Czech Philharmonic, T. Netopil, B. Giltburg • Dvořák Prague Festival

The Moscow-born, Israeli pianist is lauded across the globe as a deeply sensitive, insightful and compelling musician.

He made his debut at the Dvořák’s Prague festival in 2019 and returned to the festival in 2021 as the curator of the chamber music series. He has performed with leading orchestras such as the Czech Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Santa Cecilia di Roma and WDR Symphony. He regularly gives recitals in the world’s most prestigious halls and has a long-standing collaboration with the Pavel Haas Quartet.

Giltburg has been exclusive to Naxos Records since 2015, releasing award-winning discs of a wide range of repertoire. In 2020 Giltburg recorded and filmed all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas across the year, blogging about the process as it unfolded. The cycle was released on Naxos on all the major digital platforms and subsequently as a boxed set, with the complete Beethoven piano concerti to come (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Vasily Petrenko).

Giltburg engages audiences well beyond the concert hall. His blog “Classical music for all” is aimed at a non-specialist audience, and he complements it with articles in major publications and with regular streamings which attract a substantial audience.

An inspirational force in Czech music, Tomáš Netopil holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. In early Spring 2018 he led the orchestra on an extensive UK tour, and conducted Má vlast in the opening concert of the 2018 Prague Spring Festival, which was televised live. In the 2020/2021 season, his engagements with them included conducting at the Smetana's Litomyšl Festival in June 2021.

Tomáš Netopil celebrates his tenth and final season as General Music Director of the Aalto Musiktheater and Philharmonie Essen in 2022/23. This season features Wagner’s Tannhäuser, Kampe’s Dogville and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. This season will also see him lead a production of Janáček Káťa Kabanová at Grand Théâtre de Genève.

In Summer 2018 Tomáš Netopil created the International Summer Music Academy in Kroměříž offering students both exceptional artistic tuition and the opportunity to meet and work with major international musicians. In Summer 2021, in association with the Dvořák Prague Festival, the Academy established the Dvořákova Praha Youth Philharmonic with musicians from conservatories and music academies, coached by principal players of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

Operatic highlights beyond Essen include Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (La clemenza di Tito, Rusalka, The Cunning Little Vixen, La Juive, The Bartered Bride, and Busoni’s Doktor Faust), Vienna Staatsoper (his most recent successes include Idomeneo, Der Freischütz, and a new production of Leonore) and for Netherlands Opera (Jenůfa). His concert highlights of recent seasons have included Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich as well as engagements with Orchestre de Paris, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Orchestra Sinfonica della Rai and Aspen Music Festival.  

Tomáš Netopil’s discography for Supraphon includes Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass (the first ever recording of the original 1927 version), Dvořák’s complete cello works, Martinů’s Ariane and Double Concerto, and Smetana’s Má vlast with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. During his tenure in Essen, he has recorded Suk Asrael and Mahler Symphonies No.6 and 9.

From 2008–2012 Tomáš Netopil held the position of Music Director of the Prague National Theatre. He studied violin and conducting in his native Czech Republic, as well as at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm under the guidance of Professor Jorma Panula. In 2002 he won the 1^st Sir Georg Solti Conductors Competition at the Alte Oper Frankfurt.