Join us for an unforgettable concert: Maki Namekawa and Dennis Russell Davies perform the 4-hand piano version of the legendary symphonic poem Má Vlast.
Free registration here.
The year 2024 marks not only the Year of Czech Music and the 200th anniversary of Bedřich Smetana’s birth, but also a significant milestone for Dennis Russell Davies, the chief conductor of Filharmonie Brno. Davies and his artistic and life partner Maki Namekawa will perform at the Bohemian National Hall Ballroom as a piano duo, honoring the founder of Czech national music, Bedřich Smetana. Their rendition of Má vlast will feature visualizations by Cori O’Lan.
Program:
Part One, 40 min Text from Witiko by Adalbert Stifter Vyšehrad Vltava Šárka
Part two, 44 min Text from Der Waldgänger (The Wanderer in the Forest) by Adalbert Stifter Z českých luhů a hájů (From Bohemian Fields and Groves) Tábor Blaník
The program will be introduced by musicologist and professor Michael Beckerman and accompanied by his readings from related passages.
Bedřich Smetana's cycle of symphonic poems, titled Má vlast (My Country), is the pinnacle of Czech Romantic orchestral music and remains its most beloved work. Shortly after completing the cycle, Smetana created piano four-hands transcriptions of all six pieces. As a skilled pianist, he transformed his orchestral scores into compelling counterparts that surpass simple reductions. Smetana's virtuoso arrangements are fully capable of standing alone on stage, providing a rich and fulfilling experience for audiences.
Maki Namekawa is a prominent contemporary pianist whose illuminating interpretations have earned her the trust and confidence of many of the leading artists of our time including composers Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, Keith Jarrett, Joe Hisaishi, Chen Yi, Elliot Goldenthal, Kurt Schwertsik, Heinz Winbeck, as well as choreographers Jochen Ullrich, Justin Peck, Lucinda Childs, Chanson Judson, and Tiler Peck. Her legendary first recording of Philip Glass’ Complete Piano Etudes, her premiere and later recording of Glass’ late masterful Piano Sonate, and numerous performances of music by Keith Jarrett have only added to her legendary stature among today’s new generation of pianist/performers.
Dennis Russell Davies recently celebrated his eightieth birthday by formally extending his contracts as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Filharmonie Brno (Czech Republic) and the MDR Radio Symphony Orchestra Leipzig through 2028 and 2027, respectively. For more than fifty-five consecutive years, Davies has led major opera houses and orchestras on both sides of the Atlantic, and has guest conducted internationally with the most important orchestras, opera houses, and festivals throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. As pianist and conductor he has premiered hundreds of major new works, documented by countless recordings which also include the complete symphonies by Haydn, Bruckner, Honegger, Philip Glass, and (pending) Dvorak.
In 2005, Namekawa and Davies formed a piano duo that performs at prestigious venues across Europe and North America. They have inspired notable works, including Philip Glass’s Four Movements for Two Pianos and Chen Yi’s China West Suite. The duo has released award-winning CDs, including American Piano Music featuring Bernstein and Copland, and were the second duo worldwide to record Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4, transcribed by the composer.
Since the late 1980s, Cori O’Lan has been exploring the intersection of art and technology. His recent work features live, computer-generated visualizations of orchestral and piano music. Collaborating with Ars Electronica Futurelab and conductor Dennis Russell Davies since 2013, he has developed a distinctive style of “accompanying visualizations” that interpret music in real time. Each graphic element directly reflects the acoustic qualities of the music, aiming to create a dynamic visual experience rather than a mechanical translation of sound. O’Lan’s visual concerts have been showcased in New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Osaka, Abu Dhabi, Brussels, and at Ars Electronica in Linz.
Michael Beckerman is the Carroll and Milton Petrie Chair and Collegiate Professor of Music at New York University. He specializes in Czech music and has authored several influential books, including New Worlds of Dvořák (2003) and Dvořák and His World (1993). His scholarly work spans topics from Mozart to exiled composers, and he frequently contributes to The New York Times. A recipient of the Dvořák and Janáček Medals, he has also earned the Deems Taylor Award twice. Beckerman served as Distinguished Professor at Lancaster University (2011–2015) and was the Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence at the New York Philharmonic (2016-2017). He has received multiple honorary doctorates, including from Palacký University and Masaryk University, and in 2021, he was honored with the Gratias Agit Award and the Harrison Medal.
Don't miss this unique audiovisual experience!
