Concert of the Joint Orchestra of Music School Pupils and Musicians of the Czech Philharmonic

The Joint Orchestra has been created through cooperation between the Czech Philharmonic and the Association of Elementary Schools of the Arts of the Czech Republic (AZUŠ ČR) since 2014. It regularly consists of up to sixty elementary music school pupils and nearly 30 players from the philharmonic. From January until June, they gather for preparatory rehearsals. Under the leadership of the conductor Petr Altrichter and his assistants Ladislav Cigler and Dominik Pernica, the young musicians discover the pitfalls of the individual parts and experience the joy of playing together. Providing inspiration and support on their musical journey are their teachers from elementary schools of the arts and also, of course, players from the Czech Philharmonic. The young musicians also have the chance to become acquainted and make friends outside of rehearsal time.

How did participants from previous years enjoy the experience of the project?

"At first they told us we would be playing music from fairy tales, but nobody told us that we ourselves would be living through a kind of miniature fairy tale here. I have experienced something that probably will never happen again. I got to know lots of new people, and many of them have become friends with whom I can share the joy of music. Of course, in every fairy tale there is some kind of plot twist. Sometimes I feel that each of us has wanted to give up many times, but luckily not one of us did so because of our love for music. Before we had our first rehearsal with Mr Altrichter, we were afraid, but from the moment we met him, we found that there had been no reason to be afraid. The maestro awakened in me an incredible passion for the pieces we are playing and was able to foster in me an even greater musicianship and love of music than I have ever had before. Fairy tales usually have a happy ending, so I hope that ours will never end and that the concert that ends this year-long project will turn out well."

"I only just now realised it's good for us to meet other players. You might think it's just for a year and a few rehearsals, learning some pieces and playing a concert. But maybe it's also about creating a friendly, fun atmosphere, keeping others in mind, and helping each other play. We see we aren't alone in this and it's not about any one person; it's about everyone working together."

"We're approaching the destination of this amazing joint voyage. The journey has taken me a long way and confirmed that I'm riding the right wave; it has taken me to my dream. I feel enormously grateful towards my stand partner, the captain of the violin section, who threw me (and the other sailors) a lifeline, repaired our nets, and sometimes even dragged us up from below deck. It was lovely, and there definitely was not enough of it!"  

The programme is based on a musical part but also on a spoken word that will be given in Czech language only. The programme will not be supplied with English subtitles.