Czech Philharmonic • New Year’s Concerts

Simona Houda-Šaturová is a sought-after performer of Mozart (“She sings Konstanze with such amazing coloraturas, deeply felt pianos and stylistic perfection that take the breath away,” Der neue Merker) and bel canto roles, as well as an internationally renowned concert artist. The highlights of recent years include her performances with the Wiener and Münchner Philharmonikers, the Tokyo and Boston Symphony Orchestras, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and a tour with the Bamberger Symphoniker, conducted by Jakub Hrůša. She has also sung in productions of the Mozart–Da Ponte trilogy at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, portraying Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and debuting as Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro). 

Her extensive discography includes recordings for Supraphon, Sony BMG and other labels. She lent her voice to the actress performing the prima donna Caterina Gabrielli in the film Il Boemo.

Simona Houda-Šaturová studied at the Bratislava Conservatory, and further honed her skills with Ileana Cotrubas and Margreet Honig. She has received the Charlotte and Walter Hamel-Stiftung Preis, the Czech Thalia Prize and other coveted accolades.

The Czech violinist Jan Mráček was born in Pilsen and began studying violin at the age of five with Magdaléna Micková. From 2003 he studied with Jiří Fišer, graduating with honours from the Prague Conservatory in 2013, and then at the University of Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna under the guidance of the Vienna Symphony concertmaster Jan Pospíchal.

As a teenager he enjoyed his first major successes, winning numerous competitions, participating in the master classes of Maestro Václav Hudeček – the beginning of a long and fruitful association. He won the Czech National Conservatory Competition in 2008, the Beethoven’s Hradec International Competition with the Dvořák concerto and the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009, was the youngest Laureate of the Prague Spring International Festival competition in 2010 and in 2014, he was awarded first prize at Fritz Kreisler International Violin Competition. When the victory of Jan Mráček was confirmed, there was thunderous applause from the audience and the jury. The jury president announced, “Jan is a worthy winner. He has fascinated us from the first round. Not only with his technical skills, but also with his charisma on stage.”

In 2011, he became the youngest soloist in the history of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed as a soloist with world’s orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Symphony of Florida, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Romanian Radio Symphony, and others. In June 2026, he will also perform with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. He also performs with a wide range of Czech ensembles. Jiří Bělohlávek first brought him on as guest concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic, where he has served as principal concertmaster since the 2018/2019 season. In this role, he has performed, for example, with the European Union Youth Orchestra on a summer tour in 2015 under the baton of conductors Gianandrea Noseda and Xian Zhang; he has also appeared as a guest concertmaster with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra.

In 2008 he joined the Lobkowicz Piano Trio, which was awarded first prize and the audience prize at the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach, Austria in 2014. In early 2026, they performed at the Antonín Dvořák Memorial to mark the 130th anniversary of the Czech Philharmonic’s first concert. Together with violinist Jiří Vodička, who is also the concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic, they created the project “Two Masters, One Stage,” in which they can be heard in musical dialogue in works for two violins at various venues across the Czech Republic.

His recording of the Dvořák’s Violin concerto and other works by this Czech composer under James Judd with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra was recently released on the Onyx label and has received excellent reviews. He is currently preparing a CD recording featuring works by Suk, Mendelssohn, and Schubert.

In 2021, he was awarded the Jiří Bělohlávek Prize at the Czech Philharmonic’s Open-Air concert. Jan Mráček plays a 1770 Nicolò Gagliano violin, which was loaned to him by the Dutch Fidula Foundation. 

The Russian-British conductor Vasily Petrenko is best known for his role as chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. During his fifteen-year tenure there, he raised the global prestige not only of the orchestra itself but also of the city’s entire cultural scene, which rewarded him with numerous awards, honorary doctorates, and the title of Conductor Laureate. In 2021, however, he decided to take on new professional challenges and became music director of the renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, where he remains to this day. With the orchestra, he has toured major European cities, Japan, and the United States, and recorded acclaimed symphonic works by Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, and Elgar. They also performed together in Prague as part of the Dvořák Prague Festival in 2022.

This two-time recipient of Gramophone’s “Artist of the Year” award has forged his path to the top not only through collaborations with major orchestras, but also through his commitments as chief conductor or artistic director—in this capacity, he has served with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he has recorded numerous symphonies, as well as with the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. In addition, he has collaborated as a guest conductor with renowned international orchestras, including the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and numerous prestigious orchestras in North America. He has also appeared with the Czech Philharmonic, first in 2012 at the successful opening of the Prague Spring festival and then 11 years later as a substitute conductor, when he conducted Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, and the orchestral version of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Vasily Petrenko spoke in greater detail about working with large orchestras in several of his interviews. Among other things, he shared his thoughts on what he believes the role of such an ensemble should be: “I think the role of every orchestra is to improve the life of the community, improve the life of the city where the orchestra is based in all aspects, physical and mental health, cultural aspects and also to bring to bring integrity to society.” He also spoke, for example, about the crucial first five to ten minutes of working with a new orchestra, which are usually enough for the musicians to learn almost everything about the conductor and vice versa.

In addition to active conducting, Vasily Petrenko is dedicated to passing on his experience to younger generations. In 2024, he launched a new academy for young conductors, co-organized by the Primavera Foundation Armenia and the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra. “Working with young musicians and emerging conductors has always been a central part of my life. I’m delighted to work closely with students as they develop not only their craft, but their confidence, judgement and leadership as future conductors.” The conductor made this comment in January 2026, when it was announced that starting in September of that year, he would also serve as a Visiting Artist at the Royal College of Music in London.

Marek Eben is perhaps best known as a television presenter. He serves as the host of the popular StarDance competition and has been one of the key figures of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival since 1996. A graduate of the Music and Drama Department at the Prague Conservatoire, Eben is also an accomplished musician.
The son of the late organist and composer Petr Eben, he continues his father’s artistic legacy in his own distinctive way as the sole songwriter for The Eben Brothers, a band that released its sixth album, Co my víme, at the start of the 2023/2024 academic year.
Eben’s work as a composer extends beyond his own ensemble. He has written music for the films Bizon and Hele on letí, as well as for the television series Poste restante. He has also composed music and lyrics for around twenty stage productions, including Othello at Studio Ypsilon and A Winter’s Tale at the National Theatre.
On Czech Television, in addition to StarDance, Eben has appeared in the quiz show The Treasure of Agnes of Bohemia, and his long-running talk show Na plovárně has become a beloved classic. He has twice been the overall winner of the TýTý Award, formerly presented to the most popular television personalities.