 25 – 27, the Prague State Opera will introduce “Acquainting Central Europe with China”, a project whose main organiser is the Press Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China together with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Czech Republic and co-organisers the Society for Cultural Development – Beijing New Expression, the Artistic Ensemble of Chinese Disabled Artists and the Prague State Opera. The Artistic Ensemble of Chinese Disabled Artists will present two performances, on June 25 and 26, 2008, of an original song and dance programme titled My Dream. The artists will perform a variety of pieces like the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara Dance, the instrumental suite Folk Tradition and Customs and the Pekingese opera At the Crossroads. The project will end on June 27 with the performance of the women’s musical ensemble called The Heavenly Beauty of National Music, composed of more than ten musicians playing traditional folk instruments. Its repertoire includes a number of original compositions, world known classics as well as various types of Chinese national music, e.g. compositions in the Szechuan style or pieces inspired by the folk traditions of the ethnic minorities of West China. The project has been implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

The Prague State Opera organises an extraordinary Doors Open Day on Saturday, June 14, 2008, marking the culmination of the celebrations of the 120th anniversary of the building of the Prague State Opera. Between 9:30 and 13:00 hours, visitors will be offered for free historical guided tours by conducted professional guides from the Prague Information Service, rendered in Czech and in English, and also including the backstage (the storage rooms for the stage sets and costumes, the make-up rooms, etc.). Promotional printed materials about the Prague State Opera will be available for sale in the theatre lobby.

The celebrations of the 120th anniversary of the opening of the building of the Prague State Opera culminated with the first night of the opera The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner, held on May 29, within the Prague Spring International Music Festival. The gala evening was attended by many outstanding personalities of the political and cultural life, and a number of reviewers from prestigious international operatic monthlies and authors of cultural columns of European dailies. The first night audiences enthusiastically applauded the soloists on the open scene and – at the end – awarded with a salvo of hands-clapping Miss Maida Hundeling, soprano (Senta) and Maestro Michele Kalmandi, baritone (The Flying Dutchman).

The performances of the two protagonists of the gala evening were appreciated also by the professional public:

“The first night was unbeatably crowned by Senta performed by the German soprano, Miss Maida Hundeling, who perfectly fulfilled the image of the Wagnerian character, both by way of her singing and acting. Her soprano safely and beautifully sounding in all pitches represents a tool by way of which the charismatic and refined singer chooses to express her variable emotions, from those of a dreaming girl up to those of a determined woman…. The Hungarian baritone, Maestro Michele Kalmandi, gives the Flying Dutchman an aristocratic appearance and a voice of captivating timbre; he has rich experiences with that part, therefore he sings it with pleasant certainty...”

Radmila Hrdinová, Právo, May 31, 2008

Prague State Opera is currently preparing its production of Richard Wagner’s opera the Flying Dutchman, whose premiere on May 29, 2008 as part of the Prague Spring Festival will bring the celebrations of State Opera Prague Building’s 120th anniversary to a climax. Prominent foreign singers, soloists and permanent guests of State Opera Prague will appear in the title roles: Michele Kalmandi and Gary Simpson (the Dutchman), Maida Hundeling and Jitka Svobodová (Senta), Martin Snell and Oleg Korotkov (Daland), Christian Voigt and Tomáš Černý (Erik).

The Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the classical choreography of L. Ivanov, M. Petipa, P. Ďumbala and H. Vláčilová has been among the State Opera Prague productions with the highest attendance for the second season now. Both the reviewing professionals and the general public have appreciated the high standard of dancing delivered both by the soloists and the chorus, as well as the original approach to the costumes and stage design paying tribute to the fairy-tale character of the ballet. As a result, State Opera Prague will introduce an extraordinary series of four summer performances of the Swan Lake from July 2 to July 5, 2008, beginning always at 7 p.m.

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The Phantom of the Opera, an epical ballet novelty composed by Petr Malásek and choreographed by Libor Vaculík, which had been inspired by Gaston Leroux’s famous romantic horror story, received much attention from the audience. All the seats of the State Opera were full both during the gala premier on April 10, 2008 and the following repeats. Only a few tickets are left for this season’s final performance of The Phantom of the Opera on May 13. All who are interested in seeing this ballet should not hesitate to buy their tickets as soon as possible.

An international implementation team headed by the English director Stephen Taylor, i.e., stage director Laurent Peduzzi, costume designer Nathalie Prats, and lighting designer Christian Pinaud, have commenced rehearsals for and new staging of the opera The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner, to be performed within the framework of the Prague Spring International Music Festival on May 29, 2008, as the climax of the celebrations of the 120th anniversary of the building of the Prague State Opera. The musical part has been assigned to the chief conductor of the Prague State Opera, Guillaume Tourniaire, conductor Richard Hein, and choirmasters Tvrtko Karlovič and Adolf Melichar.

The collaborative process of accompanying performers in the preparation of the greatest scenes from the operatic repertoire is intensely revealing about the scores and the composers in question. When rehearsing, the dramatic quality of the opera becomes rapidly palpable and guides us through our work. I learned a great deal from my work with Pierre Strosser on his staging of the Ring cycle in Paris in 1994, and the revival of the production in Australia. Any hesitations I may have had about the enormous scale of the works, about the fantastical and mythological nature of the subject matter, rapidly evaporated as the immediate humanity of the characters and situations, and the energy of the discourse became manifest.

Stephen Taylor

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The Prima Ballerina of the English National Ballet in London, Miss Daria Klimentova, will perform the double part of Odette/Odile in the Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. She will be partnered as the Prince Jan-Erik Wikström, principal dancer of the Swedish Royal Ballet. The guest performance: May 7, 2008.

The Gala Premiere of the Phantom of the Opera original ballet that took place on April 10 and was attended by many personalities of political and cultural life met with rapturous ovation. The premiere audience applauded to composer Petr Malásek, choreographer Libor Vaculík as well as to stage designer Martin Černý. The performance of all dancers lead by Zuzana Hvízdalová, Richard Hlinka, Anna Ščekaleva and Ondřej Novotný received an endless ovation.

As part of the celebrations marking 120 years of the PSO building, a special lottery draw was held, attended by the Prague State Opera director Jaroslav Vocelka, head of the opera company Ingeborg Žádná, Marketing and Publicity Department manager Pavel Hájek, and company auditor Vladimír Štolc, to determine winners of subscribers prizes. The main Prize of the Prague State Opera Director –L 2008/09 season first-night subscription series tickets for two persons, plus the representative publication, The Prague State Opera: A History of the Theatre in Pictures and Dates. Opera 1888 – 2003, was won by Mr Zdeněk Ludvík. The Faithful Subscriber Prize – subscription tickets for two for the 2008/2009 Afternoon at the Opera series, was handed over to Ms Zdeňka Kosková; the Senior Subscriber Prize – free subscription for the 2008/2009 Senior Series – was handed over to Ms Marie Hrachová. The Junior Subscriber Prize, for the youngest regular visitor, was won by six-year-old Jan Záhorec, who received box seats for himself, his parents and siblings, for the Theatre to Children subscription series. All of these winners were also presented copies of the booklet, On the Way to the Prague State Opera, and CDs produced by the Prague State Opera. The prizes were handed over to the winners during an official meeting with the PSO director Jaroslav Vocelka, on April 15, 2008.

The booklet, On the Way to the Prague State Opera, plus CDs produced by the Prague State Opera, were also won in the lottery draw by Ms Eva Neuwirthová, Mr Miroslav Kačín, Ms Vlasta Přibylová, Ms Jiřina Nachtigalová, Mr Pavel Šída, Ms Marie Šperlová, Ms Petra Krešňáková, Mr Jaroslav Šejda, Ms Marie Grosserová, Ms Otakara Stavovčíková, Mr František Havlín, and Ms Marie Hulínská.

The Gala Premiere of the Phantom of the Opera original ballet that took place on April 10 and was attended by many personalities of political and cultural life met with rapturous ovation. This new production of a prominent Czech choreographer Libor Vaculík presents the romantic horror story by Gaston Leroux in the form of a dramatic dance. The premiere audience applauded to composer Petr Malásek, choreographer Libor Vaculík as well as to stage designer Martin Černý. The performance of all dancers lead by Zuzana Hvízdalová, Richard Hlinka, Anna Ščekaleva and Ondřej Novotný received an endless ovation. The Phantom of the Opera ballet has all it needs to become a real hit.

On Friday April 11 and on Wednesday April 16, 2008 young Mexican tenor Sergio Blazquez will sing the role of Alfredo (G. Verdi: La traviata) in State Opera Prague. Having graduated from a conservatoire in Monterrey, he continued his studies at world-renowned singers such as Justino Diaz, Leo Nucci, Sherril Milnes, Frank Corsaro and César Ulloa. The semi-finalist of the Belvedere International Contest in Vienna (2006) started his career in the Monterrey Opera (Mexico), where he sang roles such as Ernesto (Don Pasquale), Edmondo (Manon Lescaut), Nemorino (The Elixir of Love), Alfredo (La traviata) and Rodolfo (La Bohème). Besides, he sang the role of Alfredo (La traviata), Rodolfo (La Bohème) and Nemorino (The Elixir of Love) in Opéra de Montauban near Paris. In 2004 he sang Romeo (Romeo and Juliet) in Tel Aviv and Don José (Carmen) in the San Antonio Opera in Texas. At the beginning of the 2005/06 season Sergio Blazquez became a member of the Revier Gelsenkirchen Theatre Company, in May 2007 he became a soloist in Staatstheater Mainz, where he appeared among others in the role of Edgard (Lucia di Lammermoor), Singer (Rosenkavalier) and Rodolfo (La Bohème).

Three dancers will alternate in the title role of original ballet novelty of composer Petr Malásek and choreographer Libor Vaculík The Phantom of the Opera: Richard Hlinka and Jan Seitl, two members of State Opera Prague Ballet Troupe, and also the first soloist of Prague National Theatre Alexandre Katsapov as a guest in some of the reruns of the piece. As for Richard Hlinka, the Phantom represents the first major role in his career: “It seemed to me at the start that the most difficult task would be to ‘breathe’ the role of the Phantom, to manage it technically. But I discovered that the hardest thing is to fill it with contents. I have an excellent co-operation with Mr. Vaculík. He utters his comments with humour which absolutely suits me.” State Opera Ballet soloist Jan Seitl had the experience with dancing main roles several times before, however this has been his first working encounter with Libor Vaculík: “The role of the Phantom is difficult mainly for acting. The whole of the complicated story which develops on stage must be made understandable for the audiences. My co-operation with the choreographer has opened up thoroughly new horizons for me. He can get the maximum out of people.” After its gala premiere on April 10, the Phantom of the Opera will be given four more times before the season’s end, on April 13, 15 and 20 and on May 13.

On Saturday March 29, 2008 the Actors’ Association conferred the Thalia Awards at Prague National Theatre for the fifteenth time. The 2007 Thalia Award in the Opera Women Category was won by Anda-Louise Bogza, State Opera Prague soloist, for an outstanding stage performance in the role of Minnie (Giacomo Puccini: La fanciulla del West, Prague National Theatre 2007).

Anda-Louise Bogza will appear in the title role of Tosca by Puccini on April 2, 4 and 6, and starring in Aida by Verdi on April 12 and 19, both at State Opera Prague.

A State Opera Prague permanent guest and first soloist of National Theatre Prague Ballet Nikola Márová won the prestigious Thalia Award. The Jury appreciated her rendering of dual role of Odette/Odille in Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, a production whose choreography and direction was entrusted to the chief of Prague State Opera Ballet Pavel Ďumbala and the legendary Czech prima ballerina Hana Vláčilová.

State Opera Prague soloist Marina Vyskvorkina received rapturous ovation for her Violetta from the audiences of Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston, USA, on February 29 and March 2, 2008. The production of La traviata by Verdi was presented by the touring opera company Teatro Lirico d’Europe, with Krassimir Topolov as conductor. Marina Vyskvorkina will appear in the role of Violetta at State Opera Prague twice on April 11 and 26, 2008.

State Opera Prague is preparing a premiere of the original ballet The Phantom of the Opera to be given on April 10, 2008. It is signed by Libor Vaculík as choreographer.

Why did you choose Leroux’ novel as a topic?

As in this country nobody took the chance before. I try to do things that have not been explored yet. And The Phantom has a strong plot which can be well transferred into the dancing form. It also seemed cool to stage a story from behind the scenes of an opera house in the State Opera. The Phantom is a fairy-tale, a romantic love-story. This is exactly what I like, the chance to work with fanciful motives and dramatic twists. The audiences should not have the slightest chance to feel bored. The Phantom’s figure is one of the handicapped heroes similar to those in my previous ballets Mr. Friedemann, Norman Bates and Quasimodo. All of them are characters of rich psychology.

The premiere is drawing near. Which part of the preparations do you like best?

It’s when all the steps have been well thought of and I can start viewing the performance as a director. For me, a theatre is an acting affair. As I often repeat, I do not make pure ballet but a dancing performance.

You are preparing a second production at Prague State Opera in a short time. How is your work with the troupe?

I rely upon the pillars of the troupe, namely Ondřej Novotný, Iva Povrazníková, and especially Anna Ščekaleva. The rest are technically very well equipped so I believe they will master my style.

Easter Monday, March 24, will see the Prague debut of Barbora Kohoutková, a principal dancer of the Hamburg Ballet, in the Swan Lake double role of Odette/Odile. The part of the Prince will be danced by Michal Štípa, a regular guest dancer of the Prague State Opera, who gave us the following interview:

Have you ever performed on the same stage with Barbora Kohoutková?

Never. Years ago I saw her at a ballet competition in Brno, but we haven’t met since – until about three weeks ago, when our performance together was being arranged.

With how many partners have you danced Swan Lake?

With four in Brno and three in Prague – Barbora will be the eighth.

Is it hard to get used to a new partner in classical ballet?

The hardest thing is when one day I rehearse difficult partnering with one dancer and the very next day with another – that’s when I really have to watch out. But if you get more time for rehearsals – and fortunately this is the case with Barbora – you get used to it.

Is it important to be on friendly terms with your partner outside the ballet room?

Obviously, but I’ve learned to cope with situations where this doesn’t work. I met Barbora for a coffee when she first visited the Prague State Opera, we talked and I think we won’t have any problems collaborating. What I wish for most of all is not to disappoint the audience.

As part of the Prague State Opera´s marking 120 years from the opening of its premises, we have prepared a unique offer to all our friends and fans: namely, subscription to Opera quarterly magazine for nothing but the postal delivery charge. The magazine appears four times a year (Spring; Summer; Autumn; Winter), bringing up-to-date information about the company´s pending programmes; articles on newly prepared opera and ballet productions; interviews with production team members, singers and dancers; portraits of PSO opera and ballet ensembles´ permanent members as well as of visiting artists; surveys of press reviews of new productions; series of articles on various aspects of the Prague State Opera building´s 120-year-old history; and a plethora of photographs from performances, the PSO´s international tours, and major social functions.

Yearlong subscription is 120.- CZK for the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and 240,- CZK for other countries. Place your subscription order at: ljaskova@opera.cz, or Státní opera Praha, Business Department, Legerova 75, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic.

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At the performance of Aida on March 15, singing the role of Radames will be the Canadian tenor Mario Zhang, described by BBC Music Magazine as “one of today’s great tenor hopes... ”

The young artist made his extraordinarily successful debut in the 2007/08 season at the Semper Opera House in Dresden in the role of Calaf in Puccini’s Turandot. He made his first appearances in the same role in 2006 at the Zurich Opera and at the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava as well. In Bratislava he sang the role of Manrico in Il Trovatore at the performance for the opening of the new building of the Slovak National Theatre on June 8, 2007. Mario Zhang makes guest appearances in several opera houses in Europe (the Welsh National Opera, the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen and the Polish National Opera, in Cologne, Dublin, Hanover and Kiel and at opera festivals in Wexford and Schwerin) and in North America (with opera companies in Cleveland, Sacramento, Sarasota, Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver). Apart from the roles already mentioned, his repertoire includes Don José (Carmen), the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto), Alfredo (La traviata), Rodolfo (La Bohème), Cavaradossi (Tosca), Hoffmann (Tales of Hoffman), Don Carlos, Canio (Pagliacci), Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana), Faust, Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Števa (Jenůfa).

Besides operatic engagements, Mario Zhang is also active in concert performaces, collaborating with the London Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Welsh National Radio Orchestra.

Mario Zhang is a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London. He was a finalist at the Plácido Domingo International Opera Competition and the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Competition in New York.

The ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera has prepared yet another present for classical ballet enthusiasts on Easter Monday March 24, 2008. It shall give Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake with the soloist of the Hamburg Ballet, Miss Barbora Kohoutková, performing in the double role of Odette/Odile, and the permanent guest of the Prague State Opera, Mr Michal Štípa, dancing the role of The Prince. A graduate from the Prague Conservatoire, Miss Barbora Kohoutková, has been engaged by the Finnish National Ballet, the Bavarian State Ballet, the Boston Ballet, and – commencing in 2004 – she has been the soloist at the John Neumeier Ballet in Hamburg. She has won a number of awards in ballet competitions: the Bronze Medal from Bordeaux 1994, the Gold Medal from the Ballet Contest in Brno in 1994, the Silver medal from Varna 1994, Grand Prix Paris 1994, Prix especes Lausanne 1995, the Gold Medal and Grand Prix from Helsinki in 1995, the Gold Medal and Grand Prix in New York in 1996, the Fazer Price Helsinki 2000, the Philip Morris Best Artist Award Helsinki 2002. Her repertory covers some of the key roles of the classical ballet (Odette/Odile, Giselle, La Sylphide, Cinderella, Julia), she danced under the choreography guidance of M. Petipa, G. Balanchine, J. Cranko, J. Neumeier, J. Kylián; and guest performed in many European countries, as well as in Japan and the United States.

A permanent guest at the Prague State Opera, the prima ballerina of the ballet troupe of the National Theatre, Miss Nikola Márová, is on the short list of the nominees for the prestigious Thalia Prix. The jury considers her nomination for her rendering of the double part of Odetta/Odile in the staging of Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, which has been on the repertory of the Prague State Opera since March last year. Now, how did the dancer feel when she was disclosed the news? “Although several people prophesied to me that my performance could win me a nomination, I was extremely happy when I learned the official news. Odetta/Odile belongs to my child-dream parts, and although I have already danced her in three different renditions, it was only at the Prague State Opera that I appeared on the first night cast. I have different feelings during each single repeated performance here, and it always is a unique experience for me.”

Theatre-goers will again be able to appreciate the dancing proficiency of Miss Nikola Márová in the double part of Odetta/Odile, and her stage partner, Mr Filip Veverka as The Prince, at the Prague State Opera on Tuesday February 26.

The ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera has been fully involved in rehearsing for an original novelty, the Phantom of the Opera (the first night is scheduled on April 10, 2008), which represents a promise of major spectatorial experience. The dancing horror love story by composer Petr Malásek and choreographer and director Libor Vaculík is based on the famous novel by Gaston Leroux. The exciting story, well known from its musical version by Andrew Lloyd Weber, will be transferred to the specific ballet environment filled with volatile beauty, hard drill, and jealousy. The parts of the demonic and passionate Phantom who wants to shape the world according to his own aspirations, of the tender and talented Christina, of the noble Raoul, of the jealous Charlotte, and of many other heroes, will represent opportunities for such experienced soloists as Ondřej Novotný, Anna Shchekaleva, as well as Nikola Márová and Alexandre Katsapov, who will be performing as guests. Beside them, there also appear such new and promising faces as Zuzana Hvízdalová and Jan Seitl.

The pictures from rehearsals of the Phantom of the Opera show choreographer Libor Vaculík and the ballet troupe of the PSO.

To commemorate the 120th anniversary of the opening of the present-day PSO building, the Prague State Opera ensemble with its principal conductor Guillaume Tourniaire are preparing a concert performance of two works by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns: Nuit Persane (a song cycle composed on texts by Armand Renaud for mezzo-soprano, tenor, speaker, choir and orchestra) and Hél?ne (opera in 1 act for soli, choir and orchestra). At present the rehearsals are drawing to an end, the opening night being Wednesday, 13 February 2008. All parts will be sung by PSO soloists: Christina Vasileva (Hél?ne), Pavla Vykopalová (Venus), Jana Sýkorová (Pallas Athena) and Richard Samek (Paris). Spoken word: Hél?ne Sapin Director: Petr Mančal.

The works, rediscovered after many decades, will be performed in a modern-day premiere, which gives the Prague State Opera an opportunity to manifest, in the year of its 120th anniversary, its link with the pioneering, progressive ideas of the one-time New German Theatre.

“Hél?ne was premiered with great success in the Monte Carlo Opera House, then in Covent Garden, Opéra Comique and in Milan, but eventually it sank into oblivion. And yet, when I first read the score, my feelings were those of a scientist who is approaching the solution of a problem or of an archeologist nearing a major discovery... How come that the beauty and richness of this rendering of Helen’s and Paris’ all-consuming and destructive passion, the kindness Venus shows toward them, their flight in spite of the tragic warning of Pallas Athena, could have remained silent for so long?”

Guillaume Tourniaire, PSO Principal Conductor

The performance will only be repeated twice, on Thursday, February 14, and Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at 7 p.m.

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Shortly after the performance of Ms. Daria Klimentová and Mr. Dmitri Gruzdyev, the principal dancers of the English National Ballet, the Prague State Opera’s audience expects another extraordinary experience. Ms. Andrea Kramešová and Mr. Filip Veverka, the soloists of the Deutche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, will appear as Odette/Odile and Prince in Swan Lake on February 10, 2007. After dance conservatory Ms. Andrea Kramešová danced in the National Theatre in Prague and then spent two years in the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma, the USA. Today, she is a ballet soloist in Düsseldorf, where she appears as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or as Wedding Couple in Giselle. Mr. Filip Veverka, her partner, was engaged in the National Theatre in Prague after his graduation. He enjoyed the opportunity to work with Jiří Kylián and Jury Grigorovitch, the famous choreographers. In 2003 he left to the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma. As a soloist in Düsseldorf he appears as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, as Albert in Giselle or as Demetrio in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2004 he obtained the Thalia award for the role of Petruchio in the Taming of the Shrew.

Already the third Prague Ballet Gala performance took place on the scene of the Prague State Opera on January 11, as a get-together of the stars of the world ballet art. Among the classical pieces, the largest applause went to Faye Leung and Yao Zhang, of Hong Kong, and their dreamingly ethereal pas de deux from the ballet Giselle, performed in the traditional choreography by Petipo. In the modern repertory, the following dancers excelled: Daniela Severian of Wiesbaden in her dance miniature to the famous song by Edith Piaf, Je ne regrette rien, the first soloist of the National Ballet of Canada, Zdeněk Konvalina, in Béjart’s choreography of Danses Grecques, and the outstanding dancer Desmond Richardson (Complexions Contemporary Ballet). The hopelessly sold our auditorium awarded with ovations also the other performers: Shoko Nakamura and Dmitry Semionov of the Berlin State Opera, Marianela Nuňez and Thiago Soares of London.

Miss Daria Klimentová, the prima ballerina of the English National Ballet in London, performed at the Prague State Opera on January 22, in the double part of Odette/Odile in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. She was partnered by her colleague at the English National Ballet, Mr Dmitri Gruzdyev, as The Prince. The absolutely full auditorium appreciated the performance of the famous dancer in standing ovations. Next, Miss Daria Klimentová will guest perform at the Prague State Opera on May 7.

For all lovers of unconventional perception of dancing, the last performance of the ballet Time of Pain in this season is prepared on January 28. The renewed premiere of this impressive production with the choreography of and direction by Bronislav Roznos that took place in autumn last year, achieved vivid response of the audience. In a colourful sequence of dance scenes on the theme of pain, tribulation, as well as love and delight, a number of new reinforcements from the ballet ensemble of the Prague State Opera will appear. Other performances are planned to be held only in the next season.

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The Trebbia Endowment Fund and MIRO Art Gallery in co-operation with the Prague State Opera give on Friday January 18, 2008 the 8th year of the Trebbia Benefit Gala Evening and the European Benefit Dancing Ball. The hosts of the festive evening will be Jitka Novotná and Lubomír Bajaník. The Programme will include flutist Roman Novotný, soprano Alena Miro, State Opera Prague soloist, violinist Miroslav Ambroš and tenor Otokar Klein accompanied by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Rastislav Štúr.

European Trebbia Awards 2007 for promoting arts and for creative activity, as well as benefit cheques obtained from 2007 sales of Miro Painting Vouchers and as contribution from promotion partners will be handed over at the event. The Trebbia Gala Evening will be organised under the auspices of Václav Jehlicka, Czech Minister of Culture and Pavel Bém, Mayor of the City of Prague. The ceremony will be attended by Ján Figel, EuroCommisioner for Culture. As part of the programme, an auction of a unique lithograph by Joska Skalník which was exhibited at the Barneo Arctic Station in April 2005, will take place. The festival evening will be live broadcast by CT 2 and STV 2 from 8 p.m.

The Prima Ballerina of the English National Ballet in London, Miss Daria Klimentova, will perform the double part of Odette/Odile in the Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. She will be partnered as the Prince her colleague at the English National Ballet, Mr Dmitri Gruzdyev. The guest performance: January 22, 2008.

To inaugurate the celebrations marking 120 years from the opening of its premises, the Prague State Opera mounted a Special Open-door Day. On Saturday, January 5, 2008, exactly one hundred and twenty years from the date of the opening of what was then the New German Theatre, by the festive performance of Wagner’s opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürenberg, the general public was invited to a free guided tour of the building, organized in association with the Prague Information Service. Adding an entirely exceptional feature to the standard paid tour programme, the PSO made accessible to visitors even the theatre’s backstage facilities normally off limits to the public. The unique opportunity was seized by an exceptionally large crowd: a line of those waiting for admission began to form an hour and a half before the doors opened, and from then on continued to wind round the historical premises through late afternoon. By the end of the day the theatre had received over 3,000 visitors. The event is eloquently documented by photos from Pavel Petráněk.

Third time already the world ballet elite will appear on the stage of Prague State Opera. In an impressive show stars from prominent ballet troupes and theatres such as the Berlin State Opera, the Hong Kong Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and Complexions Contemporary Ballet will be introduced. The programme of the evening will include both classical works and contemporary pieces showing current forms of ballet and dancing. All presented pieces will be rendered with original touch of internationally acclaimed choreographers. The world premiere will take place on January 11, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets may be booked with International Ballet Prague and via the Bohemia Ticket advance booking agent.

• http://www.bohemiaticket.cz
• http://www.pragueib.com

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The celebrations of 120 years since the opening of the Prague State Opera building will commence with a special Open House Day that will take place on Saturday, January 5, from 10 am to 3:30 pm. Visitors can look forward to a tour of the building, including backstage, with expert historical commentary in Czech and English.

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The prices of State Opera´s performances from 25.12. untill 31.12. 2007 (including Christmas concerts on 25. and 26. 12. 2007 and Silvester Gala on 31.12. 2007) were partly modified. Price of each seat can be seen at link book now in the programme of State Opera Prague.

Zvetelina Vassileva, a much sought-for lyrical and dramatic soprano will appear in the role of Tosca at the Prague State Opera on Saturday, January 12, 2008. A graduate from Academy of Music in Sophia, Vassileva continued her studies in Italy (i.a. at La Scala, Milan with tenor Carlo Bergonzi). A winner of international Tito Schipa (1992) and Francesco Cilea (1993) competitions, she has been a frequent guest-singer at prominent opera houses including Covent Garden in London and the New York Metropolitan Opera. The highlights of her repertory are Giuseppe Verdi and Slavonic composers (Borodin, Fibich, Glinka, Smetana and Tchaikovsky). Her main roles include Amelia (Un ballo in maschera), Leonora (Il trovatore), Elisabeth (Don Carlo), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Violetta (La traviata), Micaela (Carmen), Desdemona (Othello), Liu (Turandot), Nedda (Comedians) and more. In the 1996/1997 season Vassileva marked an extraordinary success in the title role of Šárka by Fibich at the Wexford Festival and impersonated Mařenka from The Bartered Bride by Smetana under the baton of Bernard Haitink in the Covent Garden.

Due to operational reasons, the Programme of State Opera Prague changes as follows: On Thursday December 20, 2007, Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioacchino Rossini will be given instead of the planned Così fan tutte by Mozart. The title role will be sung by Václav Sibera, soloist of State Opera Prague.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank all visitors for their understanding.

The American ensemble Chanticleer, which will held its performance on February 7, 2008 at the Prague State Opera, has been named the 2008 “Ensemble of the Year” by the editors of the Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts. The ensemble received the award on December 13 at the Lincoln Center in New York.

The award is especially notable this year because it is the first time a vocal ensemble has been so recognized. Awards in this category have usually been given to instrumental ensembles, including the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble InterContemporain, Bang on a Can All-Stars and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.

Joseph Jennings, Chanticleer’s long-time Music Director and a frequent arranger of the group’s most popular repertoire, comments: “We are deeply honoured to receive this wonderful award and to be included in the company of the venerated ensembles who have been recognized by Musical America in the past – especially our Bay Area neighbours, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. That Chanticleer is the first vocal ensemble to win this award is especially gratifying, and we hope to continue to live up to this honour with our performances in this and future seasons.”

Called “the world’s reigning male chorus,” by the New Yorker, Chanticleer will perform more than 100 concerts in the season 2007/08. I will appear in 22 states and in eight European cities, including Prague.

Dear audience,

Please accept our apologies for a change of performer in Swan Lake to be staged on December 4, 2007. Daria Klimentova, a senior principal dancer of the English National Ballet in London, cannot perform due to health problems. Her partner Dmitri Gruzdyev, also a senior principal dancer of the same ensemble, will be joined by the soloist of the Prague State Opera ballet, Anna Schekaleva, as Odette/Odile.

The management of the Prague State Opera thanks you for your understanding.

On December 25 and 26, 2007, the Prague State Opera will stage two Christmas concerts.

The Christmas holiday afternoon entitled In natali Domini will be performed by the Juventus Quintet and the Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir under the baton of Jiří Chvála. The program includes In natali Domini, Ecce Maria (Michael Praetorius), Natus est nobis, Pueri concinite (Jacob Handl-Gallus), Rorando coeli (Jan Campanus Vodňanský), Christmas Music (Adam Michna z Otradovic) arranged by Jiří Berkovec, Three Short Pieces by Jacques Ibert and the suite of Christmas folk songs and dances for flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, percussion and children’s choir called Oh, Lord, Please Give us a Joyful Night (Ó, dej nám pane, večer veselý) by Otmar Mácha with the choreography of Živana Vajsarová.

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The Prima Ballerina of the English National Ballet in London, Miss Daria Klimentova, will perform the double part of Odette/Odile in the Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. She will be partnered as the Prince her colleague at the English National Ballet, Mr Dmitri Gruzdyev. The guest performances: December 4, 2007 and January 22, 2008.

The Prague State Opera Ensemble is back on its home stage after an exceptionally successful tour of Japan. This year the Konzerthaus Japan Agency has chosen the production of La traviata by Verdi, directed by Arnaud Bernard. The tour took place on October 12th and 13, 2007, when La traviata was performed a total of 23 times in Tokyo, Sendai, Sapporo, Omiya, Mito, Nagoya, Ina, Matsuyama, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kobe, Osaka, Musashino, Maebashi, Fiji, Yokosuka, Ichikawa a Nerima.

The performances were conducted by Enrico Dovico, with second conductor and choir master Tvrtko Karlovič. The main roles were sung by Simona Procházková, Anna Todorova (Violetta), Tomáš Černý, Martin Šrejma (Alfredo), Martin Bárta, Miguelangelo Cavalcanti and Vladimír Chmelo (Giorgio Germont). Guest singers – world-renowned sopranos Dimitra Theodossiou, Norah Amsellem and Olesya Golovneva (in the title role) as well as tenors Bruce Sledge and Daniil Shtoda (Alfredo) – appeared in several performances. The State Opera Prague Orchestra gave also an independent concert in Saitama-shi Bunka Center on November 13, 2007, playing Requiem and Symphony No. 25 g-minor by Mozart under the baton of Japanese conductor Yu Miyadera. Simona Procházková, Martin Šrejma and Vladimír Chmelo were among the soloists.

Japanese audiences rewarded the Prague State Opera Ensemble by turning up in high numbers at all of the shows. The concerts were, therefore, extraordinarily successful by virtue not only of the artistic performances themselves but also of the huge attendances. The atmosphere in the large Japanese concert halls was tremendous, with viewers rapturously applauding many times during each performance. At the end of the tour during the grand finale, the whole ensemble received a shower of gold confetti.

Due to the long journeys the sets and costumes have had to take from the port of Yokohama to Hamburg and from there in trucks to Prague, La traviata will not appear on the Prague State Opera repertory for the first time in this season until March 14, 2008.

Czech cinema-goers will be able to enjoy live broadcasts from the Metropolitan opera in New York already later this year. The project named Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD, which covers live transmission of some selected performances given at that world-known opera house, was launched in 2006, when performances were broadcast live from the MET to cinemas in North America, Europe, and Japan. The possibility of watching live performances by top artists at the prestigious New York stage immediately aroused major audience response, resulting in hopelessly sold out cinema houses. The transmissions have been executed via the satellite in the highest available HD (high-definition) video and 3D 5.1 sound quality.

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On November 15, 2007, the Prague Chamber Ballet, the ballet ensemble of the Prague State Opera, will perform renewed premiere of Time of Pain of Bronislav Roznos, the artistic director of the ballet ensemble in Zwickau. The first performance of the suggestive spectacle consisting of six contrasting scenes (Passion, Birth and Death, Witch-Hunting, Uniformity, And if you are not willing to, Delight) achieved vivid and favourable response of the audience. This time, the ballet has been introducing modified cast with several new soloists. Other performances will be held on November 26, December 3 and 17, 2007 and on January 28, 2008.

Mezzo-soprano Jana Sýkorová, a soloist of the Prague State Opera, guest performs at Opéra de Nice, France, as Maddalena in Verdi’s opera Rigoletto, which will have its premi?re on 31 October 2007. The re-staging of the opera directed by Paul-Emile Fourny, Director of the Nice Opera house, will be presented in a package of four performances. The title role will be created by the Mexican baritone Carlos Almaguer, the Italian soprano Valeria Espósito, who guest-performs at the Berlin and Vienna State Operas, will perform Gilda, and the Italian tenor Andrea Cesare Coronella will appear as the Duke of Mantova. The opera will be conducted by Marco Guidarini, the musical director of the opera house and of the Philharmonic Orchestra in Nice.

For more detailed information, please, refer to: Opéra de Nice, Operabase, and Czech Opera.

Called “the world’s reigning male chorus,” by the New Yorker magazine, the GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble Chanticleer will visit Prague on February 7, 2008. During its 30th season (2007/2008) the ensemble will perform more than 100 concerts in more than 22 states across the United States, including appearances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. In January 2008, the ensemble will perform at prestigious venues in major European cities – Paris, Luxembourg, Bruges, Vienna, Prague (Prague State Opera), Budapest, and Vilnius. In fall 2007, Chanticleer’s newest Christmas CD Let It Snow will be released by Warner.

Chanticleer – based in San Francisco – has developed a remarkable reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz, and from gospel to venturesome new music. With its seamless blend of twelve male voices, ranging from countertenor to bass, the ensemble has earned international renown as “an orchestra of voices.”

The CD Colors of Love won the GRAMMY Award in 2000 for Best Small Ensemble Performance and the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for Best Classical Album. The world-premiere recording of Sir John Tavener®s Lamentations and Praises was released in January 2002 and garnered two GRAMMY awards, for Classical Best Small Ensemble Performance for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

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Choreographer Pavel Šmok will celebrate his 80th birthday on October 22, 2007. Professor Šmok is one of the principal figures of modern Czech dance, the founder and choreographer of Prague Chamber Ballet, today the ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera. He created more than a hundred of choreographies staged both locally and abroad, also taking part in choreography ventures in operas, operettas, musicals, revues, and dramas. He cooperated with film and television makers, and acted as director. His work has influenced a number of successors.

The Prague State Opera performed at Haus für Mozart in Salzburg twice, on October 12 and 13, 2007, its staging of Rossini’s Barber of Seville (direction: Martin Otava, stage direction: Ján Zavarský, and costumes: Bettina Kirste).

The fully sold-out theatre for 1600 viewers, famous for its perfect acoustics, had a very good time and enthusiastically applauded to the soloists after the individual arias, and to the conductor, the orchestra and the choir at the end of the performance. Both renderings were conducted by Maestro Vladimir Ghiaurov (the son of the famous bassist Nikolai Ghiaurov), with the Prague State Opera orchestra and the choir and the Prague Chamber Choir with choirmasters Lubomír Mátl and Adolf Melichar. The following soloists and guest of the Prague State Opera performed during the two evenings: Vladimír Chmelo, Václav Sibera (Figaro), Jaroslav Březina (Almaviva), Pavla Vykopalová (Rosina), Jiří Sulženko (Bartolo), Adam Plachetka (Basilio), Jana Levicová (Berta), Tomáš Hinterholzinger (Fiorillo), Dalibor Janota (Officer) and Jan Honců (Ambrogio).

Miss Zora Šemberová, the legendary dancer who first performed Juliet in Prokofyev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet in 1938, visited the Prague State Opera on Tuesday October, 9. A holder of the Thalia Prix for life-long proficiency, she attended a guest performance of the ensemble of the National Theatre in Brno, which brought to Prague the staging of the immortal love story of the lovers of Verona, by choreographer and director Zdeněk Prokeš. At the end of the performance, Miss Zora Šemberová appeared on the stage together with the current performer of Juliet, soloist Jana Přibylová of the Brno ballet troupe.

On Friday October 12, 2007 the Prague State Opera ensemble set on its eight’s tour of Japan. This time Agency Konzerthaus Japan has chosen the production of La traviata by Verdi, directed by Arnaud Bernard. The tour will take place from October 12 till November 13, 2007, La traviata will be given altogether 23 times in the cities of Tokyo, Sendai, Sapporo, Omiya, Mito, Nagoya, Ina, Matsuyama, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kobe, Osaka, Musashino, Maebashi, Fiji, Yokosuka, Ichikawa a Nerima.

The performances will be conducted by Enrico Dovico, the second conductor and choir master will be Tvrtko Karlovič. The main roles will be alternated by Simona Procházková, Anna Todorova (Violetta), Tomáš Černý, Martin Šrejma (Alfredo), Martin Bárta, Miguelangelo Cavalcanti, Vladimír Chmelo (Giorgio Germont). Guests will be introduced in several performances, soprano Olesya Golovneva, Dimitry Theodossia and Norah Amsellem (in the title role), and tenors Bruce Sledge and Daniil Shtoda (Alfredo). The Prague State Opera Orchestra will appear at an independent concert on November 13 2007 in Saitama-shi Bunka Center where Requiem and Symphony No. 25 g-minor by Mozart will be played conducted by Japanese Yu Miyadera; Simona Procházková and Martin Šrejma will be among the soloists.

As it will take a long journey for the sets and costumes to get back to Prague from the port of Yokohama to Hamburg and then in trucks across the land after the tour end, La traviata will reappear on the Prague State Opera repertory only on March 14, 2008, for the first time in this season. SOP visitors will not miss the chance to see opera performances during the Japanese tour – Rigoletto, Rusalka and The Barber of Seville will be on – and of course the ballets (Swan Lake, Lady of Camellias, Cinderella and A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

The Prima Ballerina of the English National Ballet in London, Miss Daria Klimentova, will again perform the double part of Odette/Odile in the popular among the viewers staging of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake also in the current season. She will be partnered as the Prince her colleague at the English National Ballet, Mr Dmitri Gruzdyev. The guest performances of the two stars of the world ballet scene will take place on December 4, 2007 and on January 22, 2008.

On October 7, 2007 at 7 pm, two prominent guests will be introduced in the Swan Lake. The role of Odette/Odile will be rendered by the first soloist of Mariinsky Theatre from Sankt Petersburg Sofia Gumerova-Lazutkina, the Prince will be sung by the holder of many international awards Stanislav Fečo. Sofia Gumerova-Lazutkina graduated from A. Vaganova Academy and at Mariinsky Theatre she dances e.g. Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote, Medora in the Corsair, Mechmene Banu in the Legend of Love and solos in Balanchin’as choreographies. Stanislav Fečo was the first soloist of Prague and Brno National Theatres were he excelled in classical repertory for several seasons. Today he is more known internationally as he regularly appears along with the best prima ballerinas at numerous gala evenings.

Due to operational reasons, the October Programme of State Opera Prague changes as follows: On Tuesday October 2, 2007, Tosca by Giacomo Puccini will be given instead of the planned Rusalka by Dvořák. The title role will be sung by State Opera Prague soloist Anda-Louise Bogza. On Saturday October 6, 2007, The Magic Flute by W. A. Mozart shall replace the originally announced Aida by Verdi.

We thank all viewers for their understanding.

One of the most popular choirs of our times and one in great demand, the New York Harlem Gospel Choir, is a true star in the show business sky. It will appear at the stage of State Opera Prague at 8 pm on Thursday November 1, 2007.

The Harlem Choir performed together with the Gorillaz English band at the Grammy Awards Night last February, and had Bono Vox, the singer of U2, guest-singing with them at one of their concerts in Japan this year. In March 2007 the Harlem Choir sang Happy Birthday for Elton John at his 60th birthday anniversary celebration in New York.

While last year’s Czech tour of the Choir happened in churches and synagogues, this year it was moved to large concert halls. The whole tour of Harlem Gospel Choir will be launched by their singing at State opera Prague, and continue at the National Theatre in Brno to be followed by concerts in the towns of Olomouc, Osek, Hradec Králové and Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) where the whole tour called God Bless The Children – World Tour 2007 will be concluded in the Grand Hall of the Thermal Hotel.

Tickets in the value from 250 CZK to 890 CZK for the Prague concert held at State Opera Prague are available through Ticketpro outlets, online at www.ticketpro.cz and at the Box Office of State Opera Prague.

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There are several new faces added to the ballet ensemble of the Prague State Opera starting in the 2007/2008 season. The most important newcomers include a graduate from the ballet school in Voronezh, Russia, Mr Alexei Yurakov, who performed at the National Theatre in Brno over the past five years; then, a graduate from the Diaghilev Art Lyceum in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Miss Maria Gornalova, and a graduate from Eva Jaczová’s Dance Conservatoire in Bratislava, Miss Adriana Spáčilová. Mr Alexei Yurakov appears for the first time at the Prague State Opera as Bottom in the dance comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream after Shakespeare, and as Pas de trois in Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. Miss Maria Gornalova is presented to the viewers in Pas de trois and the Dance of the Big Swans in Swan Lake. Miss Adriana Spáčilová débuts as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

To mark the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Edvard Hagerup Grieg, the Norwegian composer, the Prague State Opera company under the direction of Guillaume Tourniaire, Director-in-Chief, prepares a concert rendition of his scenic music written for the Henrik Ibsen’s drama Peer Gynt. At present, the rehearsals are at their peak, preceding the premiere to take place on Thursday, September 13. In the title roles, Jiří Langmajer, actor, and Václav Sibera, tenor, will appear. Other parts will be played by Pavel Soukup and Marika Procházková; singing roles will be performed by Jitka Burgetová and Jana Sýkorová. Directed by: Petr Mančal. The performance will be repeated only once on Sunday, September 16, at 4:00 p.m.

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Due to operational reasons, the afternoon and evening shows of the ballet performance of Cinderella on October 14 will be to a pre-recorded musical accompaniment.

In view of the extraordinary interest on the part of the theatre-goers, an extra showing of the performance of‘Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky has been added to the schedule, namely on November 4 at 7 p.m.

On Tuesday August 28, the Prague State Opera launched its new season with the performance of Tosca, which also opened this year’s Puccini Festival. The next performance of this top-level work, stirring due to its dramatic tension, passion and despair, will be on the agenda within the Festival again on Tuesday September 4. The main part will be performed by the soloist of the Prague State Opera, Miss Anda-Louise Bogza, who reaped great successes particularly in this part in Salzburg.

Recalling one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of the PSO’s first Honorary Member, chamber singer Jarmila Novotná (b. Sept. 23, 1907; d. Feb. 9, 1994), we are above all bringing back the memories of a world famous Czech singer and stage actress, star of opera houses in Berlin and Vienna, and for many years a leading soloist of New York’s Metropolitan Opera. She stood on the operatic stage from the age of seventeen, when she made her debut at Prague’s National Theatre as Mařenka and Violetta. Though she was ideally predisposed for asserting her physical beauty and acting talent on the film screen as well, she declined even offers from Hollywood, and devoted herself wholly to service to opera.

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Following last year’s great success of State Opera Prague guest performing in Seoul, Carmen by Bizet with Josef Jelínek’s costumes will be re-introduced in Incheon this year (from August 25 to September 3, 2007), to mark the occasion of the new Multiculture and Arts Centre opening.

The main roles will be sung by Galia Ibragimova and Veronika Hajnová (Carmen), Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Escamillo), Věra Poláchová (Micaela), Sylva Čmugrová (Mercedes), Klára Džuganová (Frasquita), Ladislav Mlejnek (Zuniga), Martin Matoušek (Dancairo) and Milan Vlček (Remendado). The performance will be conducted by Jiří Mikula.

In 2004 a co-operation agreement between State Opera Prague and Beseto Opera in Seoul, Korea was signed, and in October that year Korea soloists performed in Prague. In April 2005, several performances of the Magic Flute by Mozart took place in Korea introducing the Prague State Opera soloists. Last year (May 19 to 29, 2006) the Prague soloists appeared in Seoul singing Carmen by Bizet while SOP also lent costumes for the performance, designed by Josef Jelínek.

The State Opera Prague Ballet Ensemble is starting the new season with the Swan Lake performance by Tchaikovsky on September 9. This classically conceived production of Pavel Ďumbala and Hana Vláčilová, based upon the original choreography of Lev Ivanov and Mario Petipa, became a viewers’ hit soon after its premiere last spring. In this season too, the domestic soloists Anna Ščekaleva and Ondřej Novotný will alternate in the main roles of Odette/Odile and the Prince with guest dancers Nikola Márová and Michal Štípa from the Prague National Theatre, Andrea Kramešová and Filip Veverka from Deutche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf and with the first soloists of the English National Ballet Daria Klimentová and Dmitri Gruzdyev.

The performance of Lady of the Camellias scheduled on September 10 has been cancelled due to a sudden illness of a Prague State Opera soloist. The tickets can be returned at the Pratur State Opera box office or at the offices of the Bohemia Ticket agency.

October 23, 1973 – July 30, 2007

Like a bolt from the blue, it was announced from Italy that the conductor František Preisler died during his holiday there. At 33, had already worked his way up to a status as one of the most talented and most versatile Czech conductors. He embarked on his career as a nineteen-year-old (!), working initially with the Brno operetta and soon thereafter also opera companies. At 21 he mounted and saw through its 250 showings a much loved Czech production of the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, a project followed by the Czech premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem. From 1995 he spent ten seasons with the Prague National Theatre opera company, where he conducted performances of Smetana’s The Two Widows and The Kiss, Cavalleria rusticana and I Pagliacci, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Tosca, La Boh?me, La traviata, Janáček’s The Adventures of the Cunning Little Vixen, and other operas, and presented his productions of Shostakovich’s The Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (2000), and the Czech premiere of Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer (2003). He guest appeared at Ljubljana (Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, and Smetana’s The Bartered Bride), in Taiwan (Madama Butterfly). At Novosibirsk, he presented the Russian premiere of Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová (February 2007), guest conducted in Japan, Greece, Austria, Germany, and in the Kremlin, where he had at his command the legendary Alexandrov Army Choir.

He worked with leading Czech orchestras (Czech Philharmonic, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra), and was principal conductor of the Olomouc Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1997 he founded the European Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he accompanied a number of eminent singers (including among others Kurt Rydl and Leo Nucci). He won huge acclaim for his account of Fibich’s The Death of Hippodamia at the Prague Spring Festival, was a permanent guest of the Litomyšl Smetana Festival, conducted a New Year Concert in Salzburg’s Festspielhaus, was involved in film music recording. A tireless arranger, he was sought after by stars of showbusiness, most notably by Karel Gott, Lucie Bílá, and Helena Vondráčková. He was psthe quintessential Maestro, and will be sorely missed.

Since 1993 State Opera Prague has been starting its theatrical seasons with a cycle called Verdi Festival. By this extraordinary event SOP claims its affinity with the tradition of the New German Theatre. In 1899, i.e. 108 years ago, its director Angelo Neumann organised for the first time so called Maifestspiele which soon became very popular. Verdi opera cycles at SOP have been organised almost each year, engaging most prominent opera stars.

In 2005 State Opera Prague decided to enrich the Festival by works of other prominent Italian composers. Year 2007 presents exclusively the operas by Giacomo Puccini. From August 8 till September 8 the visitors will be able to see opera productions such as Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut and Turandot.

Title roles will be sung by State Opera soloists Anda-Louise Bogza (Tosca), Christina Vasileva (Manon Lescaut a Madama Butterfly), Jitka Burgetová (Madama Butterfly), Simona Procházková (Manon Lescaut) and the Bulgarian soprano Elena Baramova (Turandot September 1 and 7). Other foreign guests appearing on Prague State Opera stage will be Turkish tenor Efe Kişlali as Renato des Grieux (Manon Lescaut August 30, September 2 and 6) and Luciano Mastro in the role of Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly, on September 5, 2007).

Prague State Opera soloist, mezzo soprano Jana Sýkorová had a successful debut at the Covent Garden Royal Opera House in London. She promptly replaced Marina Domashenko in a smaller but important role of Maddalena in Rigoletto by Verdi. From July 9 to July 21, 2007 Covent Garden staged Rigoletto, directed by David McVicar, as a renewed production of 2001 when it shocked the public by its harshness and nudity. The new six performance series was conducted by Italian Renato Palumbo who is the musical leader of Deutsche Oper in Berlin. The title role was sung by baritone Nestor Franz Grundheber, while Italian soprano Patrizia Ciofi’s dazzling performance as Gilda made her the star of the show. The Duke of Mantua was sung by the last season’s discovery, South Korean tenor Woo Kyung Kim. The performance of Jana Sýkorová had very favourable reviews.

Next spring, Jana Sýkorová is returning to Royal Opera House in London as Mercedes in Carmen by Bizet.

The Prague State Opera has executed two successful tours of Germany where it performed at the popular operatic open-air festival at the Thurn und Taxis Chateau in Regensburg (July 4, 2007) and in the chateau park in Mannheim (July 17, 2007). In both cities, it appeared with the new staging of Verdi’s La traviata directed by Arnaud Bernard (first night on October 5, 2006). The main parts were performed by: Marie Fajtová (Violetta), Philippe Do, Tomáš Černý (Alfredo) and Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Giorgio Germont). The performance in Regensburg was conducted by Richard Hein, while in Mannheim, the conductor was Enrico Dovico. The enthusiastic audience in Regensburg stayed until the very end of the show, despite cold weather and a heavy rain.

• La traviata: short video

Jana Sýkorová, the mezzo-soprano soloist of the Prague State Opera was invited to hold the series of six performances at Covent Garden in London. From 9 to 21 July, 2007, she will appear as Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto. The opera is directed by David McVicar and staged by Michael Valeo. Renato Palumbo will conduct all six performances. Franz Grundheber will sing the title role, Patricia Ciofi will perform the role of Gilda and Woo Kyung Kim the role of the Duke of Mantova.

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Though the season 2006/2007 will soon finish at the Prague State Opera, the company has been getting ready for the challenging tours abroad. In the beginning of July, the Prague State Opera’s company will appear as the guest of the popular open air opera festival at the castle Thurn und Taxis in Regensburg (July 4, 2007) and at the castle park in Mannheim (July 17, 2007). In both German cities the company will stage new arrangement of Verdi’s La traviata directed by Arnaud Bernard (the premier was held on October 5, 2006). The title roles will be performed by Marie Fajtová (Violetta), Philippe Do and Tomáš Černý (Alfredo), Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Giorgio Germont). Richard Hein will conduct the performance in Regensburg and Enrico Dovico the one in Mannheim.

• La traviata: short video

It was in front of the full house at the Prague State Opera that the world famous US soprano Michèle Crider, performed the title part in Tosca by Puccini on Sunday May 27, 2007. She showed extraordinary animation in presenting her meticulous, sophisticated performance both as a singer and as an actress, filled with intensely strenuous emotions. The enchanted audiences gave her thunderous applauses also in the course of the show, and at the end, they rewarded with long-lasting handclaps also the performances by Walter Donati (Scarpio), Igor Jan (Cavaradossi), conductor Hilary Griffiths, and the orchestra of the Prague State Opera.

Due to the sudden health problems and hospitalisation of Ms. Aprile Millo, who was looked forward by the Prague’s audience very much, the American soprano Michèle Crider will appear in the Sunday’s performance of Tosca at the Prague State Opera. Currently, Michèle Crider belongs among the top world drama sopranos. The famous opera and concert singer performs at all prestigious opera stages in Europe and overseas. She collaborates with the significant conductors and orchestra bodies. Her repertoire is comprehensive, however, the principal Italian opera roles are the most important ones (Tosca, Aida, Madama Butterfly, Leonora, Amélie, Santuzza, Norma, Gioconda etc.).

Tosca performance at the Prague State Opera will definitely become an extraordinary artistic experience of the Prague’s opera audience.

Michèle Crider will debate with the audience on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 16:00 o’clock in the Angelo Neumann’s Saloon at the first floor of the Prague State Opera’s historical building.

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On Sunday, May 27, 2007, the prominent American soprano Mich?le Crider will appear in the title role of Tosca by Puccini at the Prague State Opera. Walter Donati will sing the role of Baron Scarpia.

Walter Donati studied at Civica Scuola di Musica in Milan. In 1983, he made his professional debut in Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco at Laboratorio Lirico, Alessandria. Walter Donati guest sang at many opera houses throughout the world. He worked under the leadership of such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Daniel Oren and Myung Whun Chung. In 1993 during the new Opera House opening in Helsinki, Donati marked a sensational success with his splendid interpretation of Nabucco, his first baritone role. Donati interpreted many other Verdi’s operas as La traviata at Rio de Janeiro and Teatro Verdi in Pisa, Falstaff at Cirque d’hiver in Paris and Rigoletto at Geneva, Zurich, Berlin and Hamburg. In 1995 at Brussels, Walter Donati sang the role of Amonasro in Giuseppe Raffa’s production of Verdi’s Aida. As Lord Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor he succeeded in making a breakthrough in the USA. Walter Donati’s repertory also includes the operas Andrea Chénier by Giordano and Carmina Burana by Orff. Together with Katia Ricciarelli he recorded the world premiere of Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz.

The Prague State Opera ballet preparatory school now enrols new pupils for the 2007/2008 school year. Eligible for audition are children from five years of age without any previous appropriate training, as well as older children between eight and ten years of age, who want to improve further their skills or who are interested in studying dance at a conservatory. Lessons are held twice a week at the State Opera ballet rooms. Apart from classical dance, also modern dance lessons are available (M. Graham technique).

Auditions: May 28 and June 5, 2007 at 6 p.m.

For further information, please, contact Mgr. Olga Kyndlová,
at telephone numbers: 605 432 573 or 296 117 218.

The TVEL award for developing Czech-Russian relationships was awarded for the third time this year. On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the first Swan Lake performance at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, TVEL Corporation has rewarded the capability of artists from the State Opera in Prague to take a creative approach to this classic story and adapt it to contemporaneous sensibilities. TVEL President Konstantin Sokolov presented the award to Pavel Ďumbala, Ballet Artistic Director of the State Opera in Prague, and Hana Vláčilová, choreographer and former prima ballerina.

Shortly after the performance of Ms. Daria Klimentová and Mr. Dmitri Gruzdyev, the principal dancers of the English National Ballet, the Prague State Opera’s audience expects another extraordinary experience. Ms. Andrea Kramešová and Mr. Filip Veverka, the soloists of the Deutche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, will appear as Odette/Odile and Prince in Swan Lake on April 30, 2007. After dance conservatory Ms. Andrea Kramešová danced in the National Theatre in Prague and then spent two years in the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma, the USA. Today, she is a ballet soloist in Düsseldorf, where she appears as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or as Wedding Couple in Giselle. Mr. Filip Veverka, her partner, was engaged in the National Theatre in Prague after his graduation. He enjoyed the opportunity to work with Jiří Kylián and Jury Grigorovitch, the famous choreographers. In 2003 he left to the Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma. As a soloist in Düsseldorf he appears as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, as Albert in Giselle or as Demetrio in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2004 he obtained the Thalia award for the role of Petruchio in the Taming of the Shrew.

The premiere of Tchaikovsky’s best known ballet on the stage of the Prague State Opera will take place 130 years after the first performance of the work. The world premiere of Swan Lake, choreographed by the Czech ballet master Václav Reisinger, was staged on 4 March 1877 in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. However, it was not before 1895 – the year in which a new choreographic version by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov was premiered in the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg – that Swan Lake became truly world famous. This last-mentioned version provided the basis for numerous later productions, including the upcoming one, in which the PSO ballet company will be directed by Pavel Ďumbala, the PSO Head of Ballet, and the legendary Czech ballerina Hana Vláčilová. The stage for the new production was designed by Martin Černým, Ludmila Várossová is the author of the costumes. The PSO orchestra will be conducted by Rastislav Štúr or František Drs. The production features Anna Schekaleva and Nikola Márová as Odette/Odile; Ondřej Novotný and Michal Štípa will alternate in the role of the Prince.

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In the new production of Swan Lake, directed jointly by Pavel Ďumbala as Head of the PSO Ballet and Hana Vláčilová, the legendary soloist of the National Theatre, the central roles of Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried will be performed alternately by the soloists of the Prague State Opera, Anna Ščekaleva and Ondřej Novotný, and the soloists of the National Theatre, Nikola Márová and Michal Štípa. Moreover, some of this season’s repeats will feature prominent guests, one of the most exceptional being Daria Klimentová, a principal dancer of the English National Ballet in London. The major international ballet star will appear on the stage of the Prague State Opera as Odette/Odile, with Dmitry Gruzdyev, also a principal dancer of the English National Ballet, as Prince Siegfried. Prague audience will have three opportunities to admire Daria Klimentová in her role: on April 9, 11 and 22, 2007, always at 7 p.m.

Miss Nikola Márová and Mr Michal Štípa, the soloists of the National Theatre in Prague, will guest perform the parts of Cinderella and the Prince, respectively in the ballet Cinderella by Sergey Prokofiev, on Tuesday February 13, 2007. The staging by choreographers Pavel Šmok and Pavel Ďumbala, premiered in 2004, stands high on the house’s repertory, applauded to by viewers at the Prague State Opera as well as the theatre goers in Thessalonica, Greece, in Northern Italy, and in Sicily.

The touching story of Prince's love for the tender Odetta whom the evil Redbeard turned into a swan has become immortal thanks to the fascinating musical invention of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the preserved passages of the original choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Since their time the Swan Lake has always been an exciting challenge, inviting all large ballet companies to present the utmost of their dancing skill. The production of the PSO Ballet, choreographed and directed by Pavel Ďumbala and Hana Vláčilová, consciously respects the original version of the work with its magnificent fairy-tale atmosphere, but will not disappoint also admirers of sophisticated technique. The stage has been designed by Martin Černý, the costume designer was Ludmila Várossová, the orchestra will be conducted by Rastislav Štúr and František Drs.

On Thursday, December 7, the Prague State Opera will offer a gala concert of W. A. Mozart's works. The audience will hear extracts from Don Giovanni and La Clemenza di Tito, two operas written directly for Prague, as well as the 1st movement from Symphony in D major, whose Prague premiere on January 19, 1787, conducted by Mozart himself, gave the piece its present-day name, “Prague” Symphony. The programme of the ceremonial gala will include also Adagio and Rondo from the Clarinet Concert in A major, dedicated by Mozart to his friend Anton Stadler, an outstanding clarinettist and basset-horn player. The gala programme will feature soloists and guests of the Prague State Opera – Dagmar Vaňkátová, Pavla Vykopalová, Aleš Briscein, Miguelangelo Cavalcanti, with Richard Hein as conductor. Extracts from Mozart's correspondence and contemporary reviews will be read by Jaroslav Someš.

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Shortlisted for the second round, held on October 19, 2006, which took the form of oral defence of the individual projects, were the following designs (the names of directors of the creative teams are indicated):

• Alfonso Romero, Germany
• Michiel Dijkema, The Netherlands
• Caterina Panti Liberovici, Italy
• Lee Hoe Soo, Korea

After prolonged deliberation, the Jury arrived at the conclusion that none of the four projects qualified as the winner. Similarly, the Jury did not recommend any of these projects for realization at the Prague State Opera.

That notwithstanding, the Jury appreciated the shortlisted projects as thoroughly prepared and highly interesting, and expressed its thanks to all participants for the thoroughly professional approach to their involvement in the competition.

Prague state Opera is giving two Christmas concerts of the boys singing choir PUERI GAUDENTES on December, 25 and 26. The choir, founded by Zdena Součková at Prague's 7th Primary School of Arts in September 1990, is one of four current Czech boys choirs and incorporates about 200 singers. Fifteen years of hard work and continuous development by the choir leader and the singers has brought about a remarkable artistic quality. The choir have given a number of concerts both in the Czech Republic and on tours in Italy, Austria, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Japan, Greece, Spain and other European countries.

The programme includes Advent and Christmas motets from the Benešov Hymn-Book, Czech Gothic and Renaissance songs in Latin, Czech, Moravian and European Christmas Carols arranged by Pavel Jurkovič, Nativity Play to music of Pavel Jurkovič and choreographed by Jiřina Rákosníková and Pastoral Song Hej, hej, jeden i druhej by Tomáš Norbert Koutník.

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The ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera has completed two extraordinarily successful international performances within a short span of time recently. On 24 October, at the invitation of the Salzburger Kulturvereinigung, it went to Salzburg, with the production Lady of the Camellias, by Libor Vaculík. On the scene of Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg, Miss Lucie Holánková danced in the role of Marguerite, Mr Petr Kolář appeared as Armand, and Mr Ondřej Novotný as the Angel of Death. Immediately afterwards, on 29 October 2006, the ballet troupe concluded another international tour, this time to Dresden in Germany. It performed Sergei Prokofief's Cinderella on the stage of the local Schauspielhaus, in the choreography of Mr Pavel Šmok and the chief of the ballet, Mr Pavol Ďumbala. The main roles of Cinderella and The Prince were performed by Anna Shchekaleva and Ondřej Novotný, respectively. Both international tours won a very positive acclaim by the audiences.

The Prague International Ballet presents for the second time a festive ballet event which will take place in the Prague State Opera on January 11, 2007 at 7:30 pm. The audience will see classical works in “a new style with virtuoso technique” but also neo-classical and modern works.

This exclusive ballet event includes some of leading ballet stars of our time including Daniela Severian, Iňaki Urlezaga, Igone de Jongh or Ivan Korneev. The dancers will present their favourite pieces by choreographers as Marius Petipa, Ben van Cauwenbergh, Wayne Eagling or Wang Yuanyuan.

No lover of ballet art should miss this unique opportunity to discover the world of ballet.

On Wednesday, November 1, 2006, the Prague State Opera, due to disorder, instead of The Barber of Seville by G. Rossini as scheduled, will play Verdi's Rigoletto.

On the two successive nights of October 13 and 14, 2006, the Prague State Opera presented to audiences at the famed Great Festival House in Salzburg its production of Puccini's Tosca, directed by Martin Otava, with sets by Daniel Dvořák and costumes by Josef Jelínek, which had previously won immense acclaim during the PSO's tour of Japan in 2003. Its reception at Salzburg was similarly warm, with thunderous ovations following after each of the hopelessly sold-out performances (it should be noted that the auditorium at Salzburg holds 2 179 seats!). The conductor was Ondrej Lenárd, with the PSO orchestra and chorus supporting a cast made up of Prague State Opera soloists and guests: Anda-Louise Bogza (Tosca), Igor Jan (Cavaradossi), Ivan Kusnjer and Richard Haan (Scarpia). The unequivocal success of its visit resulted in a new invitation for the Prague State Opera to come again next year, when it will present its production of Il barbiere di Siviglia at the new Haus für Mozart. Beyond that, negotiations are currently under way on another visit, in 2008, with Turandot, once again at the Great Festival House. The Prague State Opera's historically first appearance at Salzburg took place in 2005, at the invitation from the Salzburger Kulturvereinigung (“Salzburg Cultural Association”) headed by Dr Heinz Erich Klier, with the company's staging of La traviata (directed by Ladislav Štros).

The festival premiere of the opera La traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi, held at the Prague State Opera on October 5, 2006, met with an enthusiastic reception from the public. The previous production of this title had been on the State Opera repertory continuously from 1982 until the end of the 2005/2006 season, and the Prague State Opera marked a success also during its historic first guest-performance in Salzburg in 2005.

A foreign team with a young French Director, Arnaud Bernard, as its leader prepared the new version of La traviata. The director has already successfully produced a number of opera titles at prominent world opera houses, such as the Chicago Lyric Opera, Teatro La Fenice in Venice and the Arena in Verona. Arnaud Bernard has also chosen two Italian colleagues – Alessandro Camera as Stage Designer and Carla Ricotti as Costume Designer. Italian conductor Enrico Dovico rehearsed the music, and will alternate with local conductor Richard Heine during actual performances. Marina Vyskvorkina, Aleš Briscein and Vladimír Chmelo sang the main parts during the premiere. The audience at Prague State Opera that night rewarded the soloists, the conductor, the orchestra, the singing choir and the whole production team with an enthusiastic ovation. Prague State Opera has received the invitation to tour Japan with the performance in autumn 2007.

• Other La traviata performances

Dear Visitors, the surtitling equipment will be launched into the field tests on October 5, 2006, during the performance of the opera, La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.

Dear Visitors,

due to technical reasons, the surtitling equipment is temporarily out of operation. Thank you for your kind understanding.

On October 13 the ballet ensemble of the Prague State Opera will for the first time in this season perform Libor Vaculík's all-night ballet A Midsummer Night's Dream. The work was premiered in the spring of this year and welcomed most enthusiastically by the audience. First repeats were equally successful. The production of the prominent Czech choreographer Libor Vaculík offers a “spectacle within spectacle” rendition of Shakespeare's fairy-tale comedy which merges dream and reality and bears witness to the eternal magic of love. The author of the exquisite stage design is Martin Černý; costumes have been designed by Roman Šolc. The production features Anna Schekaleva as Titania and David Stránský as Puck; Lucie Holánková with Petr Kolář and Iva Zingfeldová with Ondřej Novotný dance the two pairs of lovers.

For operational and technical reasons, the originally billed performance of the ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, beginning at 8:00 p.m., will be substituted by a performance of the ballet, Cinderella, accompanied by reproduced music. We apologize for the inconvenience.

As its contribution to the Mozart Year 2006, the Prague State Opera has prepared for the opening of the new season two exhibitions which are on view in the lounge adjoining the first balcony. The first show, entitled Mozart and the Prague State Opera, is focused on a less known albeit remarkable aspect of the Mozartian cult in Prague. Although Mozart's personal relationship with Prague is most commonly associated with the premises of the Estates Theatre, history has also witnessed a good many exceptional Mozart productions, appearances of famous Mozart interpreters, and visits by whole international opera ensembles, hosted by the Prague State Opera or the individual companies that succeeded one another in the past eras in what is now its building. It served as the venue of major cycles of Mozart operas, and in 1929 hosted the modern-time world premiere of Mozart's rediscovered opera, Lucio Silla. Mozart's Don Giovanni staged at the then Fifth of May Grand Opera was the first new production of a work by the composer in Prague after the Second World War; his Così fan tutte was the first premiere following the 1948 fusion of the Grand Opera with the National Theatre in Prague; and the 1991 production of his Die Entführung aus dem Serail marked a decisive milestone on the road to the newly autonomous Prague State Opera. These and other interesting facts are presented in a display comprised of ten information-filled panels. The show will run until January 10, 2007. The mounting of the second exhibition, entitled Mozart in Vienna, has been mediated for the Prague State Opera by the Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague. The display, prepared by the Historical Museum of the City of Vienna, is divided into four sections centered around the key aspects of the affinity the famed native of Salzburg evolved for the city which helped to shape his destiny: Early Visits to Vienna; Domiciles; Venues of Mozart's Own Concert Appearances and Performances of His Works; and Death and What Lives on. This travelling exhibition will run at the Prague State Opera through October 26, 2006, when it will be moving on to Plzeň.

Dear Visitors, the surtitling equipment will be launched into the field tests on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, during the performance of the opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioacchino Rossini.

Results of the first round

The following entries have been short-listed and will be invited to attend the Second Round of the Competition, to be held in the form of an oral defence of the projects on the brink of September and October 2006 (the teams are identified by the names of their directors):

• Alfonso Romero, Spain
• Michiel Dijkema, The Netherlands, Germany
• Caterina Panti Liberovici, Italy
• Lee Hoe Soo, Korea, Italy

Competition

Altogether 37 creative teams or individual artists from 14 countries have sent in entries to the competition for the concept of the staging of G. F. Handel’s opera, Alcina.

Provisions of the competition statutes were met by a total of 27 comprehensive staging projects which have been admitted for participation in the first round of the contest. These entries come from the following countries: Australia (1), Austria (1), Czech Republic (2), France (1), Germany (9), Israel (1), Italy (2), and Spain (1), along with nine multinational teams (Austria – Canada – France – Germany – Italy – Korea – Netherlands – Poland – Switzerland – United Kingdom – USA).

Ten entries have not been admitted for competition due to failure to submit set designs.

The first round of the contest will take place on June 12 and 13, 2006, when the jury will decide on those advancing to the second round. The second round will take place in mid-September 2006, in the form of oral defence of the individual projects. Participants in the second round will be advised of its exact date by the end of June 2006.

Jury

Chairman

• PhDr. Helena Havlíková, theatrologist, musicologist (Czech Republic / Czech Radio)

Members

1. Prof. Jan Dušek, stage designer (Czech Republic)
2. Mgr. Luděk Golat, stage director (Czech Republic)
3. PhDr. Josef Herman, theatrologist, musicologist (Czech Republic)
4. PhDr. Radmila Hrdinová, theatrologist, musicologist (Czech Republic)
5. Josef Jelínek, costume designer (Czech Republic)
6. Jiří Kotouč, conductor (Czech Republic)
7. David Pountney, stage director (United Kingdom)
8. PhDr. Jaroslav Someš, writer on theatre (Czech Republic)
9. Lenka Šaldová, theatrologist, musicologist (Czech Republic)
10. Mgr. Jaroslav Vocelka, Director, Prague State Opera
11. PhDr. Ingeborg Žádná, Head of Opera, Prague State Opera
12. PhDr. Jitka Slavíková, Dramaturge, Prague State Opera

First round (stage directors’ names of the creative teams):

• Susanne Knapp, Germany
• Bettina Geyer, Germany
• Luzt Schwarz, Germany
• Sebastian Stiebert, Germany
• Stefania Panighini, Paolo Ricagno, Italy
• Niv Hoffman, Israel
• Benoit Bénichou, France, Italy, United Kingdom
• Christiane Lutz, Germany, Austria
• Hendrik Müller, Germany
• Jens Ponath, Germany
• Anke Rauthmann, Germany
• Claudia Kofler + Markus Raab, Austria
• Lubor Cukr, Czech Republic
• Patrick Nolan, Australia
• Alfonso Romero, Spain
• Tomáš Hinterholzinger, Czech Republic
• Natascha Ursuliak, Canada, Germany
• Michal Znaniecki, Poland, Switzerland
• Luigi Scoglio, Michal Znaniecki, Poland, Switzerland
• Joachim Rathke, Germany, Austria
• Lydia Steier, USA, Germany
• Michiel Dijkema, Netherlands, Germany
• Caterina Panti Liberovici, Italy
• Friederike Rinne-Wolf, Germany
• Alessio Pizzech, Italy, Switzerland
• Lee Hoe Soo, Korea, Italy
• Sandra Pocceschi, France

Since 1993, the Prague State Opera keeps opening its theatrical seasons with a cycle entitled Verdi Festival. By this extraordinary event, it strives to prolong the tradition of the New German Theatre where, back in 1899, its then director Angelo Neumann held so-called Maifestpiele for the first time.

• More about the festival

By Sunday's performance of Bizet's Carmen, the Prague State Opera closed its 2005/2006 season on June 18, 2006. On June 19, 2006, the theatre holidays will start and will last until August 21, 2006.

On Wednesday, July 19, 2006, Suzanne Vega, the American folk-rock legend, will appear on the Prague State Opera stage, and on Thursday, July 20, 2006, there will be a concert titled Hear Our Voice.

The Prague State Opera booking office will be open only in the performance days.

The advance booking is provided by the Bohemia Ticket through www.bohemiaticket.cz, e-mail: order@bohemiaticket.cz or in the following selling locations:

Malé náměstí 13, Prague 1
telephone: +420 224 227 832
The booking office is open Monday through Friday: 9:00 – 17:00, Saturday: 9:00 – 14:00

Na Příkopě 16, Prague 1
telephone: +420 224 215 031
The booking office is open Monday through Friday 10:00 – 17:00, Saturday 10:00 – 17:00, Sunday 10:00 – 15:00

You can also get tickets for the Suzanne Vega concert in the Ticketpro network – in the selling locations, online at www.ticketpro.cz and by phone at the Call Center: +420 296 333 333.

The advance booking for the 2006/2007 season of the Prague State Opera will start on August 14, 2006 at the Prague State Opera booking office and through the Bohemia Ticket network (selling locations and online sale, as mentioned above).

The 2006/2007 season will be started by the Italian Opera Festival, which will take place from August 22, 2006 to September 9, 2006.

The ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera looks for dancers for the posts of soloists.

Requirements: at least three years of experiences as soloists with the classical repertoire, minimum height: 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) for women, and 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) for men. Individual auditions can be arranged with the Ballet Management via e-mail: ozima@opera.cz or dumbala@opera.cz or by mail at the following address:

The Chief of Ballet
Mr Pavel Ďumbala
Státní opera Praha
Legerova 75
110 00 Praha 1

Successful applicants may commence engagement immediately.

On Friday 16th June, the Prague State Opera will present a gala-performance of Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata, on the occasion of the 80th birthday of Director Ladislav Štros. This is going to be the last repetition of this opera in the just ending theatrical season, and at the same time the very last performance of this staging that – since its first night in 1982 that took place on the stage of the then Smetana Theatre – has reached an imposing number of almost five hundred repeats. Such extraordinary lifespan of this staging was particularly due to Maestro Štros's direction, supported by an attractive stage setting.

Today, Maestro Ladislav Štros is justifiably considered one of the most significant representatives of the Czech operatic direction of the second half of the 20th century. Theatre goers could admire his arts not only in Prague and in other Czech theatres, but also on many international stages.

It is with gratitude and respect that the Prague State Opera wishes to devote this performance to Maestro Ladislav Štros, on the occasion of his forthcoming jubilee.

The part of Violetta Valéry will be performed by soloist of the Prague State Opera, Miss Marina Vyskvorkina, and Aleš Briscein will sing Alfredo Germont.

At the brink of May and June, the ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera presented itself to the Sicilian audiences with the fairy tale ballet Cinderella by Sergei Prokofiev, staged by choreographers Pavel Šmok and Pavel Ďumbala. A series of eight performances took place between 26 May and 4 June 2006 on the scene of Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Sicily, where the soloists and the chorus of the ballet troupe performed under the accompaniment of the local orchestra. The main role of Cinderella was alternated by Anna Shchekaleva and Lucie Holánková, The Prince by Ondřej Novotný a Michal Chovanec, and The Stepmother was danced by Milan Boček. “The dancers successfully coped with the toils of the sloping stage. All eight performances were sold out and the audiences always rewarded the performers with cordial applauses,” said the manager of the ballet troupe, Pavel Ďumbala, about the tour.

The production of Leonard Bernstein's opera Candide that had its first night on Thursday 25 May in the Prague State Opera in the framework of the Prague Spring International Music Festival, received five stars from Helena Havlíková, a critique of renown, as the highest possible acknowledgement awarded by Lidové Noviny's cultural column.

„The Caban brothers did very well when they offered Bernstein's Candide to the Prague State Opera – for one, it is desirable to get to know this piece of art that is virtually unknown in this country, and also because the production has come out very well and it has brought about the much desired fresh air into Prague opera... It is the personal engagement of the Caban brothers that is felt throughout the whole production of Candide and that has juiced up the piece... It is necessary to stress the contribution of the conductor, Mr Guillaume Tourniaire, to the compact musical shape of the production. He has excellently managed the music transitions across the musical genres...

The Caban brothers and the Prague State Opera have been lucky in putting together the production team and in selecting the soloists. The casting of Jiří Korn as a guide through the story is not only a smart marketing gesture but it at the same time reflects the current shifts in meanings, from Voltair's and Bernstein's times. Aleš Briscein has presented his feeling for music by adapting his bright tenor, which he employs when singing Jeník or Števa, from the grand opera to the musical style, by adding phrasing and expression. Together with the charming American soprano, Miss Marnie Breckenridge, with her spicy soubrette pitch and proper voice mobility, they managed to express the peripeteia of their strange pair of lovers. Also the performance of Miss Jiřina Marková-Krystlíková in the role of the Old Lady was of extraordinary nature, also for her ability of ironical hyperbole in both her singing and spoken word.

It is particularly against some of the recent problematic productions of the National Theatre, that the Prague State Opera and this creative act have proven the reason for having two separate opera houses in Prague.“

Helena Havlíková
Lidové noviny, Monday 29 May 2006

• Repeated performances: June 4, at 16:00, June 7, at 19:00 a June 13, at 11:00

Songster Suzanne Vega, one of the leading personalities of the US folk-rock scene that first appeared in the mid-eighties, will be visiting the Czech Republic on July 19, 2006. Last time, she performed in Prague in 2003 in a sold-out hall of the Congress Centre. This year, she has picked up the historical premises of the Prague State Opera where she will give a solo concert, under the accompaniment of base player Michael Visceglia (he has worked, for example, with John Cale, Phil Collins, and Al Green).

Tickets priced CZK 1650, 1250, 880 and 100 are on sale in the booking office at the Prague State Opera, through the Ticketpro network, or on-line at www.ticketpro.cz, or via the telephone on 296 333 333.

• For more information, please, see www.suzannevega.com and www.1015.cz.

The Rusalka performance on June 3, 2006 will have two prominent guests, soprano Eva Urbanová and Russian tenor Oleg Kulko. Eva Urbanová, a singer of world-renown, studied the title role of Rusalka for this new production of Dvořák’s opera at the Prague State Opera house (premiere on May 5, 2005). Her debut in this role (she sang the part of Foreign Princess previously at world famous opera houses including the New York Metropolitan Opera or Opera Bastille in Paris) was met with quite an exceptional acclaim. The Russian tenor Oleg Kulko, a prominent soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, has been a permanent guest at world opera houses such as La Scala in Milan, Teatro Sao Carlos in Lisbon, Teatro de la Monnaie in Brussels and, since the 2002/2003 season, at the New York Metropolitan Opera where he sang the roles of Calaf in Turandot, the Prince in Rusalka and Turridu in Cavalleria rusticana. Next season, also in the Metropolitan Opera, he is going to sing the title role in the opera Andrea Chénier by Umberto Giordano, and Dick Johnson in The Girl of the Golden West by Giacomo Puccini.

The Prague State Opera ballet troupe will perform the ballet fairy-tale Cinderella by Sergey Prokofiev before the Sicilian audiences at the break of May and June. The staging directed by choreographers Pavel Šmok and Pavel Ďumbala was first performed more than two years ago, but it still ranks among the most successful repertory titles. A series of nine performances of Cinderella will take place at Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Sicily, between May 26 and June 4, 2006. The soloists and the corps de ballet will be accompanied by a local orchestra. The main part of Cinderella will be alternately performed by Miss Anna Ščekaleva and Miss Lucie Holánková, while Ondřej Novotný a Michal Chovanec will dance in the part of the Prince.

To facilitate easier orientation of new visitors as well as pleasure of frequent patrons, the Prague State Opera, together with architect Jaroslav Staněk, has produced an interactive drawing of the historic building that offers basic information of both the interiors and the operation of the theatre, and at the same time allows to enjoy its splendid architecture from the bird’s eye view.

On May 29, 2006 the stage of the State Opera Prague will host the National Theatre Brno offering their production of Tchaikovky’s Swan Lake. This romantic four-act ballet is one of the most famous titles of all large theatre houses. The National Theatre Brno presents its Swan Lake in the choreography and under the direction of Robert Strainer. Gems of the brilliant production are impressive achievements of the soloists and of the whole ensemble.

The Ballet Preparatory Courses of Prague State Opera, with the focus on classical dance, are designed for five to ten years old girls and boys. Since 2004 modern dance courses have also been offered, based on the Martha Graham method, which are suitable for adolescents too. The SOP Ballet Preparatory Courses take place twice a week in the ballet hall of Prague State Opera Operational Building. Their aim is spotting new talent, the dancing education of talented youngsters and preparation for studies at the Dance Conservatory.

• More information about the competition

The ensemble of the Prague State Opera will open the opera festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on Saturday April 29, 2006, by performing the opera Sicilian Vespers by Giuseppe Verdi (the Prague first night took place on March 26, 2006). This year's 13th annual Bydgoszcz International Festival of Music Theatres, regularly attended by leading Polish and international ensembles, takes place from April 29 to May 14, 2006. The largest Polish presentation of theatres of music, beside opera, also covers operetta, musical, and ballet – e. g., this year, the ballet troupe of the National Theatre in Warsaw will present a full length show staged by choreographer Jiří Kylián (I. Stravinsky, A. Webern, W. A. Mozart).

The soloists of the Prague State Opera will be performing under the baton of the conductor of the Prague State Opera, Maestro Richarda Heina, as follows: Nikolai Vishnyakov (Arrigo), Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Monforte), Anna Todorova (Elena), and Yuri Kruglov (Procida), backed by the orchestra, the choir, and the ballet of the Prague State Opera.

Miss Pavla Vykopalová, a soloist from the Prague State Opera, has performed successfully as “Mařenka” in the staging of Bedřich Smetana’s The Bartered Bride at Janáček Opera in Brno (dir. Ondřej Havelka).

The critiques do not spare praise for the protagonist: “Pavla Vykopalová was a real gem of the performance in the part of Mařenka – until recently a performer of mezzo-soprano parts seems to have definitively moved to the soprano line and have done excellently. Her voice is situated exactly where it should be, even the finest pianissimo floats beautifully, she has excelled in intonation, rhythm and as far as expression is concerned, plus she looks really pretty, on the top of things. She is a real young and invigorating Mařenka who is worth playing some tricks and taking some pains.” (Boris Klepal)

“Mařenka staged by Miss Pavla Vykopalová was a business-like girl of temperament that would not stand things she hated, with a sense of humour, and ready to use her women’s tricks in order to win her case.” (Helena Havlíková)

The Prague State Opera currently presents Miss Pavla Vykopalová as Rosina (The Barber of Seville), Fenena (Nabucco), the Second Lady in The Magic Flute by Mozart, The Second Fairy in Rusalka, and Mercedes in Carmen by Bizet.

The production team, led by brothers Michal and Šimon Caban, has completed the first week of rehearsing Bernstein’s Candide. The work, which is demanding for the stage designer and the singers, promises to be a rewarding experience for the audience thanks to Šimon Caban’s sets and the costumes by Simona Rybáková. Guillaume Tourniaire is rehearsing the musical production, and the main roles will be peformed by Marnie Breckenridge, Jiří Korn, Aleš Briscein, David Uličník, Jana Sibera, Jiřina Marková and Martina Chylíková.

Premiere on May 25, 2006

The Prague State Opera Ballet Ensemble will make its presentation of the fairy-tale ballet Cinderella by Sergey Prokofiev in the north Italian cities of Modena, Treviso and Trento from April 18 to 21, 2006. The soloists Anna Ščekaleva and Ondřej Novotný will render the title roles of Cinderella and the Prince. This production of Choreographer and Director Pavel Šmok and Chief of Ballet Pavel Ďumbala premiered as early as December 2004, yet it still ranks among the most successful titles in the Ballet of Prague State Opera’s repertoire.

Audience received with accolade the ceremonial premiere of the original ballet Midsummer Night’s Dream that took place in Státní opera in Prague on April 6. New staging by the renowned Czech choreographer Libor Vaculík renders Shakespeare’s fairytale comedy about mixing up of dreams and reality and eternal spell of love as a “theatre in theatre”. The audience at the premiere night rewarded with long lasting applause not only choreographer Libor Vaculík but also the designer of set Martin Černý and costume designer Roman Šolc. All dancers were given ovations for their performance, especially prima ballerina Anna Ščekaleva as Titania, guest David Stránský as Puck as well as Lucie Holánková with Petr Kolář and Iva Zingfeldová with Ondřej Novotný as couples in love. The Midsummer Night’s Dream is bound to become greatly successful with the audience.

On Friday, April 7, the Prague State Opera, due to disorder, instead of Lucia di Lammermoor by G. Donizetti as scheduled, will play Verdi’s Rigoletto.

A Young Singers Talent Show will take place in the Prague State Opera building at 10 AM on Monday March 20, 2006. This performance by young singers is organised by the Jednota hudebního divadla (Musical Theatre Society) in co-operation with Prague State Opera and under the auspices of the Czech Ministry of Culture and Život umělce (Artist Life) Foundation.

Each year the show gives young singers and art school graduates an opportunity to sing in front of theatre and agency representatives, as well as before the community of art critics and art theoreticians. Usually there are about fifty performers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Poland, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Japan who arrive to introduce themselves at the event.

It is not a singing competition but simply a presentation of young singers and beginners. Part of the event includes personal consultations with foremost singing and teaching personalities. Any singer up to the age of 35 years can attend the event. It is only possible to apply by submitting a completed application form, which can be downloaded from www.divadlo.cz/jhd and sent to burza@centrum.cz">burza@centrum.cz. The deadline for submitting applications is March 15, 2006. The Young Singers Talent Show is a public forum and therefore open to visitors who might like to watch from the auditorium.

Prague State Opera, 10 AM, Monday March 20, 2006

Prague State Opera has made a further streamlining to the system for visitors wishing to book tickets for individual performances. Beginning this February, theatregoers may book their tickets direct on the Prague State Opera website www.opera.cz.

The Prague State Opera Programme shows a ticket symbol at the end of each line announcing a particular performance (after the performance details). A single click on this hyperlink will take you directly to a Bohemia Ticket Company booking form.

We believe that this new service will save your time.

An original dance rendition of Shakespeare’s The Midsummer Night’s Dream to the music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy is rehearsed by choreographer and director Mr Libor Vaculík. Following his Lady of the Camellias that has been shown with acclaim for several seasons now, this will be the second title from the workshop of this significant Czech artist to be included in the repertory of the ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera. A full-length performance, in the form of a “theatre in the theatre”, renders this fairy-tale comedy about eternal magic of love and about the intermingling of dreams and reality whose poetry and humour is intended to appeal to viewers of all generations. The scene has been set by Mr Martin Černý, while the costumes have been designed by Mr Roman Šolc. The first night is scheduled on April 6, 2006.

Please note the following change to the cast of the opera Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák on February 10, 2006. The title role will now be performed by Ms. Jitka Burgetová, a Prague State Opera soloist, due to the illness of Ms Eva Urbanová.

The Prague State Opera will present the twentieth repeat of the opera Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák on Friday, February 10, 2006. Poet Jaroslav Kvapil was inspired in his poetic libretto for this opera by the fairy-tale The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. The staging by director Zdeněk Troška, unlike the psychologising trends prevailing at the end of the 20th century, aims at showing that Dvořák’s work may well remain a genuine fairy-tale, also in a modern set-up…

The title role is performed by Miss Eva Urbanová.

The ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera presented itself with the fairy-tale ballet Cinderella by Sergey Prokofiev in the week between January 9 and 15 in Thessalonica, Greece. The staging by choreographers and directors Pavel Šmok and the chief of ballet, Pavel Ďumbala, was premiered in December 2004. Immediately, it has become one of the most successful repertory titles. The troupe gave four performances at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall; the part of Cinderella was performed by soloist Anna Ščekaleva, the part of the Prince by soloist Ondřej Novotný. Great successes were also scored by soloist Milan Boček performing the part of the Stepmother, and Jurij Kolva as the Jester.

The Prague State Opera will stage a gala concert given by Miss Dagmar Pecková on Saturday January 21, marking the 250th birth anniversary of W. A. Mozart, and falling within the project named “Mozart Praha 2006”.

Beside the most famous mezzo-soprano arias (e.g., “Ah, lo previdi” and “Non piu di fiori”, associated with the name of the Prague singer, patroness, and promoter of Mozart’s works, Miss Josefina Dušková) the concert will also feature the famous overture to the opera Don Giovanni, the overture to the opera La clemenza di Tito, as well as Concerto for piano and orchestra in B flat major.

• More information about the concert

The Prague International Ballet is organizing this performance in co-production with the EuroArts Music International. This event bringing together some of the most prestigious dancers of this early 21st century. Just see for yourself: Charles Jude, étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet and artistic director of the National Theatre in Bordeaux will perform together with Stéphanie Roublot, Jean Jacques Herment a Viviana Franciosi very famous one act ballet The Moor’s Pavane (Music: Henry Purcell and Choreography: José Limón). Polina Semionova, principal dancer of the Berlin State Opera with her partner Igor Zelensky, principal dancer of the Kirov Ballet and New York City Ballet will perform Manon (Music: Jules Massenet and Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan). This performance show you the different faces of modern classics, and introduce you exciting contemporary ballets. Make sure you keep that date free because it will be very interesting to see these dancers together on the Prague State Opera stage – January 11 at 7:30 PM.

• More information about the performance

The gala premiere of the first ever ballet rendering of the entire cycle of Bedřich Smetana’s symphonic poems My Country took place at the Prague State Opera on Thursday December 8, 2005. The libretto was authored by Ján Ďurovčík and Martin Hrdinka, the Prague State Opera orchestra was conducted by the well-known conductor Petr Vronský, the scene was set by Boris Kudlička, costumes by Martin Černý. The main parts were performed by soloists Lucie Holánková and Petr Kolář. The first night audiences at the Prague State Opera rewarded the ballet troupe as well as the team in charge of the staging with standing ovations.

The Prague State Opera Ballet Ensemble and The Prague Chamber Ballet – is holding an audition to complete vacant posts in its ensemble on Saturday, January 28, 2006, at 3:00 PM.

• More information about the audition

On Tuesday, November 15, the Prague State Opera, due to technical reasons, instead of Madama Butterfly by G. Puccini as scheduled, will play Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Prague State Opera returned from its seventh tour to Japan with unforgettable experience from full and applauding concert halls in Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukoca, Yokohama, Tokyo, Nagoj, Gunma and other cities. This time the Prague State Opera performed Verdi’s Aida that was prepared by director Petar Selem (scene by Hafiz Abdel Farghali, costumes by Josef Jelínek). Since its premiere on June 2, 1994 it belonged to the most successful performances at the Prague State Opera.

Japan has been visited for many years by opera houses from all over the world including La Scala from Milano or Viennese State Opera. The Prague State Opera arrived in Japan after its fabulous performance at Munich Bavarian State Opera. In Japan the group gave an excellent performance in this severe competition as evidenced by sold out halls and enthusiastic response of grateful spectators. In the series of performances conducted by Italian conductor Giorgio Croci and SOP conductor Jiří Mikula the spectators could admire soloists and permanent guests of the Prague State Opera Anda-Louise Bogza and Maida Hundeling (Aida), Igor Jan and Jan Vacík (Radames), Galia Ibragimova and Veronika Hajnová (Amneris), Martin Bárta and Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Amonasro), Lukáš Hynek-Krämer and Oleg Korotkov (King), Ladislav Mlejnek and Oleg Korotkov (Ramfis), Jiří Hruška (Courier) and Jana Levicová (Priestess).

The tour was organised by Konzerthaus Japan agency owned and managed by Mr. Masayuki Kobayashi. The Prague State Opera prepares the eighth tour to Japan for 2007 with Verdi’s opera La traviata.

An unbelievable 30 years passed on November 19, 2005 from the day of the first ever performance given at the state of the Prague “Rokoko” Theatre by a brand new troupe – the Prague Chamber Ballet. Although the ensemble has swapped founders as well as its name one after another, and several other people joined its management beside the key figure of choreographed Pavel Šmok, it has won acclaim both at home and far abroad over the years of its existence. In 2003, the Prague Chamber Ballet merged with the ballet troupe of the Prague State Opera. Members of the ensemble headed by Pavel Ďumbala (since July 1, 2003), has thus acquired respectable material and technical background. Beside being able to continue its traditional chamber guest performance tours, the ensemble now has an opportunity to appear in major full-length ballet performances, such as Lady of the Camellias, Cinderella, Time of Pain, and most recently also My Country that is to be launched in December this year.

The first ballet rendering of the entire cycle of symphonic poems My Country by Bedřich Smetana is co-produced by PART agency, a. s., and will be premiered in the State Opera House on December 8, 2005. Libretto was written by Ján Ďurovčík and Martin Hrdinka, the State Opera Orchestra will be conducted by renowned conductor Petr Vronský, the set was designed by Boris Kudlička, and the costumes by Martin Černý. Rehearsals with choreographer Ján Ďurovčík and assistant choreographer Marianna Paulíková have been well under way for several weeks already (see the pictures).

The Prague State Opera Ballet visited Dresden on October 22, 2005. On the main stage of Staatsschauspiel Dresden they performed a full-length staging of Time of Pain / Čas bolesti by choreographer Bronislav Roznos. The Dresden audience gave a very friendly welcome to the ballet troupe of the State Opera House and numerous prominent theatre reviewers attended the performance.

The State Opera Prague is pleased to announce a competition for the staging of Alcina, an opera by Georg Friedrich Händel. The design chosen by the management of the State Opera Prague after the selection made by the Selection Committee is planned to be staged in 2008/2009 season. The competition is aimed at young directors, with no restriction on their nationality, who will not be more than 40 years old in the time of the competition closure (the age limit does not apply to other members of the stage design team).

• More information about the competition

The 10th annual Theatre Festival of the German Language takes place in Prague between Novemner 4 and 17, 2005. On November 8, 2005 the Prague State Opera will be hosting one sole performance by Volksbühne Berlin of My Snow Queen by Frank Castorf, inspired by the most famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. In the production showing not only the great and unselfish love of Gerda towards Kay, you, too, can see that fairy tales and games do not belong only to childhood...

The performance is not suitable for young people under 16 years of age.

La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most successful titles performed by the Prague State Opera (direction: Ladislav Štros, setting: Vladimír Nývlt, costumes: Josef Jelínek) without interruption since 1982, will be staged at the famous Large Festival House in Salzburg on October 15 and 16, 2005. The main parts will be performed by Adriana Kohútková (Violeta), Yikun Chung and Aleš Briscein (Alfred), Vladimír Chmelo and Roman Janál (Germont), supported by the Prague State Opera choir and Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg under the baton of Leoš Svárovský.

After a successful acceptance by the readers of the first part of the book entitled The Prague State Opera in Pictures and Dates that focused solely on opera, preparations continue of a second part, this time devoted to operetta and ballet. In this connection, the Prague State Opera would like to address the public with a request to help it acquire or buy any materials, which may serve as illustrations in the new publication. They are mainly documents from the era of the New German Theatre and the Fifth of May (5. května) Theatre, especially photographs of conductors, singers, dancers, stage directors, pictures from plays, playbills and almanacs, posters, stage and costume sketches. We would also appreciate the opportunity to make copies of documents, as well as to record genuine memories of eyewitnesses. You, too, can take part in the recording of the rich history of the theatre for the future! Please, contact us on the following address: Státní opera Praha, dokumentační centrum, Legerova 75, 110 00 Praha 1, or e-mail: vrbka@opera.cz">vrbka@opera.cz.

The troupe of the Prague State Opera left for its seventh tour of Japan on October 8, 2005. In the course of its one month of guest performances (until November 7), it will introduce the Japanese public to its staging of Verdi's Aida that it performed with a great success during its previous tour in the autumn of 2002. There and then, the Prague State Opera troupe was joined by the famous Argentinean tenor José Cura; this year the title role will be guest performed by the world famous sopranos Maria Guleghina and Inez Salazar, and Piero Giuliacci will appear as Radames. The following standing guests and soloists of the Prague State Opera will act in a series of performances, under the baton of the Italian conductor Giorgio Croci and the Prague State Opera's own conductor Jiří Mikula: Anda-Louise Bogza and Maida Hundeling (Aida), Igor Jan and Jan Vacík (Radames), Galja Ibragimova and Veronika Hajnová (Amneris), Martin Bárta and Miguelangelo Cavalcanti (Amonasro), Lukáš Hynek-Krämer and Oleg Korotkov (the King), Ladislav Mlejnek and Oleg Korotkov (Ramfis), Jiří Hruška (the Messenger) and Jana Levicová (the Priestess).

The Prague State Opera plans yet another tour of Japan in 2007, this time with Verdi's opera La traviata.

On October 15 and 24, 2005, the National Theatre Brno will appear in the Prague State Opera with its staging of Tchaikovsky’s immortal romantical ballet in four acts, Swan Lake. The choreographer and director is Robert Strajner. The epic staging is highlighted by magnificent performances of both the soloists and the ensemble. The role of Prince will be played by one of the most important contemporary Czech ballet dancer, Stanislav Fečo. A long-time soloist of the National Theatre in Prague, he has rich experience from European as well as overseas stages and has received many prestigious international awards. He often dances with the most important ballerinas in the world, such as Daria Klimentova, Galina Mezenceva, Lubov Kunakova or Julia Machalina. In the role of Prince in the State Opera, he will be accompanied by Andrea Smejkalová, a young soloist of the Brno ballet, in the twin role of Odetta / Odilia.

The new staging of G. Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville in the Prague State Opera received a great response from the audience. Both premieres, on September 29 and October 2, 2005, had been sold out well in advance. The following photogallery shows important guests of the ceremonial premiere on September 29, 2005.

The Prague State Opera starts selling the tickets for a single performance of the Japanese traditional dancing company Kikunokai that takes place on Monday October 3 at 7.30 p.m.

The company that has co-operated with director Kurosawa and belongs to the highlights of the Japanese dancing scene presents a unique combination of classical theatre traditions and a new dancing style.

On October 14 at 7 p.m. the visitors of the Prague State Opera will get their last chance this year to see the unconventional ballet Time of Pain / Čas bolesti, choreographed by Bronislav Roznos, Ballet Director of Tanztheater Plauen-Zwickau. Biblical scenes, medieval witch-hunts, totalitarian manipulation with human beings and, above all, pain as part of a sadomasochistic pleasure, all this with excellent dancing to the music of Philip Glass or Dead Can Dance on an impressively lighted stage. After the October performance Time of Pain will not be staged until January of the next year.

Prague State Opera Ballet ensemble has entered the new season on September 5 with the staging of Time of Pain / Čas bolesti, choreographed by Bronislav Roznos. A dynamic ballet show asks the dancers to reach the limits of what is possible in a striking decorative setting of the motion of almost nude dancing bodies in the candlelight. “This is the fourth season of State Opera Ballet ensemble appearing together with the Prague Chamber Ballet”, says the chief of Prague State Opera Ballet Pavel Ďumbala. “Looking back I am happy to state that we were right to get Prague Chamber Ballet under the shelter of State Opera. The enlarged ballet ensemble thus got the opportunity to stage, in addition to the chamber pieces, also grand ballets, such as Lady of the Camellias or Prokofiev’s fabulous Cinderella. These will be joined by two more productions in the forthcoming season – My Country by Bedřich Smetana choreographed and directed by Ján Ďurovčík, and The Midsummer Night’s Dream to the music of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, with choreography as well as stage direction by Libor Vaculík. I believe that all our performances will leave our viewers with an unforgettable experience,” concludes Pavel Ďumbala.

Guests at the official opening of the Prague State Opera’s new season on September 1, 2005 included Culture Minister Vítězslav Jandák. He is shown here with PSO Director Jaroslav Vocelka, Opera Ensemble head Ingeborg Žádná, and Ballet Ensemble head Pavel Ďumbala.

On September 18, 2005, the Prague State Opera will perform for the third time in the German spa of Bad Elster. After successful operas Carmen and Nabucco at the Spa House hall this year’s opera Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti will be performed in the newly reconstructed Art Nouveaux König Albert Theater.

The performance is a part of Chursächsische Festspiele Festival which is every year dedicated to a different European country. This year it is the Great Britain and therefore the organisers opted for Lucia di Lammermoor whose libretto was inspired by the historical novel by Sir Walter Scott.

The new season at the Prague State Opera was launched with an extraordinary drive. From August 23 to September 4, 2005, the opera house hosts the popular Italian Opera Festival and at the same time prepares for foreign tours to Germany, Austria and Japan.

After the summer break the international production team managed by director Martin Otava – Italian conductor Enrico Dovico, Slovak stage designer Ján Zavarský and German costume designer Bettine Kirste – has launched rehearsals of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (the premiere on September 29, 2005). “With Mr. Zavarský and Bettina Kirste we worked in Germany on Rigoletto and Händel’s Xerx. I met Enrico Dovico at the Prague State Opera during the work on new performances Drinks of Love and La Gioconda and we know each other well, which is great. We do not have to explain too much to each other and we have mutual trust. I can say the same about all singers that the opera management engaged for The Barber of Seville,” comments on the premiere preparation director Martin Otava.

The ballet company of the Prague State Opera enters the new season with Time of Pain on September 5. The performance choreographed by Bronislav Roznos, head of ballet at the Tanztheater Plauen-Zwickau, had its premiere in June this year. The choreographer explores the subject of pain from different angles: Biblical pictures and medieval witch hunt scenes change into the pictures of totalitarian manipulation with a man and the whole evening culminates with the depiction of pain as part of sexual pleasure. The colourful show rests upon a physical performance of dancers almost defying natural limits, drum-playing and artistic effects based upon a contrast between the almost naked dancing bodies against the black background lit by the candles. A strong impression was enhanced by a diverse musical collage from the works of Philip Glass, and Dead Can Dance and Les Tambours du Bronx music bands. You may see Time of Pain again on October 14, 2005.

The Prague Chamber Ballet Company under the Prague State Opera has not been idle during this summer. Between July 26 and 30 it set off for a tour in Spain. During three nights spectators at Centro Cultural de la Villa in Madrid had an opportunity to watch performances exclusively composed of choreographies of leading personality of the modern Czech ballet school Pavel Šmok. The programme included the performance packed with humour Stand-in on the music of Franz von Suppé that tells the story from a theatre backstage and has been on the repertoire for decades. In addition to that spectators could see choreographic productions Stabat on the music of Antonín Dvořák and Kreutzer Sonata and Sinfonietta on the music of Leoš Janáček. All performances attracted a large audience and were positively received.

On July 15–17, 2005, the Lauro Rossi Theater in Macerata opened its forty-first opera season with two performances of Francis Poulenc’s opera Les mamelles de Tirésias and the world premiere of Le bel indifferent written by the contemporary Italian composer Marco Tutino based on the text by Jean Cocteau. Set design and costume design executed in the colors of the French flag as well as direction were in the hands of the renowned Italian director Pier Luigi Pizzi, while choreography was the work of Gheorghe Iancu. The French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire supervised Italian and French soloists as well as the orchestra and chorus of the Prague State Opera.

After the July 17, 2005 premiere, the Italian daily Il Resto del Carlino wrote about Poulenc: “An inventive performance in the manner of a farce, something between an operetta and a musical with excellent soloists who understand the work’s playful spirit and a choreography by G. Iancu which gave them and the chorus an opportunity for dance creations that you don’t see in opera very often. The superb execution and performance by the Prague State Opera’s orchestra and chorus conducted by G. Tourniaire were in a providential harmony with the set design. The sold-out house witnessed incessant applause and a curtain call staged like theater-in-theater that put an end to the premiere evening with an atmosphere of general merriment.”

Ever since 1993, the Prague State Opera has opened its theatrical seasons with a cycle entitled the “Verdi Festival”. By this extraordinary venture, it professes the tradition of the New German Theatre where – 106 years ago, i.e., in 1899 – its then director Angelo Neumann held for the first time so-called “Maifestpiele” that immediately became very popular. In the first year, attention was mainly devoted to operas by Richard Wagner; soon, Giuseppe Verdi took his turn: almost every year, cycles of Verdi’s operas were staged with the most famous opera stars taking part. The Prague State Opera has had an identical goal: to pay homage to the great opera magician and to offer its audiences performances by some outstanding singers.

• More information

The Prague State Opera presents a concert by singers Hana Hegerová and Dana Bárta on October 17, 2005.

Tickets to the concert are on sale exclusively through the Ticketpro advance sale network from September 1, 2005.

The masterpiece by Gioacchino Rossini, the comical opera The Barber of Seville, directed by Martin Otava and guest-performed by Italian conductor Enrico Dovico, heads the list of first nights on September 29, 2005. In the pre-Christmas period, the Prague State Opera will stage the ballet My Country on December 8, 2005; under the direction and choreography by Ján Ďurovčík, the performance depicts the monumental cycle of symphonic poems by Bedřich Smetana.

The third first night will be offered by the Prague State Opera on March 23, 2006, namely the Italian version of Verdi’s The Sicilian Vespers, that will be staged in Bohemia after almost forty years. The second ballet title of the season, The Midsummer Night’s Dream by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, staged by choreographer Libor Vaculík, will be shown for the first time on April, 6, 2006. The climax of the next season, the first night of the famous satirical opera Candide by Leonard Bernstein, directed and stage-designed by, and under the choreography of Michal and Šimon Caban, will be staged on May 25, 2006.

A protocol on cooperation between the Prague State Opera and Asociazione Arena Sferisterio – Macerata Opera was executed on February 18, 2005. The protocol was signed by the world-famous soprano, Miss Katia Ricciarelli for the Italian party. Their first joint project will involve the staging of the opera Les mamelles de Tiresias by Francis Poulenc and the world premiere of Le bel indifferent by the contemporary Italian composer Marco Tutine at Teatro Lauro Rossi in Macerata, on July 15 and 17, 2005.

Directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi, also the Prague State Opera choir and orchestra will perform in Macerata. Also, soloists from the Prague State Opera have been engaged to execute two minor parts. The score was studied by the French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire.

Miss Anda-Louise Bogza, a soloist of the Prague State Opera, sang the title part of Puccini’s Tosca at a festival in Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence in May. She reaped enormous success, so the artistic director of the festival, conductor Zubin Mehta, asked her to sing at his two performances of Tosca in the Bavarian Opera in Munich, where she also stood-in for Daniele Dessi on June 1 and 6, 2006. Miss Bogza was partnered by Marcello Giordani (Cavaradossi) and Sergei Leiferkus (Scarpio).

All relevant practical information for visitors of the Prague State Opera are currently available on our web site under the heading “Services”. There, patrons can learn everything relevant commencing with how and where to buy tickets, where to park their cars, about accessibility of the auditorium by wheel chairs, the length of individual performances, and ending with accommodation opportunities and refreshments near the Prague State Opera.

• Going to the Opera?

Ever since 1993, the Prague State Opera has opened its theatrical seasons with a cycle entitled the “Verdi Festival”. By this extraordinary venture, it professes the tradition of the New German Theatre where – 106 years ago, i.e., in 1899 – its then director Angelo Neumann held for the first time so-called “Maifestpiele” that immediately became very popular. In the first year, attention was mainly devoted to operas by Richard Wagner; soon, Giuseppe Verdi took his turn: almost every year, cycles of Verdi’s operas were staged with the most famous opera stars taking part. The Prague State Opera has had an identical goal: to pay homage to the great opera magician and to offer its audiences performances by some outstanding singers.

This year, it decided for the first time to extend the original project devoted to Verdi by including operas by other famous Italian composers: Puccini and Donizetti. This year’s festival (August 23 – September 4, 2005) will open with the stagings of the operas Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, La traviata, Un ballo in maschera, Nabucco, Tosca and Lucia di Lammermoor. The festival, similarly as in the previous years and side by side with the best Czech soloists, will also present some outstanding international singers.

On June 2, the ballet, with choreography by Chief of Tanztheater Plauen-Zwickau Ballet Bronislav Roznos, was the last premiere of Prague State Opera in the 2004/2005 season. The piece renders the subject of pain from Biblical echoes across Mediaeval Witch-Hunt scenes to the depiction of pain as part of sexual pleasure. The colourful show rests upon a physical performance of dancers almost defying natural limits, and artistic effects based upon a contrast between the almost naked dancing bodies against the black background lit by the candles. A strong impression was enhanced by a diverse musical collage from the works of Philip Glass, and Dead Can Dance and Les Tambours du Bronx music bands. The audience rewarded both the Prague Chamber Ballet dancers and choreographer Bronislav Roznos with enthusiastic ovation. Moreover, the viewers could enjoy a pleasant surprise immediately after the performance, when the ensemble’s solo dancers Zuzana Juklová and Ondřej Novotný had their marriage wows right on the stage! You may see Čas bolesti / Time of Pain again e.g. on September 5 and October 14, 2005.

In the middle of forthcoming summer holidays, on July 26 to 30, the Prague Chamber Ballet – ensemble of Prague State Opera is setting out for a tour of Spain. For three evenings the viewers at Centro Cultural de la Villa in Madrid will have a chance to see a performance exclusively composed of Pavel Šmok’s – the leading personality of contemporary Czech Ballet – choreographies. Apart from the comedy-styled Záskok (Stand-in) created to Franz von Suppé music, the evenings will offer Antonín Dvořák’s Stabat mater and Kreutzer sonata and Sinfonietta done to the music of Leoš Janáček.

A sold out Kremlin applauded not only to the legendary Alexandrovs. All stars of the festival concert in the Moscow Kremlin marked an unusual success. The concert crowned the tour “Europe – 60 Years without War”. Helena Vondráčková, Karel Gott and Prague State Opera soloist Marina Vyskvorkina have earned a storm of applause from 6000 delighted viewers.

For the occasion of 60th Prague Spring Music Festival 2005, the Prague State Opera has prepared four festival performances: Dvořák’s Rusalka starring Eva Urbanová (May 25), Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor starring Slovak soprano Ľubica Vargicova (May 26), Prokofiev’s ballet Cinderella (May 27), and Verdi’s A Masked Ball with Russian baritone Vladimir Chernov singing René Anckarström (May 29). A wholehearted ovation of the public went to guest singer Ľubica Vargicová who was mentioned as the one making the opera season this year.

The new production of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka (The Naiad) in the Prague State Opera has met with an exceptionally warm audience response. Both opening performances, May 5 and 7, 2005, were sold out long beforehand and the same was true of all subsequent performances till the very end of the season – there are only a few tickets left for the June performances. Directing was entrusted to Zdeněk Troška, a popular film director of fairy-tale evergreens and comedies, with Eva Urbanová, Adriana Kohútková and Jitka Burgetová alternating in the title part.

Bronislav Roznos, the artistic director of the ballet and the chief choreographer of Tanztheater Plauen-Zwickau, rehearses the staging of Time of Pain at the Prague State Opera. The choreography takes a view of the topic of pain from several angles and it promises viewers an unusually suggestive show. The first night is to take place on June 2, 2005. Now, how does Bronislav Roznos find his cooperation with the ballet troupe? “Several years ago, I myself was a member of the Prague Chamber Ballet that today makes up the core of the Prague State Opera ballet troupe, and it was from Pavel Šmok that I learned some excellent foundations for my careers as a dancer and a choreographer. So I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to return here. The expressional qualities of the dancers of the Prague Chamber Ballet have traditionally been of an outstanding standard so they are not supposed to have any problems in coping with the requirements that I have on them. I am confident that they will also master very well the large number of acrobatic elements, climbing structures, and drumming on metal barrels,” says the choreographer.

The Prague State Opera ballet preparatory school now enrols new pupils for the 2005/2006 school year. Eligible for audition are children from five years of age without any previous appropriate training, as well as older children between eight and ten years of age, who want to improve further their skills or who are interested in studying dance at a conservatory. Lessons are held twice a week at the State Opera ballet rooms. Apart from classical dance, also modern dance lessons are available (M. Graham technique).

Auditions: Monday May 30 and Thursday June 9 at 6 p.m.

For further information, please, contact Mgr. Olga Kyndlová, at telephone numbers: 605 432 573 or 296 117 218.

On May 23, 2005 the stage of the State Opera Prague will host the National Theatre Brno offering their production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. This romantic four-act ballet is one of the most famous titles of all large theatre houses. The fairy tale – of Princess Odetta transfigured to a swan, of prince Siegfried who forgets his oath and of the tricky magician Red Beard – has reached eternal fame thanks to P. I. Tchaikovsky’s music. The National Theatre Brno presents its Swan Lake in the choreography and under the direction of Robert Strainer. Gems of the brilliant production are impressive achievements of the soloists and of the whole ensemble.

The first night of a new choreography by a soloist of the Prague State Opera, Miss Lucie Holánková, will take place at the scene of Theatre Ponec on May 14, within the evening show staged by the Musical Academy of Music Arts. It is a collage made up of nine compositions by the well-known Czech songster Jaromír Nohavica. Beside the title song, Wild Horses, Miss Lucie Holánková also picked up the following eight songs: Zatanči (Dance for me), V jednym dymku na zarubku, Pochod eskymáků (Eskimos March), Masopust (Shrovetide), Na dvoře divadla (At Theatre Yard), Košilka (Camisole), Sarajevo, Těšínská (Těšín Song). Soloists of the Prague Chamber Ballet – the Prague State Opera, will perform on a scene designed by Dalibor Milka and in costumes by Roman Šolc; the troupe will then include this staging as part of its standing repertoire.

The Prague State Opera and Beseto Opera of Seoul, South Korea, entered into a cooperation agreement in 2004 under which Korean soloists staged two performances of Georges Bizet’s Carmen in Prague in October 2004. This cooperation now continued in Seoul that played host to nine soloists from the Prague State Opera accompanied by conductor Jiří Mikula. Between April 1 and 6, they staged six performances of The Magic Flute by Mozart; four times, the Czechs joined their Korean artistic colleagues and twice only Korean singers performed. The staging was supported by an excellent Korean choir and a very good Ukrainian orchestra.

When visiting Prague, the President of Beseto Opera, Ms Hwa-Ja Kang, very much liked the costumes by Josef Jelínek, and she wished to borrow them. The costumes fit well in the Korean scene and made a very compact setting with it.

The performances took place at Art Center, a modern hall for 2,800 viewers, with outstanding acoustics and a beautiful interior setting. The Czech soloists and conductor Jiří Mikula enjoyed a very cordial reception and reaped some storming applauses from the Korean theatre-goers. The part of the Queen of the Night was sung by Miss Dagmar Vaňkátová, that of Tamino by Mr Aleš Briscein, Miss Simona Procházková was Pamina, and Mr Václav Sibera and Miss Jana Sibera impersonated the irresistible pair of Papageno and Papagena; the parts of the three Ladies were performed by Miss Dana Koklesová, Miss Klára Džuganová and Miss Andrea Kalivodová, and Mr Lukáš Hynek-Krämer appeared as Sarastro. Next guest performances by artists from the Prague State Opera in Korea are planned for next year.

Mr Bronislav Roznos, the director of the ballet and the chief choreographer of Tanztheater Plauen-Zwickau, has launched rehearsals with the Prague State Opera troupe of the planned staging of Time of Pain. Several big metal barrels make important props at the rehearsal as the dancer will be using them as drums during the performance. Bronislav Roznos’s choreography takes a view of the topic of pain from several angles and it requires from the dancers performance at the limits of physical capability; as such, it promises viewers unusually suggestive show. The first night is planned for June 2 this year.

For the first time in history, the Prague State Opera offers a Ballet Season Ticket within its 2005/2006 subscription programme. Patrons purchasing this “B” season ticket for a significantly reduced price will be able to see as many as four outstanding full-length performances within a single season: Lady of the Camellias by Verdi/Onsoff, staged by the leading Czech choreographer Libor Vaculík; the charming production of Prokofiev’s Cinderella; the impressive modern ballet Time of Pain by Bronislav Roznos; and the dancing rendering of the world known cycle of symphonic poems My Country by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.

Prague State Opera Chief Conductor Leoš Svárovský replaced conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner, who had fallen ill, during a regular subscription concert at the Dresden Semper Oper on March 20 and 21. In its 8th Programme, Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, gave for the first time Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass. It was a world premiere of a new critical production of this work by Editio Bärenreiter Praha Publishers. The programme continued with the works of Antonín Dvořák (cycle of Nature, Life and Love). Both the orchestra and its conductor Leoš Svárovský earned a storm of applause as well as a critical acclaim.

Patrons are kindly cautioned that this coming Sunday, on February 27, due to illness in the troupe, the Prague State Opera will be staging Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti instead of the scheduled Queen of Spades (Pikovaya Dama) by Tchaikovsky.

The famous soprano and artistic director of the Macerata Opera Festival, Ms. Katia Ricciarelli arrived in Prague on the occasion of the prepared co-production between Prague State Opera and Asociazione Arena Sferisterio, to take place in Macerata (Italy) in July 2005. One of the aims of Ms. Ricciarelli’s visit was to introduce the forthcoming summer opera season in Macerata. The co-produced performances of the season, Les Mamelles de Tirésias by F. Poulenc and L’uomo Indifferente by Marc Tutin, will also employ the orchestra and choir of Prague State Opera on the stage of the Lauro Rossi Theatre. The same production of Poulenc’s opera Les Mamelles de Tirésias will be staged at Prague State Opera in the 2005/6 season. The “Framework Agreement on Co-operation” between both theatres was signed at a press conference attended by Ms. Ricciarelli and the Italian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Mr. Giorgio Radicati on February 18, 2005.

Prague State Opera has been preparing a premiere of a new original opera piece La Roulette, by composer Zdenek Merta, with librettist and director Stanislav Moša. This formidable artistic partnership gave us successful musicals in the past such as Midsummer Nights’ Dreams, Bastard, Babylon and A World Full of Angels. La Roulette is the first opera produced by the team. Its story evolves along the dividing lines between reality, dreams and imagination. The Conductor of the production is Bohumil Gregor; Stage Designer Daniel Dvořák; costumes designed by Jan Růžička and the Choreographer is Vladimír Kloubek. The following artists will alternate in the main roles: Tomáš Černý and Marian Vojtko, Veronika Hajnová and Jana Štefáčková, Maria Haan and Hana Jonášová.

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The sale of State Opera Prague subscription for 2005/2006 season will be launched on March 14, 2005. Opera and ballet fans can select from 11 subscription series designed to appeal to all age groups, incl. families with children and senior citizens; for these groups State Opera Prague stages performance on Sundays at 2 p.m. The well-received productions from the past seasons will be complemented by the following new operas: Rossini’s Barber of Sevilla, Poulence’s Breasts of Tiresias and Human Voice, Verdi’s Sicilian Vespers and Bernstein’s Candide, and ballets: Smetana’s My Country and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The subscription will enable the visitors to obtain a reduction on ticket prices (from 30% to 80% on regular prices) and a permanent seat in the theatre auditorium throughout the whole season.

The Prague State Opera Manager Mgr. Jaroslav Vocelka and Chief of The Opera’s Ballet Pavel Ďumbala wish to announce that they are holding a competition for new ballet ensemble members which will take place on Saturday March 19, 2005 at 2 p.m.

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Ernesto Grisales will appear on January 28 in the role of Kalaf in Puccini’s opera Turandot at the Prague State Opera.

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The Prague State Opera has returned from its Japanese tour, which took place from January 3 to January 20, 2005. The company performed alternately Mozart’s Magic Flute, directed by Ladislav Štros, and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, directed by Martin Otava; with these productions it toured Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Yokohama, Tokio and other cities. The orchestra of the Prague State Opera was conducted by its chief conductor, Leoš Svárovský, and Japanese audience got the chance to hear a number of the company’s soloists as well as guest singers. During the nine performances of Die Fledermaus the part of Adela was sung not only by Simona Houda-Šaturová and Dagmar Vaňkátová, but also by the American soprano Melanie Holliday, with either Aleš Briscein or Francesco Petrozzi as Alfred. Mozart’s Magic Flute went through eight performances, with Aleš Briscein and Francesco Petrozzi as Tamino, with Jitka Svobodová and Simona Houda-Šaturová as Pamina, and with Dagmar Vaňkátová, but also foreign sopranos, Jeanine Thames and Milagros Poblador, in the role of the Queen of Night. Despite much competition from the other opera companies which were touring Japan in the same period, most performances of the Prague State Opera were sold out. The next Japanese tour, with a production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, will take place this same year in late October and early November; apart from the company soloists and permanent guest singers it will also feature Norma Fantini and Maria Guleghina. Another tour of Japan is being planned for 2007 with Verdi’s La traviata.

In co-operation with the Prague State Opera, the Miro Gallery organizes the 5th benefit evening gala TREBBIA 2004, which is to take place on February 7 at 7 p.m. The gala concert will feature Alena Medková (soprano), Lubomír Brabec (guitar), Jiří Bárta (violoncello) and Václav Hudeček (violin), with the Prague State Opera Orchestra conducted by its chief conductor, Leoš Svárovský. Tickets are available in the ticket offices of the Prague State Opera and in the Bohemia Ticket agencies.

Patrons of the Prague State Opera are kindly cautioned that Maestro Peter Dvorský will not be performing as a guest in the opera Turandot at the dates as originally scheduled, i.e. on February 10 and March 25, 2005. Mr Igor Jan will play the part of “Kalaf” in both of those performances.

The Prague Spring International Music Festival 2005 will include four productions from the offerings of the Prague State Opera, namely Dvořák’s Rusalka (25 May), Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor (26 May), Prokofiev’s Cinderella (27 May), and Verdi’s Un Ballo in maschera (29 May). For these gala presentations the Prague State Opera has been able to enlist several world-renowned singers to appear as guests: the title roles in Rusalka and Lucia di Lammermoor will be sung by Eva Urbanová and Ľubica Vargicová respectively, while in Un Ballo in maschera Yelena Obraztsova will appear as Ulrica and Vladimir Chernov as René Anckarström.

Prague State Opera has been on a grand tour of Japan from January 3 to 20, 2005. The spectators in Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Yokohama, Tokio and other Japanese cities could alternatively see the performances of either Mozart’s The Magic Flute directed by Ladislav Štros, or Strauss’ Die Fledermaus directed by Martin Otava. The Prague State Opera’s Orchestra has played under its chief conductor Leoš Svárovský. A number of State Opera’s soloists as well as guest stars have appeared before the Japanese audience. The opening performance of The Magic Flute took place in Osaka before a house for two thousand seven hundred viewers totally sold out. In Fukuoka, the spectators released hundreds of colour balloons among the performers during the final applause. The performance of The Magic Flute in Nagoya was especially successful, starring Simona Houda-Šaturová as Pamina, Aleš Briscein as Tamino, and Dagmar Vaňkátová as the Queen of the Night. After that, the Prague State Opera ensemble moved on to Yokohama and Tokio.

The State Opera Prague prepares a large Japanese tour at the very beginning of 2005. From January, 3 to January, 20 2005 a series of productions of Magic Flute by Mozart and of The Bat by Strauss will be given in Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Yokohama, Tokyo and some further cities. Director of The Magic Flute is Ladislav Štros, The Bat is directed by Martin Otava, the orchestra of the State Opera Prague will play under its chef conductor Leoš Svárovský and a number of star soloists of the ensemble will present themselves to the Japanese audience.

In late November and early December, Marina Vyskvorkina, the solo soprano of the Prague State Opera, performed with great success in Japan, singing the role of Violetta in La traviata. On the stage of Tokyo’s New National Theatre she appeared in five performances of G. Verdi’s opera staged by the director Luco Ronconi. The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Wagasuki Hiroshi.

The Ballet Ensemble of Prague State Opera is preparing its premiere of Cinderella ballet performance to the music of Russian 20th century classic Sergey Prokofiev. The opening night will take place on December 16, 2004. The libretto adjustment, direction and choreography are a joint endeavour of Czech foremost choreographer Pavel Šmok and leader of the ballet ensemble Pavel Ďumbala. The conductor of the performance is the Chief Conductor of Prague State Opera Leoš Svárovský, Set Designer Karel Glogr, costumes were created by Roman Šolc. Starring in the title role will be Lucie Holánková, Sylva Nečasová a Ivana Sikorová, the Prince will be danced by Michal Chovanec and Ondřej Novotný. Sergey Prokofiev’s music is rich in melody, instrumentally transparent and delicious, while paying full respect to the requirements of a balletic fairy-tale. The prepared performance at Prague State Opera is conceived as a spectacular show with richly decorated sets and costumes which can delight viewers of all age.

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The State Opera Prague has prepared the traditional Christmas concerts for December 25 and 26, 2004. The Children’s Choir “Radost Praha” with the Choirmaster Vladislav Souček and the State Opera Prague soloist Milan Bürger will on both occasions present works by J. Novák, P. Eben, I. Loudová, G. F. Händel, A. Platpers, C. Franck, G. Bizet, B. Britten, and K. Stecker.

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The State Opera Prague prepares the opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovski The Queen of Spades for November 25, 2004. Conductor of this production is the stage manager of the opera in Bonn Roman Kofman, director Roman Hovenbitzer, who already made his entrée at the State Opera Prague by his successful production of Leoncavallo’s La Bohème in March 2003. The set designer is Pavel Bílek, the shapes are by Simona Rybáková, the choreography by Regina Hofmanová. Alternating in the role of Herman are Igor Jan, Vladimir Kuzmenko, Peter Svensson and Sergej Larin, Lisa will be incorporated by Anda-Louise Bogza, Helena Kaupová and Tatiana Teslia, the countess by Antonie Denygrová, Jiřina Přívratská and Miroslava Volková. Director Roman Hovenbitzer perceives The Queen of Spades as a work melting inseparably Eros and game, passion, frenzy, and Death.

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The preparatory ballet school of the State Opera Prague expands its courses by lessons of modern dance with focus upon the Martha-Graham-technique. Children from 8 to 15 years can apply, but also older candidates, provided they have already some previous experience. The courses will be headed by Mgr. Simona Janatová. Further information can be requested from Mgr. Olga Kyndlová (tel. No: 224 211 788 or 605 432 573).

The website of the State Opera Prague allows to find the cast of each production of the current month. It is enough to click at the respective day of the monthly calendar, or the respective date at the page relating to the production.

On October 19, 2004 the stage of the State Opera Prague will host the National Theatre Brno offering their production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. This romantic four–act ballet is one of the most famous titles of all large theatre houses. The fairy tale – of Princess Odetta transfigured to a swan, of prince Siegfried who forgets his oath and of the tricky magician Red Beard – has reached eternal fame thanks to P. I. Tchaikovski’s music. The National Theatre Brno presents its Swan Lake in the choreography and under the direction of Robert Strainer; set designer and author of shapes is Josef Jelínek. Gems of the brilliant production are impressive achievements of the soloists and of the whole ensemble.

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On 9th and 16th October the stage of the State Opera Prague will host the Korean Beseto Opera Group in the production of Bizet’s Carmen under the direction of Zdeněk Troška. The Beseto Opera Group Association was founded by mezzo Kang Hwa–Ja in 1995 for the purpose of enhancing international cultural exchange and relationships between Korea, Japan and China. Managing director of the Beseto Group Kang Hwa–Ja finished her studies of vocal music and opera canto at the Manhattan School of Music in USA, she was awarded a prize of the World Competition organized by the Metropolitan Opera and performed more than two hundred times in main roles at opera houses all over the world. The Opera Group Association tries to develop the opera culture by producing most favoured titles, such as Rigoletto, Carmen, La Boheme, but also Korean opera works. In 2003 she produced Bizet’s Carmen at the Odessa National Theatre and at the Kiev Opera, for which she was awarded a honorary medal by the Ukraine Government. In 2003 and 2004 she cooperated with German artists in producing Mozart’s Magic Flute.

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Already the 12th year of the popular Verdi Festival takes place on the stage of the State Opera Prague from August 19 to September 5, 2004. Within the festival, the spectators will see productions of the most famous operas of Giuseppe Verdi: Aida, Il Trovatore, La traviata, Nabucco, Rigoletto, Un Ballo in Maschera. This year is attractive not only because of the possibility to see the chosen Verdi-titles from the repertoire of the State Opera Prague, but also thanks to the opportunity to meet great foreign world-class guests on the Czech stage. This year there will be present the soprano Marie Elena Adami coming from Malta, the German soprano Maida Hundeling, the Czech-German tenor Jan Vacík, the American soprano Kathleen McCalla and, of course, the Italian artists: the conductor Giuseppe Raffa, the baritone Mauro Augustini, the tenor Marcello Bedoni and other. The festival is held under the patronage of the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Prague and in the cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute in Prague.

The Prague State Opera in cooperation with the Slovart publishing house publishes a representative book tracking the history of this significant cultural institution since its opening in 1888 till the end of the 2002/2003 season. The publication called “The Prague State Opera – Theatre History in Pictures and Dates” is focusing solely on the opera featured at the scene, even though the theatre under various names also served to presentation of drama plays, operettas and ballet. The Prague State opera plans to publish the volumes concentrating on those genres in the next years.

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An exhibition called “Alexander Zemlinsky – Life and Work” takes place at the Prague State Opera starting June 4, 2004. The exhibition is tracking Zemlinsky’s relation towards music and focuses on his work of composer and orchestra conductor. The exhibition documents the artist’s life and the circumstances that led him to Prague to stay here for the period between 1911 and 1927. In autumn 1911 Zemlinsky became the Opera Artistic Director of the New German Theatre in Prague, i.e. today’s Prague State Opera. While being in the position of the Theatre’s conductor, the repertoire extended with the operas of the Czech composers. Zemlinsky worked in Prague for sixteen seasons and conducted more than sixty different operas and about a hundred of concerts over this period. Starting the season of 1923, he was regularly invited to conduct significant concerts of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1927 the artist left for Berlin to work at Kroll’s opera. After Austria incorporated into the nazi German Reich, Zemlinsky with his family went to exile to New York, where he lived till his death in 1942. The exhibition at the Prague State Opera has been prepared in cooperation with the Austrian Cultural Forum.

A guest performance of the Xiamen opera called The Song of Eternel Regret shall be presented within the scope of the Prague Autumn Music Festival at the stage of the Prague State Opera on September 13, 2004 at 7.30 p.m. This classical Chinese opera in three acts about tragic love of the emperor and his concubine is an example of the traditional Chinese opera originating from the times of the Tang dynasty (6th to 9th century A. D.) The Song of Eternal Regret describes human tragedy that took place in China in 8th century. It is based on the legendary romance of the emperor Xuan Zonga of Tang dynasty who was governing from 713 to 756 and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan. Their relation arose from the attraction between an excellent musician – who the emperor was – and an outstanding dancer Yang. However, their relation influenced the emperor to the extent that he started to neglect his duties of governor. Beside that, the family of Miss Yang was getting richer and was gaining power, which arose jealousy and anger – the nursery of an uprising and revolt.

MozART Praha Production features its own staging of the famous Verdi’s opera La traviata at the Prague State Opera, daily except for Mondays from June 22 to July 11, 2004. The performances start on 7 p.m.

The Live Production Agency organizes for September 27, 2004, 7 p.m., a concert on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the composer Petr Hapka, featuring Lucie Bílá, Hana Hegerová, Jana Kirschner, Daniel Landa, Richard Müller or Jarek Nohavica. Number of colleagues and friends who passed through Hapka’s professional and personal life shall congratulate the artist on this gala evening. Enjoy this special event with the special guests! Tickets now on sale in Ticketpro network.