Beautiful Czech classical music presented by Katelyn Bouska at three locations in the United States will offer multiple musical experiences.
The American pianist will perform in Washington, D.C., New York and Cedar Rapids in Iowa. The first performance will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on April 13. It will be followed by a concert in the Bohemian National Hall in New York City in collaboration with prima donna and soloist of the State Opera in Prague, Jana Sibera. The same program will then be presented in the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids in Iowa.
The fourth and final performance, A conversation at the piano with Katelyn Bouska, will bring the pianist back to the Bohemian National Hall in New York City.
April 13, 2023 Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
April 19, 2023 Bohemian National Hall in New York, The Best Opera Arias
April 23, 2023 Cedar Rapids in Iowa, The Best Opera Arias
April 25, 2023 Bohemian National Hall in New York, A conversation at the piano with Katelyn Bouska
Events are organized by:
Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C. Czech Center New York National Czech-Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Katelyn Bouska says about her performances: "These next two weeks are full of musical experiences that offer me exciting new facets of Czech music to explore! At the Kennedy Center, I am beginning the program with a solo piano arrangement of perhaps the most iconic Czech masterpiece, the orchestral Vltava by Bedřich Smetana. Later in the program, I am including my own arrangements of traditional Czech folk songs.
Then, in my collaboration with Jana Sibera I approach the opera masterpieces of Smetana, Dvořák and Janáček.- There is something special that really enhances the solo work when collaborating with other musicians. For example, on the program with Jana – we have included a moving aria from Jenufa and I follow it with solo selections from On an Overgrown Path. These simple folk melodies are more vibrant, more colorful in my imagination after hearing how Janáček is using the voice in its operatic fullest.
The exploration continues with my solo program delving into the world of České skladatelky – for example, how Ottilie Dvořáková was thinking about music is a fascinating window into Czech music that we often overlook. Other composers on this program include many names that are inseparable from the development of Czech music and European music in general from the 18th century in the music of Juliane Benda into the 21st century in the music of Vítězslava Kaprálová and Ivana Loudová."
Photo: Margo Reed
