Conducting the Academic Orchestra
Tomas Netopil
Tomáš Netopil, a native of Kroměříž, is one of the prominent figures of the contemporary conducting scene and is one of the founders of the Academy Kroměříž. In the past, he was the head of the National Theatre Opera or the principal guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. Since 2025, he has been the chief conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK).
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tomasnetopil.cz“The environment here is absolutely unique and very inspiring. Students become part of a musical community, thanks to which they can grow musically.”
Tomas Netopil is one of the most prominent Czech conductors of our time. He began his musical education playing the violin at the Elementary School of Arts and Conservatory of PJ Vejvanovský in Kroměříž. He then studied choir conducting and conducting at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where his teacher was, among others, Jiří Bělohlávek.
A series of successes in prestigious competitions, including the main prize of the American Conducting Academy in Aspen, led him to his international breakthrough. Since then, he has regularly appeared on the world's leading stages - he has collaborated with, for example, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Stuttgart State Opera Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Milan La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He has also been a guest with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and many other prestigious ensembles.
His long-term dream was to establish an academy in Kroměříž that would connect top performers and teachers with talented students in an inspiring environment. This dream came true in Academy KromerizIt also includes a festival where the world's leading performers meet with a new generation of musicians.
From the 2025/26 season, it also acts as Chief Conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, where he continues his rich international career.