The 5th year of the Kroměříž Summer Music Academy culminated in a spectacular concert
The 5th year of the Kroměříž Summer Music Academy culminated in a spectacular concert of Mozart arias performed by Kateřina Kněžíková and Adam Plachetka. During the evening, the best students of the academy also received awards. An exceptional musical experience in the Greenhouse in the Flower Garden concluded the 5th year of the Kroměříž Summer Music Academy and its accompanying festival, the Kroměříž Music Festival, on Friday evening. In addition to the academy lecturers, the PKF – Prague Philharmonia performed at the concert under the leadership of conductor Tomáš Netopil. The academy, which was founded 5 years ago by this Kroměříž native and conductor, was graduated by 57 active participants this year.
The final concert was preceded by scenes from famous Mozart operas in the greenhouses of the Flower Garden, which were intended to transport the audience back in time and evoke the atmosphere of the upcoming concert. In addition to compositions by WA Mozart, the concert also offered compositions by Antonín Dvořák, in which the soloists were the lecturers and well-known figures of classical music such as cellist Michaela Fukačová, violinist Fedor Rudin, and violist Pavel Nikl.
During the concert, the best students of this year's academy were announced. The main award - the Kroměříž Summer Music Academy Awards - was received by singer Adriana Banásová from the hands of the Minister of Culture Martin Baxa , by cellist Nikita Ruzhavinskiy from Ivoná and Václav Křivánký , and by violinist Matej Pčolinský from the artistic director of the LHAK Tomáš Netopil . All awards became laureates of the Summer Music Academy and will perform as part of the Kroměříž Music Festival in 2023.
This year, the Academy also awarded a special prize to a student who impressed the lecturers with her extraordinary talent. The award was presented to Slovak singer Nina Krížová by Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjury.
"We had fantastic students across all disciplines. I am very happy that many of them are returning to us again and we are also seeing their development, which of course our lecturers greatly appreciate. It is not just about that one week together, but the lecturers meet with many of them for the second or third time and can watch how they improve during the school year," said conductor and artistic director of LHAK Tomáš Netopil, adding that the whole week was really very rich and comprehensive and corresponds to the idea of what the academy should look like - i.e. high-quality teaching for all students combined with discussions and lectures and the opportunity to meet and get to know new people.
The evening culminated with opera arias from Mozart's operas performed by soprano Kateřina Kněžíková and baritone Adam Plachetka, who delighted the audience with two duets at the end of the concert, for which they received huge ovations from the sold-out hall.
The fifth year of the Summer Music Academy in Kroměříž provided an opportunity for 57 active and ten passive participants from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, France, Serbia, Poland, Russia, and the Netherlands to develop themselves. The lessons were taught in eight disciplines under the guidance of world-class musicians such as cellist Michaela Fukačová, pianist Ivo Kahánek, violinist Fedor Rudin, soprano Kateřina Kněžíková, and harpsichordist Barbara Maria Willi. The viola lessons were led by Pavel Nikl, piano collaboration by Zdeněk Klauda, and music projects by David Mareček.
This year's academy also brought attractive musical experiences to the general public as part of the accompanying festival Hudební Kroměříž. Concerts and discussions offered meetings with both musical personalities and young participants of the summer academy.
In the 5 years of its operation, more than 300 active students in violin, viola, double bass, cello, singing, harpsichord, French horn, trombone, chamber music, orchestral music, music management have passed through the academy. A total of 50 concerts, discussions and lectures took place as part of the Kroměříž Music Festival.
The project partners are the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Zlín Region, the City of Kroměříž, OK Holding, the National Institute of Monuments. Thanks also go to the Elementary School of Art Kroměříž, the PJ Vejvanovský Conservatory Kroměříž, the Stadler – Trier Foundation, the Život umělce Foundation, and the main media partner Klasica Plus.
The next, already 6th, international Summer Music Academy will take place from August 18th to 25th, 2023.